If you or someone you live with needs to use life supporting medical equipment at home such as home dialysis, ventilators or oxygen concentrators, you should register as a life support customer with your energy retailer as soon as possible.
Registered life support customers are given extra protections with their power supply. For example, when planned maintenance is to be carried out, life support customers are contacted well ahead of time with details outlining how long the power will be out.
Energy retailers may also assist in developing action plans for what people dependent on life support should do if an unplanned power outage occurs.
To begin the process, give your retailer a call to let them know that life support is required at your home. Their phone number will be on your energy bill.
You will then be sent an information pack on life support, including a medical confirmation form.
You will have 50 business days to have a medical practitioner (your GP or specialist) confirm that you require life support at home, complete the form and return it to your retailer.
From the day you notify your energy retailer, life support customer protections will be applied.
In addition to added protections, life support customers in NSW are entitled to an energy rebate to assist in increased energy bills because of the use of energy-intensive medical equipment at home.
Call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit this link if you live in a home where you are billed for energy directly or this link if you are an on-supply customer, meaning you receive a bill or invoice for energy issued by or on behalf of a residential community, retirement village or strata scheme.
This rebate is applied for every two years and you may receive multiple rebates if multiple life support machines are used.
