The Priority Services Register: who qualifies and why

The Priority Services Register is free extra support from your energy supplier, network operator and water company: advance notice of planned power cuts, priority help in an emergency and alternative water supplies. If anyone in your home is older, disabled, chronically ill or has young children, you qualify (Ofgem, checked 29 August 2026).

What is the Priority Services Register?

It is a list, kept by the companies that supply and deliver your energy and water, of households that need extra support when something goes wrong. The energy networks describe it as “a free UK wide service which provides extra advice and support, including when there’s an interruption to your electricity or gas supply” (thepsr.co.uk, checked 29 August 2026).

Both your energy supplier and your network operator keep a register, and water companies run priority services too. It costs nothing, it is not means-tested, and being on it is invisible until the day it matters, when it decides who gets a call before a planned power cut and who finds out at the fuse box.

Who qualifies?

Ofgem’s list is broader than most people expect. You can join if you have reached state pension age, are pregnant or have young children, or live with a disability or long-term medical condition, including mental health conditions, conditions affecting your sight, hearing or sense of smell, and “conditions that mean you need to use medical equipment that requires a power supply” (Ofgem, checked 29 August 2026). You also qualify if you struggle with speaking or reading English.

Temporary circumstances count as well: Ofgem includes people recovering from an injury or needing support after a hospital stay, people who have been bereaved, and people who have lost their job. Support can apply “either all the time, or for a short period”, so do not rule yourself out because your situation should improve.

What do you actually get?

From energy suppliers and network operators (Ofgem, checked 29 August 2026):

Priority support in an emergency
Advance notice of scheduled power cuts
An identification and password scheme, so you know a caller at the door is genuine
A nominee scheme, so bills and communications can go to someone you trust
Regular meter reading services, and help moving a prepayment meter
Information in accessible formats such as large print and braille
Help reconnecting the gas supply

From water companies, via their priority services (CCW, checked 29 August 2026):

Delivery of “an emergency supply of water in the event of supplies being unexpectedly interrupted”
“Early notifications of planned water interruptions”, which CCW singles out for people on dialysis at home
A password, “so that you can be sure that the person at the door is a genuine employee of the water company”
A nominated contact, so “a relative, friend or carer” can be contacted about a bill or a water emergency
Large print documents, braille documents and interpreter services

None of this replaces 999 or your own plan for a power cut; it stacks on top.

For energy, tell your supplier or contact your network operator directly, by phone, online or in writing. In England, Scotland and Wales, one form at thepsr.co.uk covers most of it: “By telling us once, we update your PSR request with your energy supplier (the company you pay your bills to) and your regional network companies including electricity, gas and water” (thepsr.co.uk, checked 29 August 2026). If you have different suppliers for gas and electricity, Ofgem notes you will need to contact them separately.

Water companies also run their own priority services on top of that. CCW’s site helps you find yours and states that “anyone can register” (CCW, checked 29 August 2026), so it is worth a call to confirm you are on your water company’s list as well as your energy one. Ten minutes covers the lot, and it slots neatly into the same sitting as signing up for every alert worth having.

One reassurance worth quoting: the network companies pledge that “your PSR information will never be used for marketing” (thepsr.co.uk).

What about Northern Ireland?

NI Water runs a Customer Care Register offering “a range of free additional services if you are an older consumer, have a serious medical condition or need extra help for any other reason” (NI Water, checked 29 August 2026). That includes a password scheme, a carers contact service, doorstep assistance and documents in braille, large print or audio; register online or through Waterline on 03457 440088.

For electricity, NIE Networks runs a Customer Care Register. It is for anyone who “relies on electricity for healthcare needs”, and the company names the sort of kit it has in mind: “specialised mattresses, feeding systems or lifting equipment” (NIE Networks, checked 29 August 2026). Register and your call is given priority during a power cut, NIE Networks contacts you regularly with updates while it lasts, and for planned work it says “we will contact you at least three days beforehand and inform you of the expected duration of the interruption”.

Sign up online, through WhatsApp or Facebook live chat, or on the 24-hour customer helpline, 03457 643643 (NIE Networks, checked 29 August 2026). You can also download the paper form and post it back, and that same form registers you for the NI Water Customer Care Register in a separate section, so Northern Ireland’s two registers can be done in one go. You can name a relative, neighbour or friend as an alternative contact, and NIE Networks says the register is confidential, with only authorised staff able to see it.

Signing up for a relative

This is one of the most useful things you can do for a parent who lives alone. With their permission, you can go through the sign-up with them or on their behalf, and both the energy and water schemes include a nominated contact, so you can be the one who gets the call about a planned interruption.

Do it while things are calm. Registers can be joined mid-incident, but the advance notice and priority treatment only work for people who were already on the list, and if the water is off the phone lines will be busy with everyone else.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Priority Services Register free?

Yes, completely. Ofgem and the network companies are explicit that it is free to join, and the water equivalents are free too. Anyone asking for payment to register you is not the Priority Services Register.

Do young children qualify a household?

Yes. Ofgem’s eligibility list includes people who “are pregnant, or have young children” (checked 29 August 2026), alongside pension age, disability and long-term medical conditions. New parents are exactly who advance notice of a power cut is for.

Does it cover temporary situations?

Yes. Ofgem includes recovering from an injury, needing support after a hospital stay, bereavement and job loss, and says support can apply for a short period. Join for the months you need it; you are not taking anything from anyone else.

Do I have to register more than once?

Sometimes. The tell-us-once form at thepsr.co.uk says it updates your energy supplier and your regional electricity, gas and water network companies. Water companies also run their own priority services, so it is worth confirming with yours. Different gas and electricity suppliers need telling separately (Ofgem).

What does it actually do in a power cut?

You get priority support in an emergency and advance notice of scheduled power cuts (Ofgem). For anyone with medical equipment that needs power, that notice is the difference between arranging cover calmly and improvising in the dark.

Is there a water version?

Yes. CCW says free priority services are available through all water companies in England and Wales, including delivery of an emergency supply if yours is unexpectedly interrupted, early notice of planned interruptions and a password scheme (CCW, checked 29 August 2026). Anyone can register. Northern Ireland has NI Water’s Customer Care Register.

Will my details be used for marketing?

No. The energy networks’ pledge is blunt: “your PSR information will never be used for marketing” (thepsr.co.uk, checked 29 August 2026). The register exists to route help, not leaflets.

Sources & review

Join your supplier’s Priority Services Register, Ofgem: eligibility list, support offered, signing up with supplier and network operator. Checked 29 August 2026.
The PSR, UK energy networks: the tell-us-once form for England, Scotland and Wales, free service, no-marketing pledge. Checked 29 August 2026.
Priority services, Consumer Council for Water: water company support, emergency water supply, nominated contacts, anyone can register. Checked 29 August 2026.
Customer Care Register, NI Water: free additional services, password scheme, carers contact, Waterline number. Checked 29 August 2026.
Customer Care Register, NIE Networks: who it is for, the equipment examples, priority calls and updates during a power cut, three days’ notice of planned work, the shared NI Water section on the paper form, alternative contact, confidentiality. Checked 29 August 2026.
Contact us, NIE Networks: the 24-hour customer helpline on 03457 643643. Checked 29 August 2026.

Reviewed by: TBC (money reviewer pending). Review date: 29 August 2026.