Western Power Distribution

Winter Resilience Committee launched to help protect vulnerable people across the UK 

The gas and electricity networks have come together to help members of the public prepare in case they have a power cut or gas emergency this winter.

We’re contacting you as it would be great if you could help share this important information through your channels to help spread the word about the campaign.

Working with the Met Office, National Energy Action and Age UK, the Energy Networks Association’s Winter Resilience Committee has been launched by energy network operators, including Western Power Distribution, to focus on protecting those most in need. The Committee aims to raise awareness of the Priority Services Register and act as a source of advice and information on energy supplies throughout the winter period.

The Winter Resilience Committee plans to publish a dashboard following each named storm, the first of its kind to collate data from every energy network in the United Kingdom. The dashboard will be used as a resource for customers and policymakers to understand how these storms affect the country, and to track the resilience of Britain’s energy networks.

As we enter December, the Winter Resilience Committee, along with Western Power Distribution and other gas and electricity network companies, are urging people to be winter ready and take the following steps to prepare for the winter months.

How to prepare for winter

Know your free emergency numbers – in a power cut call 105 or, for a gas emergency, dial 0800 111999.

Prepare your home – keep a torch handy and get your appliances serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Vulnerable households can also get extra support by signing up to the Priority Services Register.

Keep your eyes open – keep an eye on the weather forecast and, if you have a power cut or a gas emergency, check on your neighbours.

The Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register is a free service provided by the company and is eligible for anyone who is of a pensionable age, disabled, has children under 5 years old or relies on medical equipment.

As part of the service, customers are kept informed as much as possible of power cuts affecting their home and are given special help, if needed, through the British Red Cross.

The Priority Services Register offers peace of mind for vulnerable customers and their families and we do our very best to ensure that their needs are met at all times.

We already have 1.9 million customers on our register.

To find out more information or to register, please call us on 0800 096 3080 or visit www.westernpower.co.uk/psr.

A Warm and Safe Homes Action Guide created by National Energy Action (NEA) in partnership with the ENA’s Winter Resilience Committee can be downloaded here.