Register life support equipment

If you have life support equipment at your home, you may rely on energy for the equipment to work. However, sometimes your energy supply needs to be turned off for scheduled maintenance or repairs.

By registering your life support equipment, Utility Shop will make sure you’re kept informed on any planned energy supply interruptions. That means you’ll receive life support protections, including at least four business days’ prior notice of retailer or distributor planned outages and other restrictions to power supply for your home.

Please follow the steps below to register

How to register

1. Register your life support equipment with us by calling 08 7127 1510 and complete this form Life support, opens in a new window or we can:

1.1. email or post you this form. If your request was made by email, remember to check your junk folder

1.2. help you prepare for an unplanned energy supply outage with information to help you prepare an emergency action plan Life support information (PDF).

1.3. apply temporary life support protection to your account to give you time to have the form completed by your medical practitioner and returned to us by the due date.

3. Have your medical practitioner complete and sign the relevant section of your form.
4. Return a scan of your form by email with subject heading Life Support or post by the due date to the following address:

Utility Shop Life Support
PO Box 193
Fularton SA 5063

5. Once we've processed your form, we'll send you confirmation by letter or email, depending on your communication preference for billing.

Registered life support customers receive four business days notice of planned electricity outages in writing by email or post, depending on your communication preference for billing. This is so you can make arrangements and ensure you have time to prepare.

Moving or changing retailers

If you move to a new premise or change energy retailer, you’ll need to complete a new medical confirmation form either with us or your new retailer.

It’s important to let us know of any changes, including if you no longer need your equipment registered.

De-register life support

If you want to de-register life support equipment, call 08 7127 1510

We'll update your account and send you a confirmation letter to confirm when the life support

equipment is being de-registered from your account. We'll also send a final confirmation once this has happened based on your communication preference.

Eligible life support equipment

Depending on your state, eligible life support equipment can include:

• • Enteral feeding pump
• • External heart pump
• • Home dialysis machine
• • Oxygen concentrator
• • Phototherapy equipment
• • Positive Airways Pressure device (PAP)
• • Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) pump
• • Ventilators for life support
• • Power wheelchair – for quadriplegics
• • Other equipment required for life support – as specified by a medical practitioner.

Planning for outages

When you have life support equipment at your home, it's important to be prepared for a power outage, especially an unexpected one.

Things you need to consider:

1. Prepare a plan of action so you and everyone in your house knows what to do in an outage.

For useful information to help you prepare an action plan, read Life support information (PDF).

2. Keep our emergency phone number and your energy distributor's number somewhere easy to find, like the front of your fridge. That way, you can find them if the power goes out. Find your distributor at Power outages.

3. If your home loses energy unexpectedly and you or someone in your house is dependent on life support equipment, follow your action plan. If you require emergency medical assistance call 000 

Life support concessions

You may be eligible for state government concessions and rebates. Eligibility is different in each state and depends on the life support equipment you have.

1. Life support information (PDF)

Information for households with Life Support Equipment

From time to time, your energy distributor (SAPN in SA) may need to interrupt your power supply so crews can work safely on the network such as a result of a severe storm. As your energy retailer, we may also occasionally need to perform work that affects supply of electricity.

As a registered Life Support customer, we’ll notify you in writing at least four business days before the interruption. Your distributor will also notify you in advance of any planned outages.

It’s important to be prepared and have a plan of action in case of an outage, especially an unexpected one. Here are some questions to help you create a plan of action and be prepared. It could help save a life in an emergency.

• Is there a back-up built into your Life Support Equipment and what is it?
• Is your medical equipment plugged into a surge protector?
• If you have reserve oxygen cylinders, are they filled and working?
• Can you open and exit your home if the power goes out?
• Are your medical supplies easy to access and fully stocked?
• Do you have uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for a temporary battery? Do you check frequently to make sure it’s fully charged?
• Does your phone need an electricity supply?
• Do you have an alternative phone service such as a mobile phone?
• Is there a neighbour or close by friend who can check on you?
• Do you need to arrange to stay with a friend or relative if you are without power in your home?
• Do you have important contact details written down somewhere handy, eg. friends, relatives, doctor, hospital, taxi service?
• Do you have your distributor’s emergency phone number handy so you can call them to see how long an unexpected outage may last for? SA Power Networks Emergency number is 13 13 66
• Does Utility Shop have your up-to-date contact details so that you’ll be notified of planned retailer outages?
• Does your hospital have back-up generators that could supply your Life Support Equipment?
• Have you made emergency arrangements with your medical professional for extended outages?