Over 100,000 Scottish and South Electricity Networks (SSEN) customers in its Ridgeway region signed up to its Priority Services Register (PSR).

Now, the distribution operator is encouraging more of the area’s residents - who may need extra support during a power cut - to find out how they could benefit from the free additional service.

Across the region – from Chippenham to Swindon, Oxford to Andover - SSEN has over 590,000 customers living in Ridgeway’s rural and urban areas; all with varying and individual needs.

For some, being without electricity, even for a short time, can be a distressing and difficult situation; particularly for those relying on specialist electrical medical equipment, such as kidney dialysis machines or ventilators.

PSR is a free service to all who meet its criteria – from new-borns to the elderly being cared for at home.

SSEN is asking its customers in Ridgeway how it can assist them.

Customers are eligible for PSR if they are deaf or hard of hearing, have a disability, live with children under five, are blind or partially sighted, have a chronic illness, use medical equipment, are over 60 and would benefit from the PSR services.

SSEN head of region in Ridgeway, Craig Rankin said: “Over a fifth of Ridgeway’s residents have already signed up to our Priority Services Register, but we’re conscious there are still more customers in the area who could benefit by registering.

“We want to raise greater awareness of our Priority Services Register and encourage as many of our eligible customers as possible to sign-up, so they have peace of mind, whatever the weather or circumstances.”

Leaflets advertising the service are available in 14 languages, all of which can be read on SSEN’s website (ssen.co.uk/psr), the website will also translate into 100 different languages.

Mr Rankin added: “Our PSR information and leaflets are available in different languages because we want to make it as easy as possible for customers to sign up.

By doing this, we aim to enable greater sharing of information and so discussions can me more easily held with family and friends whose first language may not be English.

“If you know of anyone who could benefit from being signed up to our Priority Services Register, please speak to them about it and encourage them to register, so we can help them feel safe and reassured in the event of a power cut.”