The LEAP Guide to the Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register is free to join and helps your energy, gas, electricity and water companies know when you may need extra support.

You do not need to be permanently vulnerable to join the Priority Services Register. Illness, pregnancy, young children, disability, bereavement or a short-term change in circumstances can all count.

Signing up now can make a real difference during power cuts, water shortages, heatwaves or when you need extra help managing your bills.

When emergencies happen, the households most affected are often the ones that need services most:

• A power cut can be more than an inconvenience if you rely on medical equipment, have mobility issues or cannot easily leave the house. 
• A water outage is harder if you have small children, are recovering from hospital or cannot get to a bottled water station.
• A heatwave can quickly become dangerous for older people or anyone with a health condition.

That is why the Priority Services Register is here to help.

What is the Priority Services Register?

The Priority Services Register is a free support register held by energy suppliers, network operators and water companies. It tells them that someone in your household may need extra help, either all the time or for a short period.

Support can include priority help in an emergency, advance notice of planned power cuts where possible, a password scheme for home visits, bills in accessible formats, help with meter readings and the option to nominate someone you trust to receive communications. Similar free services are also available through water companies.

The Priority Services Register will not guarantee that your power or water never goes off. It does mean your provider knows about your needs before something happens, which can help them contact you, plan support and prioritise welfare checks where appropriate.

Who Can Join the Priority Services Register?

You may be able to join if you, or someone in your home:

• has reached state pension age
• is pregnant or has young children
• has a disability, long-term health condition or mental health condition
• relies on medical equipment that needs electricity
• has sight, hearing, speech or communication needs
• struggles with reading or speaking English
• is recovering from illness, injury or a hospital stay
• has recently been bereaved or experienced a change in circumstances

The Priority Services Register is there to make everyday support easier and emergency support safer.

Why the Priority Services Register Matters

Recent events across the UK have shown how quickly normal routines can be disrupted. Storms have been known to cause power cuts across rural communities, where being without electricity can affect heating, cooking, phone charging and medical equipment. During heatwaves, the risk can be different but just as serious: staying cool, keeping medication safe, using fans carefully and checking in on neighbours can become urgent.

The Priority Services Register helps your provider understand who may need an extra call, a clearer update, accessible information or practical help.

What this could look like in real life

You might be an older resident living alone. If there is a planned power cut, your network operator may be able to give you advance warning so you can charge your phone, prepare food and let a family member know.

You might be a parent with a child under five. If your water supply is disrupted, being on your water company’s Priority Services Register may help them understand that getting clear information and alternative water support quickly matters.

You might rely on powered medical equipment. Registering means your electricity network operator has a record of that need before bad weather hits.

You might simply need bills in large print, help reading your meter or a password so you know a caller at the door is genuine.

How to sign up

Contact your energy supplier and ask to be added to the Priority Services Register. You should also register with your electricity network operator, as they manage network cables and incidents such as power cuts. If you have gas, contact your gas supplier too. Also contact your water company and ask about their priority services.

If you change supplier, update your registration. If your circumstances change, update it again.

How LEAP can help

If this feels like another thing on a long to-do list, LEAP can help you work through it.

LEAP is a free energy advice and money-saving service, open to homeowners, private renters and social housing tenants. A trained advisor can help you understand your bills, check support options, discuss emergency credit and talk you through applying for the Priority Services Register, or provide access to other support schemes where eligible. 

Apply online, or call free on 0800 060 7567 in England and Wales, or 0800 029 4543 in Scotland.