Shirley Loveday at UK Power Networks has guest authored today’s blog post. Shirley works for the Customer Vulnerability team, promoting the support that is available free of charge to vulnerable people in the event of a power cut. People with a wide variety of needs can access this support, including pensioners, families with young children, and people with special needs, disabilities or health conditions. Many of WaveLength’s beneficiaries live in these circumstances, and could benefit from this support. But it is only available to people who register. So if you would benefit from this support, or if you know someone who would, please read more below and sign up!
Sign up for free help in a power cut
At UK Power Networks we keep the lights on across London, the South East and East of England, regardless of who you pay your bills to. You can call us on 105 if you have a power cut.
We have a Priority Services Register to provide free additional help, support and advice during a power cut. Pensioners, families with young children, and people with special needs, disabilities or health conditions can all access this support.
The register provides access to several extra help services including:
- Welcome pack with useful advice about preparing for a power cut
- 24-hour priority phone number to call for updates until power is back on
Tailored support if needed such as home visits, hot meals, advice and keeping your friends and relatives updated- Home visit from our staff or through our charity partnership with the British Red Cross
- In certain scenarios we may also offer a free hotel overnight and transport to the hotel
Many people could benefit from being on our Priority Services Register, including disabled people, pensioners, and families with young babies. While power cuts are rare, there’s no harm in being prepared.
Be prepared for a power cut
When it comes to power cuts most people know to have a torch and an old-fashioned corded phone handy. And that most modern fridges and freezers can stay cold for up to 15 hours. But some people require extra help or have concerns, and registering for help is another practical way to prepare and save unnecessary worry.
We want to provide the best possible customer service – far beyond what’s normally expected. So our team is dedicated to supporting customers with specific needs.
While being on the register doesn’t mean we can get the power back on quicker, it does mean we know about a person’s situation and our dedicated team can provide regular updates and support tailored to their needs.
TO REGISTER
Visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority
Phone 0800 169 9970, or
Email [email protected]