Life Support Customers

Creating better protections through a Rule Change proposal, together with awareness + engagement tools for people using life support equipment in homes across Australia.

Why this matters

The Australian Energy Foundation (AEF), Better outcomes for energy consumers using life support equipment at home Report, August 2021, funded by Energy Consumers Australia found that:

  • 59% of Life Support Customers use their Life Support Equipment to sustain their life
  • 54% of Life Support Customers do not have a plan in place for back-up power
  • 68% of Life Support Customers mistakenly expected priority power restoration within 2 hours
  • 7% of Life Support Customers have access to back-up power.


Following sessions with energy and health consumer representatives and the Life Support Medical Advisory Group in 2022-2023, we identified four critical opportunities and commitments to improve protections for Life Support Customers.

  1. Re-define Life Support Customers + Proposed Rule Change - Introduce a Critical Needs Life Support Customer definition whereby critical energy-based life support needs are determined by a registered medical professional.
  2. Co-development of a National Medical Registration Process - Introduce a new definition of critical energy Life Support Customers into a national Medical Registration Template Form and associated process.
  3. Co-development of National Outage Back-up Plan Template - Co-develop a national outage back-up plan template with the Lived Experience Panel, health and energy representatives.
  4. Co-development of National Information and Awareness Campaign - Co-develop a national information and awareness campaign with the Lived Experience Panel, health and energy representatives.

Impact

National Awareness Campaign: When it happens to you, know what to do

The Life Support Power Outage Plan is a national public awareness campaign endorsed by the Australian Medical Association that’s been co-developed directly with Life Support Customers, national health organisations and community services. This campaign includes the development of the ‘When it happens to you, know what to do’ website with downloadable tools to complete a Power Outage Plan. It’s targeted at people who use life support in the home, the people that care for them, and the care teams that support them – medical agencies, allied health professionals, community service organisations and others.

Visit the website
Help spread the message

Better Supports for Life Support Customers Rule Change

In 2024 we supported Essential Energy and SA Power Networks lodge a Rule Change: Life Support Customers. The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released its Draft Determination for the Improving Life Support Processes rule change in early 2025. At the same time, the Essential Services Commission (ESC) has published its Draft Decision reviewing life support protections in Victoria.

Together, the draft Determinations seek to strengthen how Life Support Customers are recognised, supported and protected within the energy system. At a high level, the proposed reforms focus on:

  • Improving identification and registration of Life Support Customers (notably Life Support Users)
  • Clarifying roles across retailers, networks and medical practitioners
  • Strengthening protections and communication with customers
  • Supporting better planning and safety during power outages.
AEMC Draft Determination
ESC Draft Decision

„

Through the #BetterTogether Life Support initiative, customers are as well-informed as they can be when adverse events happen. That’s critical for life support customers.

John Cleland, CEO, Essential Energy

Collaborators

Life Support in the Home: Lived Experience Panel

  • Adam Johnston, Lived Experience Panel Chair
  • Carolyn Campbell-McLean, Lived Experience Panel Deputy Chair
  • Giselle Hollinshead
  • Irene Mewburn
  • Jodi Adams
  • Maria Strongylos
  • Peter Button
  • Puspa Sherlock
  • Ricki Spencer.

Health and consumer representatives

Helping to inform on those with lived experience:

  • Consumer Health Forum of Australia 
  • Justice and Equity Centre.

Community Outcomes Group

  • Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network
  • Justice and Equity Centre 
  • Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland
  • Consumers Health Forum of Australia
  • Life Support Medical Advisory Group
  • WA Department of Energy,
  • Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action VIC.

Life Support Medical Advisory Group (LMAG)

The LMAG includes representatives from:

  • Life Support Customer groups
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
  • Royal Australian College of Physicians
  • Australian Medical Association
  • Electricity and Gas Distributors
  • Electricity and Gas Retailers
  • Regulators
  • Consumer bodies.

Industry Collaborators

The Energy Charter Signatories:

  • Essential Energy (Lead)
  • SA Power Networks (Lead)
  • AusNet Services
  • Endeavour Energy
  • TasNetworks.


Together with non-Signatories:

  • ActewAGL
  • Aurora Energy
  • Australian Gas Infrastructure Group
  • Energy Queensland (including Energex, Ergon Energy Network, Ergon Energy Retail + Yurika).


