The Priority Services Register: Who It Helps and How to Join
A free support route for people who may need extra help from energy suppliers or network operators. It is worth arranging before an outage, not during one.
FIRST ACTIONS
Start here. Then read the conditions and exceptions below.
- Energy suppliers and network operators both keep Priority Services Registers.
- Eligibility can include older age, pregnancy, young children, disability, long-term health conditions and temporary difficult circumstances.
- Support can include priority help in an emergency and, where possible, advance notice of planned power cuts.
- You normally need to contact your supplier or network operator to join.
- If you switch supplier, check your registration again.
This is support, not a guarantee of uninterrupted supply
The Priority Services Register is a free service for people who may need additional help with energy services. It does not make a property immune from power cuts, but it can improve communication and support when something goes wrong.
Ofgem says both your energy supplier and your network operator keep registers. Depending on your circumstances, support can include priority help in an emergency, advance notice of planned power cuts where possible, accessible account information and other practical assistance.
Eligibility is broader than many people realise
Ofgem lists examples including people who have reached State Pension age, people who are pregnant or have young children, people who struggle with spoken or written English, and people living with disabilities or long-term medical conditions. Temporary circumstances can also matter, such as recovering from hospital treatment or bereavement.
If you are unsure, ask. Do not rule yourself out because you do not think of yourself as vulnerable.
Register before you need the support
Contact your energy supplier and network operator using the details on your bill or their official website. Give enough information for them to understand the support you may need. If gas and electricity are supplied by different companies, you may need to speak to more than one organisation.
Government preparedness guidance also points households towards equivalent priority support from water providers.
Medical equipment needs its own plan
If somebody relies on electrically powered medical equipment, registering is useful but it is not the whole plan. Speak to the clinical team and equipment provider about what happens during an outage, how long any backup battery lasts and who to contact if power is not restored.
Keep those instructions on paper and make sure other people in the household know where they are.
No shopping list required
This is one of the highest-value preparedness steps that may cost nothing. Registering, writing down the right numbers and understanding your medical or communication dependencies can matter more than another piece of equipment.
Useful kit for this plan
Equipment should support the plan, not replace it. The commercial catalogue is kept on a separate page.
Named products and Amazon UK affiliate links are kept on the dedicated KIT page so this guide remains editorial. Use the kit only after the plan identifies a genuine equipment gap.
Sources checked for this guide
We use public sources for the factual backbone and write the guide in our own words. Source pages can change, so the links below are the place to check current official advice.
Editorial review date: 25 September 2026. If an official source conflicts with this page, follow the official source.