Emergency water deliveries and early warnings: How West Sussex residents can access extra utility support
Citizens Advice in West Sussex are on a mission to teach people about the Priority Service Register (PSR), which is a free UK wide service that was developed by the energy regulator, Ofgem, to provide extra advice and support to vulnerable customers with their electricity, gas and water supply.
The ongoing water shortage in East Grinstead (and surrounding areas) is a stark reminder of why the PSR is essential. When supplies are cut, vulnerable residents, such as those with young children, the elderly, or those with medical conditions, need to be at the front of the queue for support. Being on the register ensures your water provider knows exactly who you are and where you are when an emergency like this strikes.
It’s free for customers to sign up to be put on the PSR and doing so will open up a range of support services for those who have extra communication, access or safety needs.
In signing up to be on the PSR you will not need to show any proof of your age, situation or condition.
You will be eligible to be on the PSR if you:
- have a long-term health condition or are disabled
- have a mental health condition
- have a hearing or sight condition
- have reached state pension age
- are recovering from an injury
- are pregnant or have children under the age of 5
- have extra communication needs, such as if you do not speak or read English well.
Some customers who are dealing with short-term issues may also be able to register for the service, they can contact the PSR about eligibility if they need short-term support after being in hospital, for example.
What support can be offered?
Once customers are signed up to the PSR, energy and water companies must make sure that they provide accessible services to those customers.
These companies can support customers in a range of ways, including:
- giving them priority support in an emergency
- providing information in accessible formats
- helping with meter readings and bill payments so that customers don’t fall behind
- contacting them when their supply or services might change
- letting customers know that they will be there to help when there are planned cuts to supply.
The PSR also allows customers to use identification schemes. Energy companies give the customer a unique password so that they can know when they receive a genuine call from their provider.
The service also has a nominee scheme where bills can be sent to carers or family members of the customer’s choice. This allows vulnerable clients to share details of their energy issues with trusted people in their family, ensuring that they don’t fall behind on payments or are incorrectly billed and unable to navigate this.
If you are interested in signing up to the PSR you will need to register for each company that provides you with energy. If you get your heating, water, electricity and gas from different companies, for example, you will need to register in four places.