Utilities companies should help to keep you safe, warm, and independent in your home.
We have been working with utilities companies to make it easy for those living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to register for extra support by joining the Priority Services Register.
What is the Priority Services Register?
The Priority Services Register (PSR) helps utility companies look after domestic customers who have additional communication, access or safety needs. It helps them tailor their services to support households who may need extra help – and it is free to join.
The PSR is available to domestic customers across England, Wales and Scotland. There are separate registers for your energy supply and your water supply, so make sure you register with both.
Rest assured your data will be safe. Privacy laws will always be followed and your PSR information will never be used for general marketing. You will be asked to provide your agreement (or explicit consent) to allow your data to be kept and shared across utility companies, allowing the provision of these safeguarding services.
If anything about your situation changes you can tell the utility company and they’ll update your details. If you don’t want to be on the PSR anymore, just ask to be removed and they’ll do this for you.
Northern Ireland: Customer Care and Critical Care Registers
In Northern Ireland, electricity and gas suppliers have a Customer Care Register with the details and specific needs of customers who live with chronic health conditions or are of pensionable age or disabled.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) and NI Water operate a Critical Care Register with details of people who rely on electrical equipment or on a water supply to operate medical equipment such as home dialysis machines.
Why join the PSR?
We recommend you register in order to benefit from services such as:
- Alternative water supplies in the event of an interruption
- Alternative heating and cooking facilities in the event of the delivery of your gas being interrupted
- A dedicated number and specialist team to support you and your family during a power cut
- Keeping you safe on the doorstep with the use of passwords and identification badges
- Priority support in the event of an emergency (for example, a severe weather incident)
- You can also register for alternative communication such as large print correspondence or bills or to send them to an alternative contact at your request.
It is also worth contacting your provider to discuss the range of services that might be right for you and your family as there is a wide range of support available to PSR customers, including social tariff schemes which could help to reduce your bills if you're on a low income.
How to register for the Priority Services Register by phone and online
There are a number of ways to register.
If you want to call and speak to someone you can do this with your water company and energy supplier(s); you can find the relevant telephone numbers on your utility bills or by going onto their websites by searching for 'Priority Services Register'.
Join the register for gas and electricity
Your Distribution Network Operator is the company that delivers, manages and maintains the infrastructure to deliver gas and electricity to your home. This is not the same as your supplier to which you pay your bills.
Visit the Priority Services Register website to register with your Distribution Network Operator.
Join your water company's register
Contact your water company directly in the following regions:
North West England – United Utilities
North East England, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire – Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water
Central and Southern Scotland, Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and North Shropshire – Scottish Water and United Utilities.
North Scotland and Central Southern England – Bournemouth Water, Portsmouth Water, Scottish Water, Southern Water and Thames Water.
London, South East and East of England – Anglian Water, Affinity Water, Cambridge Water, Essex and Suffolk Water (part of Northumbrian Water), South East Water, Southern Water, SES Water, and Thames Water
Midlands, South West and Wales – Bristol Water, Dwr Cymru / Welsh Water, Severn Trent Water, South West Water and Wessex Water
You can find additional tips to help with your utility bill costs on our cost of living information hub.