The AEMC and Energy WA have played an important role as observers.

Resources + additional information

Meet the Life Support in the Home: Lived Experience Panel Chair

Acknowledgement of Lived Experience: We would like to acknowledge those with a lived experience of ill-health and recovery, and in particular those who have chosen to share their experiences of navigating the energy sector to support our work. 

We acknowledge the determination and courage it takes for people to revisit difficult memories in the hope of shaping a better future for themselves and others. We are deeply appreciative of this. 

We’re proud to announce our partnership with Consumers Health Forum (CHF) who have assisted with a new consumer panel to bridge the gap between the energy sector and Life Support Equipment users.

The consumer panel consists of health consumers with Lived and Living Experience of Life Support Equipment in the Home.

Meet the Life Support in the Home: Lived Experience Panel Chair

“Do you put your head on the pillow at night, wondering if you will be alive in the morning? Every night, many Australians do, as they rely on machines for every breath. Life Support Customers are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. They live at home without medically informed back-up plans or a support person to contact in a power outage. They are literally in grave danger day and night. Join us to protect them by acting now!” – Adam Johnston, Lived Experience Panel Chair

Adam Johnston AM is a solicitor with a Master of Laws and a Graduate Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2025 for his service to health, disability, and consumer advocacy.

Adam has worked with the NSW Ombudsman and Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW, and currently serves as a Consumer Advisor to the Northern Sydney Local Health District. He is an active member of Health Consumers NSW and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. Adam also contributes to The Energy Charter, supporting vulnerable energy consumers through the Life Support initiative.

Life Support in the Home: Lived Experience Panel Members

Meet the Life Support in the Home: Lived Experience Panel Members

“Do you put your head on the pillow at night, wondering if you will be alive in the morning? Every night, many Australians do, as they rely on machines for every breath. Life Support Customers are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. They live at home without medically informed back-up plans or a support person to contact in a power outage. They are literally in grave danger day and night. Join us to protect them by acting now!” – Adam Johnston Lived Experience Panel Chair

Adam Johnston AM is a solicitor with a Master of Laws and a Graduate Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2025 for his service to health, disability, and consumer advocacy.

Adam has worked with the NSW Ombudsman and Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW, and currently serves as a Consumer Advisor to the Northern Sydney Local Health District. He is an active member of Health Consumers NSW and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. Adam also contributes to The Energy Charter, supporting vulnerable energy consumers through the Life Support initiative.

Carolyn Campbell-McLean
Lived Experience Panel Deputy Chair

Ricki Spencer
Lived Experience Panel Member

Irene Mewburn
Lived Experience Panel Member

Puspa Sherlock
Lived Experience Panel Member

Life Support Medical Advisory Group (LMAG)

The Energy Charter supported the set up of the Life Support Medical Advisory Group (LMAG) in 2022, providing a forum for energy businesses and medical professionals to collectively explore and define the needs of Life Support Customers.

The LMAG provided a unique opportunity to build and evolve effective and meaningful support programs for Life Support Customers and made a number of recommendations that underpin the Rule Change Proposal.

The LMAG includes representatives from:

  • Life Support Customer groups
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
  • Royal Australian College of Physicians
  • Australian Medical Association
  • Electricity and Gas Distributors
  • Electricity and Gas Retailers
  • Regulators
  • Consumer bodies

Energy and health consumer representatives

Following our consultation sessions in October 2023, we have extended collaboration with energy and health consumer representatives to ensure Life Support Customers under the existing definition are appropriately protected.

We have worked with the Justice and Equity Centre, previously known as the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and established a partnership with Consumer Health Forum of Australia (CHF) to explore prioritising Life Support Customers who face life threatening circumstances if their Life Support Equipment loses power.

This includes:

  • The medical confirmation process; and
  • The potential prioritised supports that can be offered to Life Support Customers in an unplanned outage.

This #BetterTogether initiative aligns with:

Principle 3: We will provide energy safely, sustainably and reliably.
Principle 5: We will support customers + communities facing vulnerable circumstances.

Learn more

Speak to Bec Jolly, Director, Energy Equity, to learn more about the #BetterTogether Life Support Customers initiative.