Getting extra support from your energy supplier

If you find it hard to deal with your energy supply, you might be able to sign up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). This gets you extra support from your energy supplier.

You’ll need to contact your energy network and fill in a signup form. Your energy network is the company that manages the electricity meters in your area, not the company you get bills from.

Check if you can sign up

You can register for priority services if your energy network considers you ‘vulnerable’. This can apply to lots of different situations - for example if you:

• are disabled or seriously ill
• are recovering from an injury
• have mental health problems
• don’t speak or read English well
• have children under 5 or are pregnant
• have reached your State Pension age

If your situation isn’t listed, you might still be able to sign up for priority services if you find it hard to deal with your energy supply.

Find out what help you can get

Each energy network offers different support. The help you can get depends on your circumstances.

You can call your energy network before you apply if you want to check exactly which priority services you could get.

Power cuts and interruptions

Make sure your energy network knows you’d be more at risk during a power cut or an interruption to your supply - for example if you rely on electrical medical equipment. You can ask your energy network to:

• warn you about supply interruptions
• compensate you if your supply is interrupted
• give you cooking appliances or hot meals during a power cut

Your meter and supply

If you’re registered for priority services, you can ask your energy network to:

• move your meter so it’s easier for you to access
• send someone to read your meter every 3 months

Your bills and communications

If you struggle to read bills or aren’t confident contacting your supplier, you can ask for:

• accessible bills - eg braille or type talk
• an interpreter if your first language isn’t English
• your network to say a passphrase when they contact you

After you’ve signed up

Depending on your energy network, they might not contact you after you’ve signed up, so it’s a good idea to call your energy network if you don’t hear anything within 2 weeks. Ask them:

• if you’re on the register
• what support options they can offer you
• if they’ve given your details to the energy supplier who deals with your bills - they should do this

If you move house, your new home might be covered by a different energy network - this means you’ll need to sign up again. Use the tool on this page to check which energy network covers your new home.