Relying on Medical Equipment That Needs Electricity

If you depend on a machine that plugs into the wall, a power cut is not a matter of sitting in the dark until the lights return. People who rely on electrical medical equipment, or on refrigerated medicines, can be significantly affected when the supply goes off, particularly in winter¹. NHS guidance for families of technology dependent children rates the risk of an unplanned power cut as Major without planning, and Low to Moderate with a clinical team assessment and a contingency plan in place². The difference between those two outcomes is preparation, and most of it can be done this week.

Two things matter most. First, make a plan with your care provider and clinical care team now, setting out what action to take and who to contact in a power outage³. Second, join the Priority Services Register with your network operator and energy supplier, so the companies that run and restore your electricity know you need extra help⁴. In Great Britain, ring 105 when a power cut happens; in Northern Ireland the number is 03457 643643³.

Start with your care team, not with kit

The first conversation to have is with the people who look after your health. Official guidance is direct about this: make a plan with your care provider and clinical care teams now about what will happen in a power cut, covering what action to take and who to contact³. That plan is what turns a frightening evening into a managed one. It should name the equipment you rely on, how long you can safely manage without it, who to ring first, and at what point you should seek medical help or go to hospital.

The stakes are real. Official risk guidance on the failure of the national electricity supply notes that vulnerable people may be on breathing apparatus run by electricity or on dialysis machines, and that without these machines many vulnerable people may need hospital care¹¹. That is not a reason for alarm, because widespread national failure is rare and local cuts are usually shorter, but it is the reason to have the conversation before you need it rather than during.

If you care for a child who depends on technology, NHS guidance asks families to plan now where you would provide care during a power cut, because you will be caring in reduced light and a clear, organised area is important². Think through the practicalities: where the equipment will go, where the torches are, and how you would keep the space around the child clear. The same guidance rates the risk of a planned power cut as Low when a clinical team assessment and contingency plan are in place, compared with Major without planning².

Your emergency plan should also cover the equipment itself. Ready Scotland guidance for disabled people and carers says your plan should include backup power arrangements, instructions for operating the equipment, maintenance information, what you would do during a long power outage, and a copy of the emergency and service continuity policy from your care agency if you have one¹². Write it down and keep a copy where you can find it in the dark.

• What equipment you rely on, and what each one does
• Backup power arrangements for each item¹²
• Instructions for operating the equipment¹²
• Maintenance information¹²
• What you would do during a long power outage¹²
• Who to contact: care team, network operator, and out-of-hours medical help³

If your supply is cut off because of a faulty energy meter rather than a network power cut, contact your energy supplier instead of ringing 105, as they are responsible for the meter⁹.

Join the Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register is how the electricity industry knows you need extra help. Your utility company can give you extra support through the Priority Services Register¹². If you have any medical equipment which relies on electricity, join your network operator's priority register⁴. If electricity is crucial for any medical equipment you have, contact your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) at any time, as they may be able to put you on their Priority Register for assistance during any power outage⁶.

It helps to understand who does what. Your energy supplier sells you electricity; your network operator (the DNO) owns the wires and restores power when it fails. Both hold Priority Services Registers, and you should join both. The London Fire Brigade describes the register as a special, private list of customers who need extra help due to factors like mobility issues, vision or hearing impairments, or because they are older or unwell¹³. The service is available to customers in England, Scotland and Wales⁵; Northern Ireland has its own arrangement, covered below.

Who can join

Eligibility is broader than many people assume. You do not have to be on life support to qualify. In Scotland, official guidance lists people who use medical equipment that needs power or water, people who are disabled or have a long-term health condition, households living with children under 5, and people who are over 60¹⁴. Water companies also run their own Priority Services Register for people unable to reach a distribution point due to mobility issues¹⁵. NHS guidance in the East of England adds that people who rely on refrigerated medicines can also be significantly affected by power cuts and should explore whether they are eligible for their energy supplier's register¹.

Your need can be temporary as well as permanent. Ofgem notes that this could be all the time, or for a short period due to something that has happened in your life, such as recovering from an operation or a spell in hospital¹⁶.

How to register

Contact your network operator and your energy supplier and ask to join their Priority Services Register. If you have a different supplier for your gas and electricity, you will need to contact them separately¹⁶. If you switch supplier, you will need to ask to join their Priority Services Register, because your place does not transfer automatically¹⁶. Your network operator stays the same when you switch supplier, so that registration usually carries over, but it is worth confirming.

If you use a home ventilator, an NHS manual for ventilator users is explicit: ensure that you are registered as a priority user on a priority service register with your electricity provider, so you will get advance notice of any planned power cuts¹⁷.

What the register gives you during a power cut

The register is not a promise that your power will be restored first, and it is important to be clear about that. What it does give you is notice, contact and practical help.

If you rely on your energy supply for medical reasons, your network operator can tell you about planned power cuts, for example when they plan engineering work³. For a ventilator user, that advance notice is the difference between a managed evening on battery power and a crisis¹⁷. One network operator, SSEN, states that it only provides generators for customers who are medically dependent on electricity, and does not provide generators for businesses or personal use⁷, which shows the kind of targeted help the register unlocks.

