- 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
If someone in your household has life support equipment, it’s important to plan for unexpected energy outages.
By registering your home as requiring a continuous energy supply, we’ll ensure that you’re kept up-to-date on any planned energy supply interruptions. Life support protections include being given at least four business days’ prior written notice of retailer or distributor planned outages and other restrictions on disconnecting power to your home.
If you haven't registered your life support equipment with your distributor, get in touch with us. If you’ve already registered with your distributor they will notify us.
- Oxygen concentrator
- Intermittent peritoneal dialysis machine
- Kidney dialysis machine
- Chronic Positive Airways Pressure Respirator (CPAP)
- Crigler Najjar Syndrome Phototherapy Equipment
- Ventilator for Life Support
- Other equipment required for life support – as specified by a medical practitioner
How to register life support equipment
If you've already notified your distributor, then you don't need to register your equipment with us. If you haven't already notified your distributor, then follow the steps below:
- Give us a call to let us know that you have life support equipment to be registered and we’ll send you a Medical Confirmation form and a letter outlining details about our life support program.
We’ll also include information to help you prepare your emergency action plan, so you can be prepared in case of an unplanned energy supply outage. We’ll also 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 - Complete the relevant sections of the form with account holder and patient details.
- Have your medical practitioner complete and sign the relevant section of your form.
- Return your form to us by the due date included in your letter to:
Powerdirect Life Support
Reply Paid 84146
Melbourne VIC 8001
Once we’ve processed your form, we’ll send you a confirmation letter.
Staying registered
If you move to a new house or change energy retailers, 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. You can call us on 1300 307 966.
Planning for outages
It’s important when you have life support equipment at your home to be prepared in the event of an energy outage - especially an unexpected one. Having an action plan ensures that everyone in your household is prepared and knows what to do.
Things you need to consider:
- Prepare a plan of action
Have a plan so you can follow it in an outage. Our Information for Households flyer has useful information to help you. - Have important phone numbers in a convenient place
Keep Powerdirect’s and your energy distributor’s emergency phone numbers somewhere easy to find, like on your fridge. That way you’ll find them easily in the event of an outage. You can find the emergency contact details of your distributor here, this information is also listed on your bill. - Call 000 in an emergency
If your home loses energy unexpectedly and you or someone in your household is totally dependent on life support equipment, follow your action plan and call 000 if you require emergency medical assistance.
Concessions and rebates
Eligibility for concessions and rebates is determined by each state government and each state differs slightly in which life support machines you have.
Find out more about concessions, rebates and grants in your state
FAQs
Our customers are important to us so we will follow up until we have confirmed details of your registration or until the due date in the letters we’ve sent you. Because the temporary life support protections expire if we haven’t received your completed medical confirmation form by the due date, we’ll keep sending you reminders to complete your forms. If you no longer require life support equipment to be registered let us know and we’ll update our records.
You can ask for an extension by calling us on 1300 307 966 (Monday – Friday 8.30 – 6pm AEST/AEDT).
Your registration is specific to your current address, if you move to a new house you’ll need to re-apply to have your life support equipment registered at your new address.
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.
Call us 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 and also a final confirmation once this has happened.
If you're completely reliant on your life support equipment, it’s important to have a plan to follow if you unexpectedly lose power. Even if your equipment is not in use all the time, having steps to follow, or knowing who to contact for information and assistance can help give you peace of mind.
As a registered life support customer, you’ll receive 4 business days’ prior notice in writing via post. Currently you receive 4 business days’ notice, which may not always be in writing to you directly. This is so you can make arrangements and ensure you have time to prepare.