UK Power Networks announced a partnership with the charity Diabetes UK on 7 November 2025 to promote its Priority Services Register (PSR) to customers living with diabetes1. The electricity distributor delivers power to 8.5 million people across London, the East and the South East1.
Almost 4.6 million people in the UK are living with a diagnosis of diabetes, which the company describes as an all-time high1. The partnership is aimed at people with diabetes who rely on electricity for the safe storage of medications and essential medical equipment, and who may not be aware of the support available through the register1.
Under the arrangement, staff at Diabetes UK will be trained to identify UK Power Networks customers who contact the charity and are eligible to apply, while UK Power Networks customer service staff will be trained as Diabetes Ambassadors so that customers with the condition are identified when they contact the network1. People calling Diabetes UK's helpline and support services will be signposted to register if they are eligible, particularly those in underrepresented communities1. Both organisations carry details about the register on their websites1.
Customers on the register receive tailored support, including advance notice of planned power cuts and access to additional help if they rely on electricity for medical reasons1. UK Power Networks states that power supplies are 99.9 per cent reliable but that occasional power cuts can happen for a variety of reasons1.
"For people living with diabetes, power cuts aren't just inconvenient, they can have serious consequences. It's vital that people with diabetes can safely store their life-saving insulin and that they have access to essential equipment needed to manage their condition. That's why being on the Priority Services Register is so important."
The company's own customer service team said many people in the diabetes community are medically dependent on electricity, for example to store insulin, and may not be aware of the help available1.
Why it matters for households
The Priority Services Register is a free register held by electricity network operators for households that need extra help during a power cut. For a home where someone depends on medical equipment or on refrigeration for insulin, a cut is not only an inconvenience: it interrupts the conditions needed to store medication safely and to run the devices used to manage the condition1.
Registration brings practical consequences. Households on the register can receive advance notice of planned interruptions, so they know when supply will be off and can plan around it, and can access additional help during unplanned cuts1. The register is separate from any backup equipment a household may hold, and the announcement does not describe any change to how power is supplied or restored.
The eligibility rules for the register are set by network operators and are not the same as a diagnosis. The announcement does not set out the full criteria; UK Power Networks directs customers to its eligibility page, its phone line on 0800 169 9970 and its PSR email address1. The partnership itself does not change who qualifies, only how awareness of the register is spread among people with diabetes.
What happens next
Staff training at both organisations forms the next stage of the partnership, with Diabetes UK helpline and website teams signposting eligible callers and UK Power Networks customer service staff trained as Diabetes Ambassadors1. No completion date for the training has been reported.