Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) announced on 19 February 2025 that its Priority Services Register (PSR) has reached one million customers. The register provides additional assistance to customers who may become vulnerable during a power cut, severe weather or an emergency, and SSEN said more of its customers than ever now have access to tailored support during power outages1.
SSEN said the support it tailors to each registered customer can range from a reassuring phone call to a home visit, welfare provisions, or finding alternative accommodation when supplies are affected for longer periods by severe storms1. The announcement followed Storm Éowyn, which SSEN said brought disruption to tens of thousands of homes across the UK in the previous month. During that storm, SSEN's Priority Services team spoke to more than 2,000 vulnerable customers by phone, with in-person visits co-ordinated by the PSR team1.
Emma Merritt, SSEN Distribution's Customer Vulnerability and Communities Lead, said the register gives many customers extra reassurance and support, but that many more could benefit and are not yet signed up1.
"This is one instance where one million just isn't enough, so we would like to ask you to take just five minutes of your day to think about whether you, a family member, a loved one or a neighbour could benefit from being on the PSR."
SSEN lists the eligibility criteria for its register as: being deaf or hard of hearing; having a disability; living with children under five; being blind or partially sighted; having a chronic illness; using medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity; or being over 601. Registered customers can receive regular updates, safety advice, a dedicated 24-hour helpline and communication in a format that meets their needs, including large print, Braille, alternative languages or British Sign Language1.
| SSEN PSR eligibility criteria |
|---|
| Deaf or hard of hearing |
| Disability |
| Living with children under five |
| Blind or partially sighted |
| Chronic illness |
| Medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity |
| Over 60 |
SSEN's licence areas covered by the announcement are the north of Scotland and central southern England1. The Priority Services Register is operated by electricity distribution networks; separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland through the Customer Care Register. SSEN's own network pages set out how it handles storms and priority services.
Why it matters for households
A power cut is an inconvenience for most homes, but for households that depend on electricity for medical equipment, refrigeration of medicine, mobility aids or the care of young children, it becomes a safety question. The PSR is the mechanism by which a network knows in advance who needs what, so that contact, visits or welfare provisions can be arranged rather than improvised. For a household weighing its own energy independence, being on the register does not replace a source of backup power, but it does put the household on the network's list for advance warning of planned work and severe weather, which SSEN's own customer account describes as helping with preparation. SSEN states that one million of its 3.9 million customers are now registered, and that it believes more eligible households remain unregistered1. The eligibility criteria are broad, and registration is free; the joining process is handled by the network.
What happens next
SSEN has not announced a target for further registrations, and no date has been given for any next milestone. The company directs customers to its priority services page or freephone 0800 294 3259 for information1.