Families are being urged to check on their elderly relatives and neighbours in the run-up to planned power outages.
Unions at ESB have served formal notice of strike action and are set to strike on December 16 if no resolution is found.
Age Action Ireland says the HSE should release details of its contingency plan in the event of power cuts.
Head of advocacy Eamon Timmins says ordinary people can also play their part.
"We've more than two weeks to prepare now," he said.
"I think everybody has to say: 'Look, as an older person how am I fixed, and will I get by without electricity? How will I heat my home? How will I cook?'
"You'll need to start making arrangements and start making plans, I think as all families would do, but in particular we're worried about all the people [for whom] a lack of food and lack of heat will cause problems quite quickly, if alternative arrangements haven't been made .
"We're saying there's no need to panic yet, we've got time, but we need to start using that time to plan."