Our industry-leading care for customers who are living with vulnerabilities is being further enhanced through a new partnership with the charity Asthma + Lung UK.
We operate the electricity network connecting almost 4 million homes and businesses in central southern England and the north of Scotland. Our new partnership with the country’s leading lung health charity has been designed to raise awareness of the free support we offer to people with lung illnesses.
The reasons behind this new partnership
7.2 million people in the UK live with asthma, and more than 1 in 5 people will have a lung condition at some point in their lives. Given the high prevalence of lung conditions, and the fact people living with these conditions are more likely to become unwell during the winter, ensuring better care and advice is available for those affected is a priority for is.
More than 1.1 million of our customers are already signed up and benefiting from extra support during a power cut by being signed up for Priority Services. Many people living with asthma and lung conditions will be eligible to sign up for a level of additional support. Dependent on the precise nature and severity of their condition, these customers will qualify for enhanced levels of help during a planned or an unplanned power cut.
People living with these conditions often need to use medical equipment in their homes, such as oxygen concentrators, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, or nebulisers, so additional advice on how to manage treatment if the power goes off is important. This is especially the case for those who rely on a constant electricity supply to power their equipment or to keep their home at a certain temperature.
Since early 2025, we've also been providing Power Cut Plans to people who sign up for Priority Services.
The benefits of signing up for Priority Services
- Power Cut Updates – Customers are given notice about disruption to their electricity supply, 24 hours a day.
- Free Power Cut Plan – Customers receive a personalised Power Cut Plan tailored to their needs.
- Support Line – Customers are provided with a dedicated support line to help advise them, depending on their needs.
- Dedicated Communication – Customers are offered information in large print, braille, audio, or other languages if needed.
SSEN Distribution’s Partnership and Vulnerability Engagement Manager, Susan Duncan, says:
“It’s so important for us to be working with Asthma + Lung UK in this way. Our new partnership will support more people during power outages and emergencies, and help them manage their condition while we work quickly to restore their power.
“We’ll be working together to increase awareness of our Priority Services, as well as Asthma + Lung UK’s advice and support services too.”
Sarah Sleet, CEO of Asthma + Lung UK says:
“Winter is a particularly dangerous time for people with lung conditions, which is why our new partnership with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution could not have come at a better time.
“With the colder weather now here, the charity is delighted this collaboration will protect thousands of people with lung conditions across the north of Scotland and central southern England from power cuts, through offering timely support and health advice.”