Power cut guide
The Priority Services Register Explained
Quick answer: The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free list kept by electricity network operators, energy suppliers and water companies of people who may need extra help, for example if you’re of state pension age, disabled, have a long-term health condition, use medical equipment, are pregnant or have a child under 5. Being on it can get you advance warning of planned power cuts, priority updates during a cut and, in long outages, practical help such as hot food. You can join by calling 105 or through your network operator’s website, and it’s worth telling your energy supplier too.
Is the power off where you are? See live power cuts from the network operators and reports from neighbours.
This guide explains who can join, what you actually get, how to sign up yourself or someone you care for, and how things work differently in Northern Ireland. It also points you to our other guides on keeping people safe and well when the power goes off.
What is the Priority Services Register?
The PSR is not one single database run by one organisation. It’s a free service offered by the companies that look after your energy and water. Each keeps its own register, but in Great Britain they share information with each other so that, in most cases, you only need to sign up once.
There are two kinds of energy company to think about:
- Your network operator owns the local cables and substations and restores power when there’s a cut. This is who you deal with when the lights go out.
- Your energy supplier is the company that sends your bills. It handles your account, meter and payments.
Both keep a Priority Services Register, and they offer different kinds of help. If you’re not sure which is which, our guide to network operators and energy suppliers explains who does what.
Who can join
Eligibility is broad. You can usually join if any of these apply to you or someone in your home:
- you are of state pension age;
- you are disabled or have a long-term medical condition;
- you rely on medical equipment that needs electricity, or on water for medical reasons;
- you have a child aged 5 or under;
- you are pregnant;
- you have a hearing, sight or speech difficulty, or find it hard to speak or read English;
- you have a mental health condition or a condition that affects memory or understanding;
- you have reduced mobility;
- you are recovering from an injury or operation, or have just come out of hospital;
- your circumstances have changed recently, such as after a bereavement or losing your job.
Companies ask about your needs so they can match the help to you, so give as much detail as you’re comfortable sharing. Some situations are temporary, and you can join for a short period, for example while recovering from surgery or in the months around a new baby.
What help you can get
The exact services vary between companies, but these are the kinds of help on offer.
From your network operator (power cuts)
- Advance notice of planned power cuts, wherever possible, so you can make arrangements.
- Priority updates during an unplanned power cut, and in many areas a dedicated phone line.
- Proactive contact: the operator may try to call you if it knows about a problem in your area.
- Welfare support in longer power cuts or major incidents, where available. Depending on the operator and the situation, this can include hot food and drinks, help finding a hotel, or winter packs with items to help you through a power cut.
From your energy supplier (bills and meters)
- Priority support in an emergency.
- Bills and information in large print, braille or other formats.
- Regular meter reading if you can’t read your meter yourself.
- Moving a prepayment meter if you can’t safely reach it to top up.
- Nominating a relative, carer or friend to receive bills and speak for you.
- A password scheme, so you can check that anyone calling or visiting really is from the company.
- Help reconnecting your gas supply if you need it.
What the register doesn’t do
Being on the PSR doesn’t mean your power will be restored first. Engineers restore supplies as fast as they safely can for everyone. Nor does it protect you from planned work, though it does mean you should be told in good time. The real value is that the companies know about you and can contact you, and that you’re on the list when welfare help is being arranged.
Safety: The PSR is not an emergency service. If someone’s life is at risk in a power cut, for example because medical equipment has stopped, call 999 straight away.
How to register
Signing up takes a few minutes and is free. There are several ways to do it.
- Call 105. The free 105 number puts you through to your local electricity network operator in England, Scotland and Wales. You can ask to join the PSR, as well as report power cuts. Our guide to calling 105 explains what happens on the call.
- Use your network operator’s website. Each operator has an online PSR form. If you don’t know your operator, our list of network operators shows who covers each area.
- Contact your energy supplier. Your supplier’s phone number and website are on your bill. If you have different suppliers for gas and electricity, contact each one.
- Tell your water company. Water companies also keep a register, which matters if you rely on water for medical reasons.
In most cases, details given to your network operator are passed to your supplier, gas network and water company. It’s still sensible to tell your supplier yourself and check it has you listed, especially if you need help with bills or meters.
What you’ll be asked
- name, address and phone number;
- which situations apply to you, such as age, health conditions or medical equipment;
- any equipment that relies on electricity;
- how you’d like to be contacted, for example by phone, text, or through someone else;
- details of a nominated contact, if you’d like one.
