Lancashire Resilience Forum and utility partners team up to promote vital emergency support register

More than TWO MILLION people in the North West are eligible but not signed up to a vital emergency support register.

• Lancashire Resilience Forum and the county’s electricity, gas and water networks issue call for people to join the Priority Services Register.

• Completely free to join, being on the register means the utilities know where you are, and can help you quickly, when there is an outage or other issue.

• Eligibility includes people of a pensionable age, or having a disability, being blind or partially sighted, or living with children under five (full list is below).

• 1.24 million people in the North West are signed up; but it is thought a further 2.3 million more are eligible. Joining the register is voluntary.

Thousands of people in Lancashire eligible for priority help during a water, power or gas outage have not registered for the free support available to them.

Bosses of the county's utilities companies today joined with Lancashire Resilience Forum to urge people to sign up now, to ensure help arrives quickly if needed.

There is a wide range of eligibility criteria for the Priority Services Register, including people of pensionable age, and people living with disabilities, as well as homes where there are children aged under five, or living with anxiety or depression.

You get extra help and tailored support if there is a situation where water, electric or gas goes off in a local community. It also opens up a range of extra support services, such as translation of literature and home safety checks (if eligible).

While there are 1.24m people currently on the register in North West England, another 2.3m are likely to be eligible but have not signed up.

As the weather turns colder, Lancashire's resilience leaders joined with Electricity North West, Cadent and United Utilities, to urge people to check if they are eligible and, if so, join the register now. Sign up at www.thepsr.co.uk

Steve Healey, Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Executive Chair of Lancashire Resilience Forum, said: “All emergency services work closely with partners in peacetime to try and prevent incidents from occurring; however, when a major incident does happen, we are ready to respond and have strong relationships with our stakeholders in the utility sector to get the problem resolved as soon as possible.

“The Priority Services Register is an excellent tool to help us identify where we prioritise our resources – it essentially helps us get the right people to some of those in the most vulnerable circumstances, including the elderly or those with disabilities who may need extra support, as well as those with young children or those with at-home medical needs. In an emergency, it could also help the fire, police or ambulance plan for ongoing care with other healthcare providers.

“I would encourage anyone who qualifies, or knows someone who does, to sign up. It’s completely free and is another line of support should you ever need it.”

Paula Steer, North West Network Director for gas distribution network Cadent, said: “All the utilities are geared up to provide additional support should there be an outage – so we would urge everyone who is eligible to sign up today. 

“It is a simple process, just a few minutes of your time that will give you, and those you care for, peace of mind if your electricity, water or gas goes off unexpectedly.”

Samantha Loukes, Electricity North West’s head of customer inclusion, added: “As the cold months approach and dark nights draw in, we know it can be a difficult time for our customers.

“We understand people struggle and that’s why we invest so heavily in partnerships. We now have a diverse range meaning we can help as many people as possible. We never want people to feel they are alone, and we want them to know support is available.

“As well providing support through our ‘Take Charge’ campaign, our partners also help spread the word about our Extra Care Register which is a free service open to those who might need a little extra help from us. Our teams of experts and partners are here to help you be safer, warmer, and more comfortable over the winter.” 

Iain Pilling, Area Engagement Lead for United Utilities said: “As autumn arrives, we’d advise all customers to think about if they or a family member or friend would benefit from any additional support. By signing up to the priority services register, it helps us to respond as quickly as we can to any particular needs they might have.” 

You are eligible to join the Priority Services Register if you or others in your household:

• Use medical equipment reliant on electricity or water

• Are pregnant, or living with children under five years of age

• Are blind, or partially sighted

• Are deaf, or hard of hearing

• Have a chronic illness

• Have anxiety, depression, or any mental health condition

• Have a disability

• Are of a pensionable age

• Have a loss of impairment of smell

• Need documents translated into another format or language

• Temporarily need extra support due to life changes, such as post hospital recovery or bereavement.

Lancashire Resilience Forum also has advice on what to do in an emergency, including what you should have in your emergency bag should you need to leave home quickly. For more information on protecting yourself or your business, visit www.lancashireprepared.org.uk