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Priority Services Register

Priority Services Register

Every energy supplier must keep a register of vulnerable customers and offer these customers additional services, free of charge. This register is officially known as a Priority Services Register (PSR).

A customer will be eligible for this if he or she falls into any one of the following categories:

• is of pensionable age
• has a disability
• is chronically sick ie has significant long-term ill health
• is blind or visually impaired
• is deaf or hard of hearing
• has another type of special need
• is on mean-tested benefits and living with a child aged 5 or under (some suppliers only)

If any of these apply to you, please phone your supplier and ask to be placed on their Priority Services Register.

A customer on the PSR can choose from a selection of services including:

Password scheme

To protect against bogus callers, a customer can ask the supplier to give them a personal password to use every time they visit their home.

Meter reading

If a customer has difficulty in reading a meter, the supplier can arrange for meters to be read every quarter.

Repositioning of meters

If a customer finds it difficult to reach a prepayment meter to top up, or cannot reach the gas safety lever beside the meter, the supplier will consider moving the meter, free of charge, to a more convenient position.

Free gas appliance and safety check

A household qualifies for a free, annual gas safety check if all adults in the household are eligible for the Priority Services Register and the head of the household is an owner occupier or a private tenant.

Special services for the visually and hearing impaired

Suppliers must provide bills and other information in a format suitable for customers. They will normally offer bills in braille, in large print, on CD or on audio cassette; suppliers can be contacted by textphone or minicom.

Bill nominee scheme/Protected Service Scheme

Bills (or copies of bills) can be sent to a friend, relative or carer (at the customer's address or at another address).

Priority for reconnection

When there is a power cut or the gas supply is interrupted, customers on the PSR will be given priority for re-connection.