Did you know energy and water companies hold priority service registers that are free to join? This is a list of people who, because of their age, illness, disability, or personal circumstances, may need extra support if there are issues with their water, electricity, or gas supply. This could be during planned work or an emergency. It’s also a way for the company to know about any particular communication needs you might have.

Each company has their own register, which may have slightly different criteria to join. People who might qualify include pensioners, families with children under five, disabled people, people with a serious illness or mental health difficulty and people who rely on medical equipment or refrigerated medicine. You might also be able to register if you’re going through a temporary change in circumstances that means you need extra support for a short time.

Depending on the company and the situation, the support offered could be things like a priority number for you to phone, extra updates on what’s happening during an emergency, bottled water delivered to your door, or extra help or equipment to get hot meals or stay warm.

It’s a good idea to register before emergencies come along to make sure you’re prepared.

Where to get more information and sign up:

• You can sign up through UK Power Networks to make all your energy suppliers aware that you need priority support: Apply online or phone 0800 169 9970
• Southern Gas Network: Apply online or phone 0800 912 1700
• South East Water: Apply online or phone 0800 952 4000
• Southern Water: Apply online or phone 0800 027 0800