Life support equipment

If you or someone in your household uses life support medical equipment you are very reliant on a stable power supply. We have put together this handy checklist to help plan and prepare if there are any impacts to your power.

You may also be eligible for rebates and other assistance. State and Federal rebates are available to NSW residents who use energy-intensive life support machines at home.

Shopping around for a better deal can also help you save money. That's now easier thanks to a rule change.

NSW Government Life Support Rebate

The Life Support Rebate helps you to pay your electricity bills if you're required or have someone living with you who is required to use approved energy-intensive equipment at home.

These are the machines that will entitle you to a NSW Government Life Support Rebate (different rates apply depending on the equipment and the number of hours per day it is 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

Learn more about the Life Support Rebate and apply online.

Commonwealth Government Essential Medical Equipment payment

The Essential Medical Equipment Payment is a yearly payment to help with energy costs to run medical equipment or medically required heating or cooling.

• See how the Essential Medical Equipment Payment could help you.

Life support protection against disconnection

When a customer notifies either a retailer or a distributor that they have life support equipment, the notified party is required to list the customer on a register and becomes the registration process owner. A medical confirmation process then begins and if not completed by the customer, they will be deregistered. 

Once a customer is registered, the retailer or distributor cannot arrange disconnection except for planned interruptions. Four business days’ notice (from the date of receipt of the notice) must be provided.

These are the machines currently covered by these rules: 

• Oxygen concentrator
• Intermittent peritoneal dialysis machine
• Kidney dialysis machine
• Chronic positive airways pressure respirator
• Crigler najjar syndrome phototherapy equipment
• Ventilator for life support
• In relation to a particular customer – any other equipment that a registered medical practitioner certifies is required for a person residing at the customer’s premises for life support.

Contact your retailer or distributor to register your medical equipment.