Award-winning energy
You're in safe hands.
Help
Life Support
If you or someone at your address uses life support equipment, please register the details with us as soon as possible. We’ll then be able to give you additional protection such as providing advanced written planned interruption notification.
What is life support?
If you or someone in your property uses one of the below life support equipment, you may be eligible for protection under the life support energy regulations.
This means your address is registered with your local network and they will advise you in advance of any energy outages so you can plan accordingly.
It also means in the event of an outage your property will be on the priority list for reconnection of supply.
To be fully registered and receive all the protections provided to customers requiring life support equipment at their premises, complete the medical confirmation form and send it to us by email or post.
How to register
- Download the medical confirmation form
- Make sure you fill in the necessary details and sign the customer confirmation.
- Take the form to your medical practitioner to complete and sign the medical practitioner confirmation in the form.
If you live outside Victoria a medical certificate can count as medical confirmation provided that:
- it’s signed and dated by a medical practitioner
- and confirms that the person requires life support equipment, and the type of equipment required.
If your registered address is outside Victoria and you have an existing ‘Medical Confirmation Form’ dated and signed by a medical practitioner, you can send us that form instead of providing us with a new one. The form should meet the following requirements:
- The Medical Confirmation Form is signed and dated by a medical practitioner, within the past 4 years; and
- The form is legible (the print is readable).
- The form certifies that you or someone at your current address requires life support equipment and specifies the equipment type If you submitted a Medical Confirmation form to your previous retailer, you are able to request a copy from them, if you left that retailer less than 110 business days ago.
- Return the complete and signed form back to us, either by emailing to lifesupport@energylocals.com.au or post it to Energy Locals, 2/11 Newton Street, Cremorne, VIC 3121.
- We’ll then confirm receipt of your medical confirmation and notify the distributor.
What is classed as life support equipment?
- An oxygen concentrator
- An intermittent peritoneal dialysis machine
- A kidney dialysis machine
- A chronic positive airways pressure respirator
- Crigler najjar syndrome phototherapy equipment
- A ventilator for life support
- Any other equipment that a registered medical practitioner says you need for life support.
Additional for Victoria only:
- External heart pumps
- Respirators (iron lung)
- Suction pumps (respiratory or gastric)
- Feeding pumps (kangaroo pump, or total parenteral nutrition)
- Insulin pumps
- Airbed vibrator
- Hot water
- Nebuliser, humidifiers, or vaporisers
- Apnoea monitors
- Medically required heating and air conditioning
- Medically required refrigeration
- Powered wheelchair.
If you have any questions about the equipment you or someone in your home uses and whether it is life support equipment, please talk to your doctor.
What are your rights and entitlements as a customer registered for life support?
It’s important your distributor and retailer know so we can do our best to keep your property on energy supply.
Once registered, you are given additional notice (4 days notice) of any planned outages and that your property is treated as priority for reconnection if and when there are any outages.
What to do if energy goes out?
In case your electricity or gas goes out, it’s important that you have a plan. Consider:
- Where will you go?
- How will you get there?
- How will you take your equipment?
- Who will you contact? (Keep a physical list of emergency contacts somewhere safe)
- How will you contact them?
- Is your backup equipment fully charged at all times?
What if my electricity and gas has separate providers?
If your electricity or gas is supplied by another provider, please ensure they are aware of your Life Support requirements. Energy Locals is responsible only for the energy type you have chosen to supply through us.
If your gas retailer is informed that someone at your address uses life support equipment that relies on both gas and electricity, they have specific responsibilities:
- If different providers: The gas provider must inform you within one business day to notify your electricity provider about the life support requirement.
- If the same provider: If the gas provider is also your electricity provider, they must provide the necessary details to both the gas and electricity distribution companies for your premises.
Am I eligible for life support concessions?
In some states there are concessions and rebates for customers with Life Support Equipment. Visit Concessions to see what you may qualify for and download the relevant forms.
When does deregistration of Life Support take place?
There are situations that result in deregistration of life support at your premise:
If we don’t hear from you
If we haven’t received the completed Medical confirmation Form within the stipulated timeframe, and haven’t heard from you, we will notify the distributor to de-register your premises for life support. Once the site is de-registered you will not receive the protections provided for customers with life support under the regulations.
We will actively try to contact you prior to de-registration, using the telephone number and email address provided by you at the time you set up your customer account with us.
If you leave Energy Locals
If you’ve registered your requirement for Life Support Equipment with us, your registration will cease and you’ll need to apply to have your Life Support Equipment registered with your new retailer. If you’ve registered with your distributor, they’ll let your new retailer know.
If you move house
Your registration is specific to your current address, if you move to a new house you’ll need call us on 1300 693 637 to re-apply to have your Life Support Equipment registered at your new address.
If you no longer need life support registered at your address
Call us on 1300 693 637 and we will update your account. We’ll send you a confirmation letter to confirm when the Life Support registration is being de-registered from your account.
Important contacts
Electricity
| New South Wales | Contact Number | NMI Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Energy | 13 20 80 | 400, 4204, 4407, 4508 |
| Endeavour Energy | 13 10 03 | 431 |
| Ausgrid | 13 13 88 | 4102, 4103, 4104 |
| Victoria | Contact Number | NMI Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| Jemena | 13 16 26 | 6001 |
| CitiPower | 13 12 80 | 6102 |
| Powercor | 13 24 12 | 6203 |
| Ausnet Services | 13 17 99 | 6305 |
| United Energy | 13 20 99 | 6407 |
| Queensland | Contact Number | NMI Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| Energex | 13 62 62 | 31 or QB |
| Ergon | 13 22 96 | 30 |
| South Australia | Contact Number | NMI Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| SA Power Networks | 13 13 66 | 2001 |
| Australian Capital Territory | Contact Number | NMI Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| Evo Energy | 13 10 93 | 70 |
| Tasmania | Contact Number | NMI Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| Tas Networks | 13 20 04 | 80, 859 |
Gas
| New South Wales | Gas Leaks | Gas Supply Faults | General Enquiries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jemena | 131 909 | 131 909 | 1300 137 078 |
| Victoria | Gas Leaks | Gas Supply Faults | General Enquiries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ausnet | 13 67 07 | 13 67 07 | 1300 360 795 |
| Australian Gas Services | 1800 427 532 | 1800 898 220 | 1300 001 001 |
| Multinet | 132 691 | 132 691 | 1300 887 501 |
Interpreter services
Servicio Interpreti
servicio de interpretaci
Dịch vụ phiên dịch
خدمات الترجمة الشفوية
口译服务
διερμηνέα υπηρεσίες
Call 13 14 50
Get a fair energy deal
Enter your address to discover the great rates we have available for you.
News & Offers
Be a part of our community
Award-Winning Energy
Productreview.com.au award-winner for 2024
