Pensioners and disabled families who may need extra help this winter are being encouraged to check the support available from their energy suppliers, as households prepare for the colder months ahead. The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free service offering additional help to people who may need it because of their age, health, disability or circumstances.
The typical annual energy bill for a household paying by Direct Debit for gas and electricity has increased from £1,663 to £1,723, following the price cap rise on October 1.
What is the Priority Services Register?
Energy suppliers and network operators maintain Priority Services Registers for customers who may need additional support. Joining means people can receive extra help, either permanently or for a shorter period when their circumstances mean they need it.
The support available can include priority assistance during an emergency and, where possible, advance warning of planned power cuts. Customers can also use an identification and password scheme when someone needs to visit or contact them, helping them check the person is genuine.
People can nominate a family member, carer or another trusted person to receive communications and bills from their supplier on their behalf. Other help can include moving a prepayment meter if someone cannot safely reach it to top up, regular meter-reading services, bills and account information in large print or braille, and assistance reconnecting a gas supply.
Who can join the register?
Eligibility is wider than some people may realise. Ofgem says people can ask to join their supplier or network operator's Priority Services Register if they have reached State Pension age, are pregnant or have young children, or struggle with speaking or reading English.
People living with a disability or long-term medical condition can also join. That includes people with mental health conditions, conditions affecting their sight, hearing or sense of smell, and conditions which mean they need medical equipment requiring a power supply.
People do not necessarily need to have a permanent condition to receive additional support. Ofgem said help can also be available following a change in circumstances, including while recovering from an injury, after a stay in hospital, following a bereavement or after losing a job.
How to join
People can contact their energy supplier or network operator directly and provide as much information as possible about the support they need. Applications can be made online, in writing or over the phone, with contact details available on suppliers' websites and energy bills.
Ofgem advises people with different gas and electricity suppliers that they will need to contact each company separately. Customers who switch energy suppliers should also ask to join their new supplier's Priority Services Register. Similar free priority services are available from water and telecoms providers, with full details on the PSR website.
The energy price cap applies to households on standard variable tariffs and limits the unit rates and standing charges suppliers can impose rather than setting a maximum total bill. Ofgem said around 22 million households are protected by the cap. From October 1 until December 31, average Direct Debit rates will be 26.32p per kilowatt hour for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas.
Electricity VAT will be removed from energy bills between October 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, although Ofgem said higher wholesale gas prices mean the typical combined gas and electricity bill will still rise this autumn. Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently announced he had urged Chancellor John Healey to look at the daily standing charges applied to gas bills ahead of the Autumn Budget on Wednesday, October 28.
