With winter well and truly here, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is urging people who might need extra support during a power cut to sign up for its free Priority Services Register (PSR).
SSEN, which owns and maintains the electricity network in the north of Scotland and central southern England, including here on the Isle of Wight, has more than 451,000 people on its Priority Services Register, with over 95,000 customers registered across parts of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset. But it recognises that there still may be customers who are not aware of this free essential service, and is urging anyone who thinks they may be eligible for help to get in touch.
Customers can qualify for the PSR if they are dependent on electricity for home medical care, have a chronic illness or short term medical condition, are disabled, have special communication needs, have a young baby or receive a state pension.
During a power cut, those registered on the PSR will receive a phone call and, where necessary, a welfare check from a member of a specially-trained team. The free service also offers:
- Dedicated 24 hour priority services phone number
- Priority updates during a power cut
- Information in the format you need, for example Braille, textphone, audio CD or foreign language
People can also nominate somebody – a family member or friend – who becomes their official contact for SSEN’s dedicated team. A security password system ensures the safety of customers.
Julie Walker, SSEN’s Priority Services Manager is urging anyone who thinks they may be eligible to get in touch:
“We’ve increased the numbers of eligible customers on our Priority Services Register by more than a third in the last year, but we know there are more people out there who could benefit from this free service, and so we want to hear from them and get them signed up before winter really kicks in.
“We realise how difficult and distressing a power cut can be for some of our customers, and we want to make sure that those who need extra support during emergency situations get the support they need from our specially trained teams. If you think that you, or anyone else you know, could benefit from our Priority Service Register, then please get in touch.”
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Registering for SSEN’s priority services is simple and straightforward. Customers can join the register by:
- Calling SSEN’s dedicated Priority Services team on 0800 294 3259 and register over the phone.
- Calling 0800 316 5457 and registering using a text phone
- Visiting co.uk/PriorityServicesRegister/ and registering online
- Downloading SSEN’s Priority Services booklet, filling out the application form and sending it to SSEN by post using the freepost address.
For more information on SSEN’s Priority Services Register, visit ssen.co.uk/PriorityServices.
