UK Power Networks announced on 9 January 2024 that a trial called Power Protect has begun, loaning portable battery packs free of charge to customers on its Priority Services Register who rely on electricity for medical equipment. The trial is taking place in London, Maidstone, Canterbury and Bury St Edmunds1.
The packs, which the network operator says can power a standard feed pump for over 17 hours, will be loaned to these customers for free if they have a power cut lasting over four hours. UK Power Networks staff will deliver, install and remove the units once power is restored1. The company says this is the first time a UK electricity network operator has gone to such lengths to support vulnerable customers during unplanned power cuts1.
Around 120,000 people on UK Power Networks' Priority Services Register rely daily on medical equipment such as ventilators, feeding pumps, nebulisers and oxygen saturation monitors, according to the company. More than two million customers across the East, South East and London are signed up to the register, which gives free additional support during unplanned power cuts1.
Boris Yazadzhiyan, innovation programme manager at UK Power Networks, said:
"Our electricity network is 99.9% reliable, however with enough cables to stretch four times around the world, there is always a slim possibility of them being damaged or developing a fault."
The company reports that customers have welcomed the packs. A sleep apnoea sufferer from Chatham in Kent who took part in an early stage of the trial said the response was quick and that they need their machine at night. Another customer, whose daughter uses a feeding pump, said the family was called every hour to check they were well1.
The Priority Services Register is free to join. UK Power Networks lists the following groups as eligible1:
| Eligible for the Priority Services Register |
|---|
| People who rely on medical equipment |
| People with refrigerated medicines |
| People with a serious or chronic illness |
| People with a disability |
| People living with dementia |
| People of pensionable age |
| Households with children under five |
| People with mental health difficulties |
| People needing short-term additional support, for example when returning home from hospital |
Why it matters for households
The trial covers registered customers in four areas only: London, Maidstone, Canterbury and Bury St Edmunds. Households elsewhere on the register are not reported as part of it. For those in the trial areas who depend on equipment such as ventilators, feeding pumps, nebulisers or oxygen saturation monitors, the change is that a battery pack can be brought to the home during a cut lasting more than four hours, rather than the household relying solely on its own arrangements. The packs are loaned, not given, and are collected when power returns1.
The company's own account of the register sets out who can join and what it provides, and its guidance is that anyone in a power cut can call 105, the free emergency number1. Households that use medical equipment at home can read our guides on relying on medical equipment that needs electricity and the checklist for households using medical equipment, and on powering CPAP, oxygen and other medical devices from a battery. Our page on the Priority Services Register explains who can join and what it gives, and what energy and water companies must do for registered customers sets out the duties that apply.
What happens next
UK Power Networks says the trial is exploring how the scheme will be rolled out when the full service is launched "in the coming months"1. No launch date for the full service has been reported, and the company has not said which areas it would cover.
Sources (1)
- Extra support for people reliant on electricity for medical reasons | UK Power Networks, ukpowernetworks.co.uk
Medical Equipment and Power
Medical Equipment Checklist
Powering Medical Devices
Priority Services Register
Energy and Water Company Duties
Power Cut Backup Power Checklist
Backup Power Before Winter
