Priority Services Register: free help from utilities
Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.
The Priority Services Register is a free support service run by energy suppliers, energy network operators and water companies. Anyone who has reached State Pension age can ask to join, and it means extra help in a power cut or supply problem, bills in a format you can read, and protection against bogus callers.
What the register is
Each energy supplier and network operator keeps a list of customers who may need extra help. This list is the Priority Services Register, often shortened to PSR. Being on it does not change what you pay and does not affect your credit record or your benefits. It simply tells the company that you should be looked after first if something goes wrong, and that you may need things done a little differently.
Water companies run their own priority services registers along the same lines.
Who can join
According to Ofgem, the energy regulator, at the time of writing (November 2026) you can ask to join if you:
- have reached State Pension age
- live with a disability or long-term medical condition, including mental health conditions and conditions affecting your sight, hearing or sense of smell
- use medical equipment that needs a power supply
- are pregnant or have young children
- struggle with speaking or reading English
- have had a recent change in circumstances, such as coming out of hospital, recovering from an injury, a bereavement or losing your job
So reaching State Pension age is enough on its own. You do not need to be unwell or on a low income. A temporary need counts as well: you can join while recovering from an operation, for example.
What help you get
Ofgem lists the following. What each company offers varies a little, so ask what yours provides.
| Help | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Priority support in an emergency | You are contacted and helped first if the power or gas goes off |
| Advance notice of planned power cuts | Where possible, you are warned before engineering work, so you can plan |
| Identification and password scheme | You agree a password that any genuine caller or visitor from the company must give |
| A nominee | Bills and letters can be sent to a relative, friend or carer you choose |
| Accessible information | Bills and account details in large print or braille |
| Meter reading | Regular meter readings taken for you if you cannot read the meter |
| Moving a prepayment meter | If you cannot safely reach it to top up |
| Help reconnecting your gas supply | Support after the gas has been interrupted |
How to join
You need to register with each company separately, though it only takes a few minutes each time.
- Your energy supplier – the company that sends your gas and electricity bills. If you have different suppliers for gas and electricity, contact both.
- Your electricity network operator – the company that owns the cables in your area and fixes power cuts. This is a different company from your supplier; its name is on your electricity bill.
- Your water company – ask to join its priority services register too.
You can register online, by phone or in writing. Give as much detail about your needs as you are comfortable with, because the help is matched to what you tell them. A relative or carer can register on your behalf with your agreement. Ofgem's guidance is on its Priority Services Register page.
If you switch supplier
Your registration does not move with you. Ofgem says that if you switch supplier, you need to ask to join the new supplier's register. Make it one of the first things you do after switching.
The password scheme and bogus callers
One of the most useful parts of the register has nothing to do with power cuts. Once you have set a password, anyone who knocks on the door or telephones claiming to be from your energy or water company must be able to give it. If they cannot, do not let them in and do not give them any information.
Genuine meter readers and engineers will wait while you check. Close the door, ring the company on the number printed on your bill (not a number the caller gives you), and ask. Our guides to doorstep selling rights and spotting scams have more on dealing with unexpected callers, and a video doorbell lets you see who is there before opening the door.
Preparing for a power cut
Being on the register means help reaches you sooner, but it cannot guarantee the power stays on. A little preparation helps:
- Keep a torch where you can find it in the dark, with spare batteries. Avoid candles.
- Keep a charged mobile phone. Many home phones now work over broadband and will not work in a power cut unless you have a battery back-up unit; see the landline digital switchover.
- If you have a personal alarm, stairlift or powered medical equipment, ask the supplier of the equipment what happens when the power goes off, and tell your network operator about it.
- Keep a blanket and warm clothes to hand in winter; see keeping warm for less.
Common reasons people miss out
- Never having heard of it. Research published by Ofgem has found that many households who are likely to be eligible are not registered, and that most people who assumed they were not eligible had never checked.
- Thinking it is only for people who are very ill. State Pension age alone qualifies you.
- Registering with the supplier but not the network operator or water company. Check each one.
- Switching supplier and not re-registering.
- Not updating details. Tell the company if your health, phone number or nominated contact changes.
Common questions
Does it cost anything?
No. The Priority Services Register is a free service.
Will joining affect my tariff or my ability to switch?
No. It is a support service and is separate from the price you pay. You remain free to switch; just remember to register with the new supplier.
Can I join on behalf of my mother?
Yes, with her agreement. You can also be set up as her nominee so that bills and letters come to you.
Is there a register for phone and broadband?
Phone and broadband companies have their own arrangements for customers who need extra support, such as priority fault repair. Ask your provider what it offers.