Life Support Medical Confirmation

If you or someone in your household has life support equipment we want to help you be as safe as possible. Registering your home with us is important so we can apply life support protection. Please contact us on 1800 750 750 for a copy of the Life Support Medical Confirmation form.

Eligibility

To be eligible for life support protection and to be registered as a life support customer with us, you or someone at your property must rely on at least one of the following:

• oxygen concentrator
• intermittent peritoneal dialysis machine
• kidney dialysis machine
• chronic positive airways pressure respirator
• Crigler-Najjar syndrome phototherapy equipment
• a ventilator for life support (also known as a respirator)
• any other equipment that a registered medical practitioner certifies is required for life support, such as:
  • 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

Registering for life support protection

Whether you need life support protection now or at a future date registering for life support protection is easy and only takes a few steps:

1. Contact us and let us know there is a need for life support protection.
2. We then inform the distributor, alternatively, you can contact your local distributor directly.
3. To be registered, your medical practitioner will need to complete and sign the Life Support Medical Confirmation form. All sections of this form are to be completed and then signed by your medical practitioner. Once complete, please send the form back to us by the nominated due date so we can ensure that your life support protection has been registered.

Please contact us on 1800 750 750 for a copy of the Life Support Medical Confirmation form.

We understand that sometimes it may be difficult to return the form by the due date, which is why we offer due date extensions. if you would like to arrange an extension please contact us as soon as possible. Keep in mind that failure to return the form may result in deregistration and loss of life support protection at the property.

Planned interruptions with life support protection

Life support protection does not guarantee an uninterrupted energy supply. There may be times your energy supply will be interrupted due to planned works for maintenance or upgrades of the meter, the network or scheduled planned upgrades by the local distributor.

With life support protection you will be given notification of the planned disruption. Here’s what happens:

• If it’s us - If your energy supply is interrupted by us, unless we agree otherwise, we will write to you at least four business days in advance, to help you prepare for the interruption.
• If it’s a distributor - If your energy supply is interrupted by your local distributor, they are required to notify you at least four business days in advance of the interruption.

The 24/7 emergency response number for your distributor (Tas Gas Networks) is 180 2111, you will also find this number on the top right corner of your bill.

Unplanned interruptions

Sometimes things don’t go as they should and you end up with no power due to an unplanned interruption.

Any unforeseen events could cause this to happen, including:

• extreme weather conditions
• accidents that damage your local distributor's infrastructure

If you or someone in your household is a user of life support equipment and is unexpectedly left with no energy supply, the first thing you must do is contact your local distributor and explain that the property requires a supply of energy for life support equipment. The 24/7 emergency response number for your distributor (Tas Gas Networks) is 180 2111, you will also find this number on the top right corner of your bill.

To help in the event of an unplanned interruption we recommend you have an action plan handy.

Here is what you should consider when making an action plan:

• Consolidate all necessary phone numbers in writing and secure them in a safe place, including: your doctor, nearest hospital, an emergency contact and your local distributor and energy retailer.
• Ensure back up batteries to your life support equipment are always charged.
• Ensure any back up oxygen tanks are full.
• Ensure you have a power bank that is fully charged at all times for your mobile phone.

Talk to your medical practitioner for any additional advice that applies to your life support equipment.