The Essential Services Commission has announced new rules to improve how electricity and gas businesses register and keep details up to date for their customers who rely on life support equipment.
During prolonged power outages, energy businesses provide information from life support registers to emergency agencies so they can identify and prioritise people who may need urgent assistance.
The new rules keep existing life support protections in place and do not require existing life support customers to take action to stay on the register.
The changes include:
- a system flag to identify customers who are at higher risk of injury or death during prolonged power outages
- a new standard medical confirmation form to simplify the medical confirmation process
- a requirement that energy retailers check in with life support customers each year to ensure the information on the life support register, including preferred communication methods, are up to date.
Retailers will also have sole responsibility for maintaining and updating life support registers. Under the current rules, both energy retailers and energy distributors can make changes to life support registers, which can lead to conflicting information and errors in registers.
The commission developed these new rules with the Australian Energy Market Commission to ensure consistency across jurisdictions where possible.
Retailers will contact them directly for their first yearly check-in between 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027. All other requirements will come into effect on 1 December 2027.
The AEMC has also announced new rules to improve how energy businesses register their customers who rely on life support equipment in other states and territories.
Quotes attributable to Essential Services Commission Chairperson and Commissioner, Gerard Brody
“The heatwaves and bushfires last summer show how extreme conditions can cause unplanned power outages, which can be life threatening for people relying on life support equipment.”
“The new rules will help increase the accuracy of the registers, enabling emergency services to provide targeted support to life support customers during extreme events.”
“For people who rely on life support equipment, these new rules keep existing protections in place but strengthen the systems that support them during emergencies.”
