Stairlift users urged to be prepared for power cuts

20/01/2010

Like all good scouts, users of stairlifts across the Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire region are being urged to be prepared - for power cuts.



Like all good scouts, users of stairlifts across the Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire region are being urged to be prepared - for power cuts.

According to local electricity provider, CE Electric UK, only 23 per cent of older people in the area know who to call in the event of an unexpected power cut, the Halifax Evening Courier reports.

David Gill, the company's head of customer service, said with more pensioners living independently in their own homes, the use of domestic mobility aids and medical equipment that rely on mains electricity, such as stairlifts and oxygen concentrators, has risen significantly.

As a result, in the event of a power failure, there is a "very real risk" of people being stranded on a single floor of their home.

He therefore urged older people who use mains-powered mobility aids to sign up to their local electricity supplier's Priority Services Register, which offers a range of free services to help homeowners with heating and powering their properties.