The Priority Services Register: free extra help with energy and water
Published · 5 min read · Figures checked . UK rules and rates change, so check the official sources below before you act.
The Priority Services Register is a free list that energy and water companies keep of customers who may need extra help. This guide explains who can join, what support it gives, how to sign up, and why more than one register may be involved.
What the Priority Services Register is and how it works
The Priority Services Register, often shortened to PSR, is a record kept by utility companies of customers who may need extra support because of their circumstances. It is not a benefit and it does not pay money towards bills. Instead it flags your household so that companies can adapt how they communicate with you and how they respond if something goes wrong, such as a power cut or a water supply interruption. GOV.UK describes it as a free service for people with additional needs, available in England, Wales and Scotland.
Energy is split across several companies, which is why the register is not a single list. Ofgem, the energy regulator, explains that your energy supplier (the company that sends your bill) and your network operator (the company responsible for the pipes and wires that carry gas and electricity to your home) each keep their own register. Water companies keep separate registers again, following standards set by their regulator, Ofwat. In Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says the equivalent energy scheme is called the Customer Care Register.
Who can join
Ofgem lists several groups who can join. These include people who have reached State Pension age, people who are pregnant or have young children, people who struggle with speaking or reading English, and people with a disability or long-term medical condition. That covers mental health conditions, conditions affecting sight, hearing or sense of smell, and conditions that mean relying on medical equipment that needs a power supply.
Eligibility is not limited to long-term situations. Ofgem also lists people whose circumstances have recently changed, for example recovering from an injury or a hospital stay, being bereaved, or losing a job. Citizens Advice adds examples such as having no sense of smell or struggling to smell gas, finding it hard to answer the door or get help in an emergency, and returning to independent living after residential care. Because suppliers decide who is added, the exact outcome can vary, and a carer or family member can usually help someone apply.
What support registration can bring
Ofgem's guidance lists the main energy services. They include priority support in an emergency, advance notice of planned power cuts where possible, and an identification and password scheme so you can check that a caller or visitor is genuine. You can also nominate someone, such as a relative or carer, to receive your bills and communications, and ask for bills in large print or braille. Other options include regular meter readings, help reconnecting your gas supply, and moving a prepayment meter if you cannot safely reach it to top it up.
Citizens Advice also notes extra support during a power cut, such as someone checking on you or hot meals, and Ofgem notes that network operators must offer registered customers extra help such as battery packs to charge phones or medical equipment. For water, the Consumer Council for Water says registered customers can expect advance notice of supply disruption and planned work, and free bottled water if the supply is interrupted. It also says some customers wrongly expect financial help or priority restoration of supply, which are not part of the register. Ofgem likewise states that being on the register does not earn extra compensation payments after a power cut.
How to join, with a worked example
To join, contact your supplier or network operator by phone, online or in writing, and give as much detail about your needs as you can; contact details are on your bills and their websites. Citizens Advice says that if you apply to your electricity network, it passes your details to your gas network operator and your energy suppliers, who each add you to their own register and should contact you. It suggests contacting your companies if you have not heard back within two weeks. It also says that if you move, your new home may be on a different electricity network, so you may need to apply again.
Here is an illustrative example, with made-up circumstances. Suppose a household has one electricity supplier, a different gas supplier, one water company and relies on a powered medical device. That is five organisations involved: electricity network, electricity supplier, gas network operator, gas supplier and water company. Under the Citizens Advice description, one application to the electricity network would be passed on to four of those five, leaving the water company as a separate application: 1 application plus 1 application is 2 applications in total. Ofgem's guidance still says that if you have different suppliers for gas and electricity you must contact each one separately, and that after switching supplier you need to ask your new supplier to add you.
Common mistakes and what to check
A common gap is assuming that being on one register covers everything. Energy and water registers are separate, a switch of supplier may need a fresh request, and a move of home may change your network operator. Another is expecting the register to bring money or faster repairs: it is about communication and support, not financial help or guaranteed priority restoration. It can also be worth checking how information is shared, since Citizens Advice says you will usually tick a box agreeing for your details to be passed on.
If you cannot report a power cut online, 105 connects you to your local network operator whichever supplier you use, according to GOV.UK. If there is a risk to life, the guidance is to call 999 or 112 instead. Citizens Advice offers free guidance on energy problems.
Check before you act
Rules, services and contact details change, and each company decides how it applies the register. Please confirm the current position on the official pages linked below and with your own supplier, network operator and water company before relying on any detail in this guide. This guide is general information, not personal advice.
Sources
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