Do you currently have a life support system installed at home? Having one can might cost a sum of money. But, do you know about its rebates and other assistance? In case there’s a power outage do you know what to do? Check out the mentor or a model on your Life Support Equipment.
What is life support equipment?
This is an equipment that is needed to ensure the ongoing health and safety of people with certain medical conditions.
- An oxygen concentrator
- An intermittent peritoneal dialysis machine
- A kidney dialysis machine
- A chronic positive airways pressure respirator
- Crigler- Najjar syndrome phototherapy equipment
- A ventilator for life support
- Any other machine for life support required by a registered medical practitioner certifies is required for life support, or a medical condition which requires a continuous supply of gas.
Life support equipment eligible for a rebate
Different rates apply depending on the equipment and the number of hours per day it used.
- Positive airways pressure (PAP) device
- Enteral feeding pump (formerly known as Kangaroo Pump)
- Phototherapy equipment
- Home dialysis
- Ventilators (formerly known as ‘respirator’)
- Oxygen concentrator
- Total parenteral nutrition
- External heart pump
What protection is there for life support customers?
In NSW, the ACT, QLD, SA and Tasmania, the National Energy Retail Law and Retail Rules apply. These protect and obligates energy customers requiring life support equipment and energy company (retail and distribution).
Customers are required to be given:
- General advice of planned and unplanned of possible supply interruption
- Information to assists them and prepare a plan of action in case of interruption
- An emergency contact number of the energy distributor at no more than the cost of a local call
- At least four business days written a notice of any planned interruption
- For eligibility, a customer must provide the energy retailer and distributor
To be eligible for these protections, customers must provide their energy retailer or distributor with a confirmation from a doctor that a person residing at the customer’s premises requires life support machine.
Register a customer with a life support
It’s important to register as a customer with life support with your energy provider.
They have to inform you ahead of time in case they have a plan to cut off the power for works or some other reason so you can make other.
How to register?
- Contact your energy retailer and request a registration form.
- Visit your physician as they need to fill out some details and sign on it to prove that you need life support equipment.
- Return and submit the form to your retailer so they can process the registration
- Tell your energy retailer for any change of details.
You’ll never know when your power can go out. You need to plan and be ready. A plan could cover:
- What steps will you take- go to a relative’s house? go to a friend’s house?
- can you transport the equipment?
- How to contact people if the power goes out- some phones don’t work without power
- Who do you call? – keep a handy contact list of names, address and phone number of your doctor, the nearest hospital and someone nearby who can assist you.
- Keep up backup equipment fully charged and ready to go.
What if there is a power outage?
If you experience a power outage and the situation is life threatening please call 000 immediately and request an ambulance.
If the situation is a non-life threatening or an ambulance is not required, call your local electricity network distributor’s Fault and Outages line immediately.
If you want to save more on your energy bills and check the best energy plan in your area, click here.
