Have you registered with the Priority Services Register?

28th July 2026

As the UK experiences another heatwave of the summer, with amber heat-health alerts in place across London, the South East, the East of England and the East Midlands, energy and water companies are seeing an increase in people signing up for extra support through the Priority Services Register (PSR).

The PSR is a free scheme that lets energy, water and gas suppliers flag customers who may need additional help, including advance warning of planned supply interruptions, priority reconnection if the power or water goes off, and welfare check-ins during extreme weather.

The scheme is available to a wide range of people, including those of State Pension age, people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and anyone experiencing temporary vulnerability, such as following a hospital stay or bereavement.

Councils and charities say the current spell of extreme heat, which has already pushed parts of the UK past 20 days of heatwave conditions and prompted a hosepipe ban from several water companies, is a timely reminder that vulnerable residents can lose access to cooling, refrigeration for medication, or access to drinking water when they need it most. Local authorities have been urging residents to check on older neighbours and identify anyone who may benefit from joining the register.

However, consumer groups point out that the PSR is not a single national register. Households must register separately with their energy supplier, electricity network operator and, where applicable, their water and gas providers. Signing up with one organisation does not automatically register a customer with the others.

“Post-polio syndrome can make it much harder for people to regulate their body temperature, so a heatwave like this poses a real risk,” said Kripen Dhrona, Chief Executive Officer at the British Polio Fellowship. “We’d encourage polio survivors, and anyone with a long-term condition, to get themselves onto the Priority Services Register. It means help is already lined up before an emergency happens, not after.”

The Fellowship recommends that polio survivors contact each of their utility providers directly, using the telephone number shown on their bill, to ensure they are registered for Priority Services and fully covered before the next spell of extreme weather.

Priority Services Register: www.thepsr.co.uk

Customer Care Register (NI): www.nienetworks.co.uk/help-advice/vulnerable-customers/customer-care-register