What Is A Priority Vulnerable Customer?

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

A vulnerable customer is defined as someone who is particularly vulnerable to a loss of electricity to their home. There are two categories of vulnerable customers, a priority customer who is dependent on their electricity supply to operate life supporting machines at home, and special services customers who suffer from a mental or physical disabilities. You can register as a vulnerable customer either directly with your energy supplier, or through the ESB.

What Is a Vulnerable Customer?

Vulnerable customers are defined customers who may be put at risk due to interruption of their electricity or gas supply, in particular those who rely on their electricity supply to operate life supporting machines.

The two types of vulnerable customers are defined as:

1. Priority customers
2. Special services customers

What is a Priority Customer?

A priority customer is defined as someone who critically dependent on electrically powered equipment, including but not limited to:

• Life protecting devices
• Assistive technologies to support independent living
• Medical equipment

What is a Special Services Customer?

A special services customer is defined as someone who is particularly vulnerable to disconnection during winter months for reasons of advanced age or physical, sensory, intellectual mental health.

For example:

• Blind or partially sighted
• Mobility difficulties
• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Speech impaired
• Language difficulty
• Learning difficulty
• Mental health issues
• Dexterity issues
• Aged 66 or over and live alone, with minors or other elderly people

If you feel you qualify to register as a vulnerable customer, we highly recommend you contact your energy supplier.

How Can I Register As a Vulnerable Customer?

Each energy supplier has a code of practice regarding vulnerable customers, and different ways to register as one.

For the majority of suppliers, you'll need to contact customer service in order to request the form, but in some cases, you can download it directly from their website. We list below the details for each energy supplier in Ireland.

Once you register as a vulnerable customer, your supplier will notify the ESB and/or Gas Networks Ireland, who will keep a register of all vulnerable customers on file.

Why Register As a Priority or Vulnerable Customer?

There are several important advantages to being registered as a vulnerable customer.

• No Cut Off
  Priority customers dependent on life support cannot be cut off at the suppliers' request, unless for safety reasons (or if the customer requests it).
• Elderly Customers Safe
  Elderly customers cannot be cut off from electricity or gas during the colder months (from 1st November to 31st March).
• Supplier Aid Obligation
  Energy suppliers must attempt to aid customers who might become vulnerable as a result of prolonged disconnection.
• Support for Visually Impaired Customers
  For any customers who have visual impairments, both suppliers and network operators have to develop an alternative - and standard - way of communicating with them. For example, to report an emergency situation, or to verify the identity of network or supplier representatives who call to their home.

Also of great importance is that priority customers need to be made aware of any alternatives available should their supply be interrupted by circumstances beyond the supplier’s control, e.g. by a storm or a sudden power outage.

The Irish government offer a range of schemes and services to vulnerable customers to help them manage their energy costs.

Can I Register With the ESB as a Vulnerable Customer?

You cannot register as a vulnerable customer directly with the ESB.

While ESB Networks will oversee the register, customers can only apply for it via their current energy provider.

ESB Networks will use the vulnerable electricity customer register to:

• Advise vulnerable customers at least three days in advance of a planned outage.
• Assign priority to customers who contact them and rely on life support during unplanned outages.
• Contact life-support equipment-dependent customers during unplanned outages.

What if I Have Life-Support Equipment?Customers who depend on life-support equipment should always have a backup plan to deal with an unanticipated electricity supply interruption. This could include keeping a fully charged backup battery or being ready to temporarily relocate to a location which is unlikely to be disconnected or likely to have a backup electricity supply (e.g. a hospital).

Can I Register With Gas Networks Ireland as a Vulnerable Customer?

You cannot register with Gas Networks Ireland as a vulnerable customer, but must instead register directly with your gas supplier.

As with ESB Networks, Gas Networks Ireland will oversee and manage the register of vulnerable customers to ensure the following:

1. No Risk of Cut Off
   Customers on the special services register will not have their gas supply disconnected between 1st November to 31st March.
2. Reconnection Priority
   Customers on the special services register will be given priority for reconnection in the event of an outage.
3. Provisions Ahead of Outages
   For planned interruptions, Gas Networks Ireland will also provide home-heating and cooking facilities in the form of an electric heater and an electric cooker.
4. Security Facilities for Visually Impaired Customers
   If you are visually impaired, you can contact Gas Networks and agree to a security password to verify the identity of Gas Networks field staff.
5. Contact Ahead of Planned Outages
   Gas Networks will contact vulnerable customers in advance to notify them of planned outages.

What Are the CRU Requirements for Vulnerable Consumers?

In line with the requirements set out by The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, (CRU). All electricity and gas suppliers must design a code of practice for vulnerable customers, and their implementation of it must be approved by the commission.

All energy suppliers in Ireland are required to identify, register, and update a register of vulnerable customers. Anyone applying for priority or vulnerable customer status is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The supplier is responsible for completing the customer’s registration, and registering their details in the central database for vulnerable customers, which the responsible network operators, Gas Networks and ESB Networks Ireland, can then access.

This information must be updated by the supplier at least every two years after registering for the first time.

Can I Have a Prepayment Meter As a Vulnerable Customer?

In situations where a customer’s impairment or particular circumstances might make it difficult for them to use or top up a PAYG meter, other alternatives to PAYG meters should be considered.

To ensure no disruption of your energy supply for non-payment, we highly recommend that anyone falling into the vulnerable customer category should consequently avoid the use of pay-as-you-go-only providers Pinergy and PrepayPower when choosing an energy supplier for their home.

Even if a vulnerable customer requests one, suppliers are required to carefully examine whether a PAYG meter would be compatible with the needs of a vulnerable customer, and it is in our opinion that this is never the case.