Keep it up to date
Tell the companies if your circumstances change, if you move home, or if someone in the household no longer needs the help. Some operators contact registered customers every couple of years to check details are still right. If you switch energy supplier, join your new supplier’s register too, as the details don’t always follow you.
Some new-build estates are served by an independent network operator (IDNO) rather than the main operator for the region. If that’s you, contact that network directly to join its register. Calling 105 will still route you to the right company in a power cut.
Tip: Save your network operator’s PSR or power cut number in your phone, and write it on paper too. Our Priority Services Register page lists each operator’s sign-up details in one place.
Registering on behalf of someone else
Many people are signed up by a son or daughter, a partner or a carer. Companies allow a family member or carer to register someone on their behalf. A few points make it go smoothly:
- Talk to them first. Explain what the register is and get their agreement. It’s their personal and health information, and the company may want to speak to them.
- Have the details ready: their full name, address, date of birth if asked, and what help they need.
- Add yourself as a nominated contact if they’d like you to get updates during a power cut or deal with the company for them.
- Ask about a password so they can check a caller or visitor is genuine before opening the door.
If the person relies on oxygen, dialysis or other powered equipment, registering is only one part of the plan. Our guide to making a power cut plan for medical equipment walks through the conversations to have with their supplier and clinical team.
Northern Ireland: the Customer Care Register
The Priority Services Register described above covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own arrangements, and 105 doesn’t work there.
| Great Britain | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Network register | Priority Services Register, run by your local network operator | Customer Care Register (for people with medical equipment at home), run by NIE Networks |
| How to join | Call 105, use the operator’s website, or contact your supplier | Online on the NIE Networks website, by phone on 03457 643 643, or by post |
| Planned power cuts | Advance notice wherever possible | NIE Networks says registered customers get at least three days’ notice, with the expected duration |
| Supplier register | Your supplier’s Priority Services Register | Suppliers run their own registers, for example Power NI’s Customer Care Register |
| Water | Your water company’s register, often shared automatically | NI Water’s Customer Care Register, which you can join on the same NIE Networks form |
NIE Networks’ register gives priority call handling and regular phone updates during power cuts, and lets you name a relative, neighbour or friend as an alternative contact. If advisers are busy when you ring, they will call you back. Separately, your electricity supplier’s register helps with things like bills in other formats and nominating someone to manage your account. Our guide to power cuts in Northern Ireland covers the other differences, including compensation.
Making the most of the register: our other guides
The register works best alongside some simple preparation. These guides cover the practical side:
- Caring for others: looking after babies, older relatives and pets in a power cut.
- Staying warm: keeping warm in a winter power cut, including safe ways to heat one room.
- Food and medicines: how long food lasts in the fridge and freezer when the power is off.
- Heating: boilers, heat pumps and storage heaters after a power cut.
If you know work is coming up in your area, you can also see upcoming planned power cuts by postcode.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Priority Services Register free?
Yes. There’s no charge to join, and the services it gives you are free. Your information is used to provide priority support and not for marketing.
Do I need to register with both my network operator and my supplier?
In Great Britain, signing up with your network operator usually shares your details with your supplier and water company. It’s still worth telling your supplier directly, and you’ll need to sign up again if you switch supplier.
Can I register my mum or dad?
Yes. A family member or carer can register someone on their behalf. Talk to them first, get their agreement, and consider adding yourself as their nominated contact so you’re kept updated.
Will being on the register get my power back on sooner?
Not necessarily. Network operators restore power as quickly as they can for everyone. The register means they know you may need extra help, can keep you informed and can offer welfare support in a long power cut.
Can I join if my situation is only temporary?
Yes. You can register for short-term support, for example while recovering from an operation, during pregnancy or after a bereavement. Ask to be removed when you no longer need it.
How do I join in Northern Ireland?
Sign up for NIE Networks’ Customer Care Register online or by calling 03457 643 643. Contact your electricity supplier separately to join its own customer care register.
Your next step: if you or someone you look after fits any of the groups above, call 105 or fill in your network operator’s online form today. It takes a few minutes, and it means you won’t be on your own if the power goes off for longer than expected.
Sources
- Ofgem u2013 Join your supplier's Priority Services Register
- Priority Services Register (thepsr.co.uk)
- SP Energy Networks u2013 Priority Services Register
- Wales & West Utilities u2013 Priority Services Register
- NIE Networks u2013 Medical Customer Care Register
- Power NI u2013 Customer care services
Checked against these sources on 28 October 2026. Rules and amounts can change – your network operator or Ofgem has the final word. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.