What is Life Support Equipment?
Life Support Equipment is equipment that is needed to ensure the ongoing health and safety of people with certain medical conditions. Life Support Equipment means any of the following:
- 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 equipment that a registered medical practitioner certifies is required for a person residing at the premises for life support. ‘Other’ life support equipment may include, but not limited to, the following:
- external heart pumps
- respirators (iron lung)
- suction pumps (respiratory or gastric)
- feeding pumps (kangaroo pump, or total parenteral nutrition)
- insulin pumps
- airbed vibrator
- hot water
- nebulizer, humidifiers, or vaporizers
- apnoea monitors
- medically required heating and air conditioning
- medically required refrigeration
- powered wheelchair
How to register your premises for life support protections
To register your premises for life support protections, please call us on 1300 721 092 or email us at lifesupport@alintaenergy.com.au. We will temporarily register your premises and send you a Medical Confirmation Form to complete with your doctor and return by a specified due date. We will also notify your distributor and send you some important information on how to prepare for a planned, or unplanned, power outage.
The completed Medical Confirmation Form should be returned to:
Email: customer.service@alintaenergy.com.au
Fax: 1300 781 235
Mail: Life Support Team
Reply Paid 87289
Melbourne VIC 8060
If you do not return a completed Medical Confirmation Form signed by your doctor, we may not be able to complete the registration process which may result in life support protections being removed from your premises. If you need more time to complete the form, please let us know so we can give you an extension.
What are Life Support protections?
Registering your premises for life support protections means:
- Your electricity or gas will not be disconnected, except in the case of planned or unplanned outages
- You will be given at least four business days’ written notice of planned outages
- You will be provided with information to assist you to prepare a plan of action in the event of a power outage
- Your life support registration details will be maintained in a life support register and provided to your distributor
Preparing for a power outage
From time to time your energy supply may be interrupted. Sometimes an outage may be planned, so that maintenance work can be performed.
In the event of a planned outage, you will be given notice in writing at least four business days before your power supply is interrupted and depending on the reason for the outage, we may contact you to agree a time for the outage to occur.
Sometimes an outage may occur which is unplanned and we cannot provide you with notice. For example, an unplanned outage may occur when storms cause trees to fall across your local distributors’ poles and wires.
So that you are prepared if an outage occurs, you should develop an emergency action plan which takes into account your specific needs. Things to consider include:
- Contact your doctor or life support equipment owner to discuss options if there is a loss of energy supply, particularly for any extended outages and emergencies
- Consider obtaining back-up medical equipment e.g. a spare battery or oxygen bottles (if possible)
- Keep a torch near your life support equipment
- So that you are able to use your phone in case of an extended outage, keep your mobile phone charged and consider keeping a portable phone charger at full charge at all times
- Develop an emergency contact list and keep it on hand. It could include the names, addresses and phone numbers of your doctor, the nearest hospital, a neighbour or other support services. Also include the emergency contact number for Alinta Energy, which will automatically connect you to your electricity and gas distributors.
- Subscribe to any local emergency or network service provider text warning systems or apps, so that you receive up to date information about the potential occurrence and likely duration of any outage
- Have an alternative place to stay if required, such as a friend or family or hotel
- Periodically check the back-up battery of your life support equipment so its capable of performing during an outage, as well as the batteries in your torch and portable phone charger (if required)
Speak to our Life Support team today
If you would like to speak to someone from our dedicated life support team regarding any of the information above, including whether you are eligible for a life support concession or rebate please call 1300 721 092 or email lifesupport@alintaenergy.com.au.
Emergency Contact details
- To report an electricity or gas fault or emergency, call us on 13 37 02 and select option 1 (24 hours, 7 days)
- If the situation is life threatening, call 000