Better Protections for Life Support Customers
This #BetterTogether initiative will work to identify Life Support Customers with critical continuous energy supply needs on the Life Support Customer registers. This will allow energy network businesses to better support them.
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Life Support Customers Report Key Findings
The Australian Energy Foundation Report ‘Better outcomes for energy consumers using life support equipment at home’, funded by Energy Consumers Australia in 2022, outlined key findings from over 4,000 Life Support Customers surveyed. The research found that:
of Life Support Customers use their Life Support Equipment to sustain their life
of Life Support Customers do not have a plan in place for back-up power
of Life Support Customers mistakenly expected priority power restoration within 2 hours
of Life Support Customers have access to back-up power
"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
Chair Life Support in the Home: Lived Experience Panel.
Working Together to Better Protect Life Support Customers
Energy Charter Signatories, Collaborators and Supporters have engaged with customer and patient representatives, the medical profession and the energy sector to consider how to better protect Life Support Customers. Below are the groups of representatives we are collaborating with on this initiative:
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 will consist of health consumers with Lived and Living Experience of Life Support Equipment in the Home. Panel members will be supported to participate in monthly online meetings over twelve months.
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
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.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to collaborate on this initiative
The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Independent Network Outage Review Expert Panel delivered its Interim Report in response to the 13 February 2024 storms and power outages.
We’re excited to see in the Interim Report the recommendation that the Victorian Government collaborate on our #BetterTogether Life Support Customers initiative.
#BetterTogether Commitments
Following sessions with energy and health consumer representatives and the Life Support Medical Advisory Group, four critical opportunities were identified to improve protections for Life Support Customers in a Draft Rule Change Proposal, including:
Commitment 1: Re-define Life Support Customers + Proposed Rule Change
Life Support Registers need to identify customers who have critical needs for continuous power.
This opportunity introduces a Critical Needs Life Support Customer definition whereby critical energy-based life support needs are determined by a registered medical professional.
This definition will be included in our Proposed Rule Change incorporating the introduction of a new critical energy Life Support Customer definition, to be submitted for considerations to Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC).
Request a copy of the Proposed Rule Change
This Proposed Rule Change will be submitted to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) by 31 July 2024. If you would like to receive a copy of the Proposed Rule Change which includes the new Life Support Customer definitions, please reach out to Bec Jolly, Director, Energy Equity.
Commitment 2: Co-development of a National Medical Registration Process
A medical registration process will be required to identify Life Support Customers who have critical needs for continuous power.
This opportunity introduces a new definition of critical energy Life Support Customers into a national Medical Registration Template Form and associated process. This will ensure safety steps are taken as part of the Medical Registration Process build capacity of health and wellbeing services to implement the Medical Registration Process for all Life Support Customers.
Commitment 3: Co-development of National Outage Back-up Plan Template
All Life Support Customers would greatly benefit from outage backup plans that account for their ongoing medical capacity.
This opportunity recognises that most people on the Life Support Equipment Register don’t have adequate back-up plans/equipment. Working with representatives of Life Support Customers, their carers and professionals from health services who will form the Community Outcomes Group, alongside Energy Charter #BetterTogether Collaborators, we will develop a national outage back-up plan template.
Want to join the Community Outcomes Group?
If you would like to help co-develop the back-up plan, please express your interest in joining the Community Outcomes Group for this initiative.
Commitment 4: Co-development of National Information and Awareness Campaign
Life Support Customers would greatly benefit from more information and awareness on:
- Medically informed outage backup planning
- What happens in a planned and unplanned outage and,
- Eligible concessions that help manage energy costs.
This opportunity includes working with those with lived experience as a Life Support Customer, their carers and professionals from health and services alongside #BetterTogther Collaborators to co-develop a national information and awareness campaign.
This campaign will ensure diversity and equity underpins communication approaches and provide Life Support Customers with regular updated information and support including (but not limited to):
- in the preparation of natural disasters
- if they move house or
- if their medical situation changes.
#BetterTogether Timeline
Signatories + Collaborators
The Lived Experience Panel, Community Outcomes Group, health and customer representatives and energy businesses have committed to work #BetterTogether to better support those with critical continuous energy supply needs on the Life Support Customer registers.
Community Outcomes Group
Expressions of interest for the Community Outcomes Group (COG) are now open. If you are interested in helping to co-develop the national back-up plan, please reach out to Bec Jolly, Director, Energy Equity.
Health and Consumer Representatives
Consumer Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) are leading how we are informed by those with lived experience.
Energy Industry Collaborators
Led by SA Power Networks and Essential Energy, with support from AGIG, AGL, Ausgrid, AusNet Services, Aurora Energy, Endeavour Energy, EnergyAustralia, Horizon Power and TasNetworks.
The AEMC and Energy WA have played an important role as observers.
Life Support: Lived Experience Panel Portal
Log in area for Life Support Lived Experience Panel members only to access information and resources.
Want to learn more about this #BetterTogether initiative?
If you would like more information about the #BetterTogether Life Support Customers initiative, including how you can get involved, please reach out to Bec Jolly Director, Energy Equity.