Better Protections for Life Support Customers
This #BetterTogether Life Support Customer 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.
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
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 consists of health consumers with Lived and Living Experience of Life Support Equipment in the Home.
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.
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 is a solicitor, holding a Masters of Laws from the University of New England, Armidale + a Graduate Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has worked in various complaint handling roles for the NSW Ombudsman and the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW + serves on a number of advisory and governance committees as a Consumer Advisor to Northern Sydney Local Health Service, is a member of Health Consumers NSW and CHF.
Carolyn Campbell-McLean
Lived Experience Panel Deputy Chair
Irene Mewburn
Lived Experience Panel Member
Ricki Spencer
Lived Experience Panel Member
Puspa Sherlock
Lived Experience Panel Member
#BetterTogether Commitments
Following sessions with energy and health consumer representatives and the Life Support Medical Advisory Group, four critical opportunities and commitments were identified to improve protections for Life Support Customers, including:
Commitment 1
Re-define Life Support Customers + Proposed Rule Change
This opportunity introduces a Critical Needs Life Support Customer definition whereby critical energy-based life support needs are determined by a registered medical professional.
Commitment 2
Co-development of a National Medical Registration Process
This opportunity introduces a new definition of critical energy Life Support Customers into a national Medical Registration Template Form and associated process.
Commitment 3
Co-development of National Outage Back-up Plan Template
This opportunity includes co-developing a national outage back-up plan template with the Lived Experience Panel, health and energy representatives.
Commitment 4
Co-development of National Information and Awareness Campaign
This opportunity includes co-developing a national information and awareness campaign with the Lived Experience Panel, health and energy representatives.
#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 + Customer Outcomes Group
Justice and Equity Centre (previously PIAC), Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland, Consumers Health Forum of Australia, LMAG (represented by Australia Medical Association), WA Dept of Energy, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action VIC.
Health and Consumer Representatives
Consumer Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and the Justice and Equity Centre (previously PIAC) are leading how we are informed by those with lived experience.
Energy Industry Collaborators
Led by Essential Energy and SA Power Networks in collaboration with ActewAGL, AGIG, Ausgrid, AusNet Services, Aurora Energy, Endeavour Energy, EnergyQueensland (including Energex, Ergon Energy Network, Ergon Energy Retail + Yurika) and TasNetworks.
The AEMC and Energy WA have played an important role as observers.
Panel Portal: Lived Experience Panel Members
Log in area for Life Support Lived Experience Panel members only to access information and resources.
Collaborator Portal: #BetterTogether Life Support Customers
Log in area to access information and resources for those collaborating on the #BetterTogether Life Support Customer initiative.
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.