UK Power Networks Priority Services if you lose your power
We know how difficult it is for anybody during a power cut but recognise how especially worrying it must be if you are reliant on electricity for medical equipment, or have other special needs.
Customers often ask if we can offer them anything extra during power cuts.
Well yes, we can.
We can keep details of our most vulnerable customers on our Priority Services/Special Needs Register. Although this won’t necessarily mean we can restore your power more quickly, we can offer you additional help and support if you do experience a power cut.
We try to proactively contact customers on our register if we know of a problem in their area. Even if the power cut only affects you, once you call us, we will be able to support and advise you.
We’ll keep in touch with regular updates and, if necessary, we can ask the British Red Cross to visit to offer you extra help and support.
If we need to switch the power off to do planned work on our network, we’ll give you time to prepare by telling you at least five days in advance. If we do this, make sure you have everything you’ll need in one place.
In a widespread fault we can’t restore supply to just your property because of engineering restrictions but we will understand your problems and help where ever we can.
To be included on the UK Power Networks Priority Services register you must be living within our distribution area and meet certain criteria.
If you live in our network area – London, the South East of England or the East of England and you meet the following criteria you can register with us.
If you are:
- Dependant on medical equipment
- Chronically sick
- Disabled
- A special case that you would like us to consider
Join the Register by downloading our application form, completing your details and sending them to:
Priority Services Co-ordinator
UK Power Networks
Fore Hamlet
Ipswich
Suffolk IP 3 8AA
If you have any questions please contact us at:
Tel: 0800 169 9970
(This is an answer phone service. Please leave your name and telephone number and your call will be returned as soon as possible)
Email: psr@ukpowernetworks.co.uk
If you want extra security, we can agree a password with you which we will use if we need to call on you.
Any member of our staff who has to visit your home will give this password to prove they are genuine. If you are ever in any doubt, don't let the caller in.
To set up your personal password, contact the numbers below.
In London
Please call us on 0800 028 0247 or, if you have hearing problems, please prefix this number with 18001 to contact us via Text Relay.
In the East of England
Please call us on 0800 783 8838 or, if you have hearing problems, please prefix this number with 18001 to contact us via Text Relay.
In the South East of England
Please call us on 0800 783 8866 or, if you have hearing problems, please prefix this number with 18001 to contact us via Text Relay.
If you want to write, please use the address below. Please remember to include your name, address, phone number and details of your medical needs when writing.
Priority Services Register
UK Power Networks
Fore Hamlet
Ipswich
IP3 8AA
To help you in the event of a power cut
Here are some tips you may find helpful should you have a power cut:
- Keep fridges and freezers closed as they will normally stay cold for many hours.
- During cold weather, dress warmly using several layers of clothing
- Take care if using candles, tea-lights and other naked flames.
- Take a torch to light your way when moving around an unlit area.
Here are some ideas to prepare for a power cut:
- Have batteries for radios, torches etc. Rechargeable batteries are a good idea wherever possible.
- If your stair lift is mains operated it will stop where it is during a power cut. Check now to see if there is a manual release handle that can be used to return the lift safely to ground level if it stops halfway between floors.
- Some stair lifts have battery back up power. This automatically takes over and keeps the lift working if there's a power cut. If your lift doesn't have this, it may be possible to have it fitted. Contact your lift manufacturer for more information.
- Lots of modern phones, particularly cordless ones, won't work during a power cut. Keep an ordinary telephone on each floor of your home. If you can't get to the ground floor, you'll still be able to call someone for help.
- Try to keep a battery-operated radio somewhere handy, as local stations sometimes broadcast helpful information during very bad storms or floods.
- If you have a medical condition or rely on medical equipment which would be severely affected by a power cut please discuss your concerns and needs with your carer, district nurse, doctor or social worker etc, so that you can produce a personal emergency plan to cope with a power cut. Your personal emergency plan should always include calling our power cut emergency line to let us know that you are without power.
- NHS Direct Helpline number 0845 4647
More detailed information to help you in a power outage can be found here
Contact Us
0800 169 9970
Priority Services Co-ordinator
UK Power Networks
Fore Hamlet
Ipswich
Suffolk IP3 8AA