During unplanned cuts, network operators must offer customers on the Priority Services Register extra help for both planned and unplanned power cuts, for example giving them battery packs so that they can still charge phones or medical equipment. What each company offers will be different⁹. In past storms, Ofgem's review of Storm Arwen found that affected customers expected DNOs to consider upgrading the support available to vulnerable customers, those affected by lengthy outages of 5 days plus, or those with no water supply, including offering pre-paid hotel accommodation or portable generators¹⁸. An earlier Ofgem storms review found that DNOs proactively contacted PSR customers and worked with local authorities and the British Red Cross, arranging generators, distributing warm meals and blankets, and providing alternative hotel accommodation¹⁹.

What each company offers differs⁹, so ask your own network operator what they provide. Our page on extra help from network operators during long outages goes into this in more detail.

Check your backup power before you need it

Equipment that keeps someone well usually has a battery option, but a battery you have never tested is not a backup, it is a hope. Independent guidance on planned power cuts is blunt: power cuts will affect equipment such as stairlifts, bath hoists and adjustable beds, so make sure that any essential medical equipment has a battery backup⁷. A parish council tip sheet makes the same point about the same equipment: power cuts will affect stair lifts, bath hoists and adjustable beds²⁰.

Official storm guidance adds the routine that should become habit: when a storm is forecast, charge mobile phones, power banks and any backup batteries for medical equipment in case there is a power cut⁸. Do not wait for the wind to arrive.

• Confirm each piece of essential equipment has a working battery backup⁷
• Keep backup batteries charged, especially when bad weather is forecast⁸
• Keep phones and power banks charged alongside them⁸
• Know how long each battery lasts, and write it on the plan
• Test the battery changeover, not just the battery level

For equipment without its own battery, a portable power station or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can bridge a cut. A UPS switches over instantly, which matters for equipment that must not stop even briefly; a power station has more stored energy for a longer outage but takes a moment to start. Sizing either depends on how much power your equipment draws and how long you need to run it, and your care team or equipment supplier can tell you the power rating of each item. Our backup power at home guide explains the options and how to match one to your equipment.

If you use telecare devices, speak to your device provider or manufacturer to understand how personal alarms and connected health equipment such as diabetes sensors will function during a power cut³. Some will carry on with their own battery for a while; some will not work at all until the mains returns. You need to know which, before it matters.

When the power goes: call 105

When a power cut happens, the single number to know is 105. Call it free of charge to report the problem and get updates on when your power will be restored²¹. You will be put through to your local electricity network operator, who can give you help and advice²³. The service is free and available 24/7¹³. If you are unsure who to call, or in the event of a power cut, call 105²⁴, or visit the Power Cut website to be directed to the operator for your area²⁵.

For a household relying on medical equipment, the sequence is slightly longer than for everyone else:

1. Check whether it is a power cut or just your trip switches, if you can do so safely
2. Call 105 to report it and get a restoration estimate²¹
3. Start your medical plan: switch to battery backup⁷
4. Call your care team or out-of-hours medical help if the equipment has stopped or the outage is outlasting your battery life³
5. Ask the network operator about the extra help available to you as a registered customer⁹

Do not assume the network operator knows your supply is off. Cuts are reported by customers, and ringing 105 is what puts you into the restoration queue and gets you updates²¹. Our page on how to report a loss of electricity covers the reporting process, and what to do when the electricity goes off walks through the first hour for the whole household.

Northern Ireland and the North West: different arrangements

Northern Ireland runs its own arrangements. The 105 service covers England, Scotland and Wales; in Northern Ireland the power cut reporting number is 03457 643643³. Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Networks is the network operator there, and if a power cut happens you can contact its customer helpline²⁶. You can also get information about electricity supply, including an updated list of areas affected by power cuts, on the NIE Networks website²⁷.

Registration is separate too. If you depend on electrical equipment that is vital to your health, contact NIE Networks to get on their medical customer care register²⁷. The utility regulator's consumer guide for Northern Ireland explains that NIE Networks will keep those consumers on the register up to date if there is a power interruption and will give notice in advance of planned interruptions²⁸. So the same two steps apply, through a different door: register with NIE Networks, and keep their number by the phone.

Our page on Northern Ireland: NIE Networks, reporting and help covers the arrangements there in full.

Care homes, assisted living and looking out for others

If you or a relative live in a care home or assisted living, ask the manager what the contingency plan is for a loss of supply, including backup power arrangements and how residents who use powered medical equipment would be supported. The questions in your own household plan apply there too.

For families caring at home for technology dependent children, NHS guidance asks you to plan where you would provide care, because you will be caring in reduced light and a clear, organised area is important². The guidance rates the risk from an unplanned power cut as Low to Moderate with a clinical team assessment and contingency plan in place, and Major without².

Community guidance also asks neighbours and relatives to play their part. Ready Scotland's community emergency planning guide includes checking up on relatives or neighbours who might need help during a power cut²⁹, and Carmarthenshire Council advises that if you have elderly relatives or neighbours who might need help during a power cut, please check on them³⁰. If you are the person who depends on powered equipment, it is worth arranging that check from the other direction: agree with a neighbour or relative that they will look in on you if the lights go out. Our checklist for households using medical equipment and our page on checking on neighbours and relatives can help structure that agreement.