Major energy firm to launch free electricity sessions on weekends
A MAJOR energy firm is giving customers the chance to get free electricity on one day of the week.
EDF is offering customers the opportunity to run their homes for no cost if they take part in a new challenge.
To get the hours of free electricity, customers must cut down on using electrical devices during “peak hours”, which tend to be between 4pm-7pm Monday to Friday.
In return, EDF will give customers free electricity on Sundays, when demand to the energy grid tends to be lower.
The more electricity customers shift to off-peak times, the more free electricity they can earn.
EDF said that if you reduced your energy usage during peak times by 10%, you would earn four hours of free electricity, while a 20% reduction would earn eight hours.
Customers who manage to cut back their usage by 40% during the week can earn up to 16 hours of free electricity to use on a Sunday.
It follows a trial scheme by the energy firm where around 88% of participants earned 16 hours or more of free electricity in at least one month, and 98% earned at least four hours.
Why do prices vary depending on the time you use energy?
Energy prices are more expensive during peak hours because of increased demand on the energy grid, which makes it more pricey for energy providers to provide electricity.
Energy is cheaper for firms to provide when demand is lower, and so is cheaper for customers.
It will soon be even more important to save where possible on energy bills as costs are set to rise within weeks.
Customers can expect their energy bills to rise by £149 a year come October 1, when Ofgem is expected to raise its price cap.
The price cap is a limit on the maximum amount that energy suppliers can charge for each unit of gas or electricity, and for standing charges.
It is reviewed every three months and is based on wholesale energy prices.
However, you can end up paying more or less than the figure quoted for the price cap, depending on your energy usage. If you use more than a typical household, you’ll pay more.
Rich Hughes, director of retail at EDF, said that with prices increasing he was happy to launch this challenge to customers.
“With energy prices increasing and winter on the horizon, we’re excited to now be able to launch this to smart meter customers, enabling more people to do the things they love on a
Sunday for free, saving them cash on their bills and reducing their carbon footprint,” he said.
To take part, customers need a smart meter and to have provided half-hourly consent, allowing for a month’s worth of peak meter readings to be collected to measure how much energy they’re saving.
To get your meter on this setting, customers need to go to the “About Me” section in their EDF MyAccount, which can be found online.
Then, users must click on smart meter preferences and select half-hourly.
Customers will be notified by WhatsApp or SMS to let them know if they have earned free electricity, or they can track their performance in EDF’s Energy Hub platform, accessible via MyAccount online.
You can find out more by searching for “Sunday Savers” on the EDF website.
It is important to note that you must be an EDF customer to sign up for the challenge.
It comes as a number of energy firms have been rolling out ways to support customers ahead of the price cap change, particularly in light of the Winter Fuel Payment being withdrawn for millions of retirees this year.
OVO said it would give struggling customers an extra £50million worth of support.
How to save on your energy bills
SWITCHING energy providers can sound like a hassle - but fortunately it's pretty straight forward to change supplier - and save lots of cash.
Shop around – If you’re on an SVT deal you are likely throwing away up to £250 a year. Use a comparion site such as MoneySuperMarket.com, uSwitch or EnergyHelpline.com to see what deals are available to you.
The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals – meaning you’ll pay a fixed amount usually for 12 months.
Switch – When you’ve found one, all you have to do is contact the new supplier.
It helps to have the following information – which you can find on your bill – to hand to give the new supplier.
- Your postcode
- Name of your existing supplier
- Name of your existing deal and how much you payAn up-to-date meter reading
It will then notify your current supplier and begin the switch.
It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply won’t be interrupted in that time.
Meanwhile, Octopus Energy said it would be widening its £30million support fund to low-income pensioners who are no longer eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
What other support is available?
If you fear you may struggle to afford your energy costs this winter, you should note some of the other financial help available.
Many of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers have grants to support struggling customers.
Eligibility criteria may vary depending on the supplier, while the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
The country’s biggest supplier, British Gas, previously had an energy grant scheme in place, with the hardest-pressed households receiving a grant of up to £2,000.
The firm has also launched a debt reduction scheme called “You Pay: We Pay”.
Struggling customers will also be able to get part of their debts wiped via what’s known as “debt matching”.
For instance, if a customer pays £100, British Gas will pay off £100 too.
The £15million scheme opened in June and eligible customers have been contacted directly.
Elsewhere, EDF has a customer support fund which on average wipes £1,250 off customers’ bills.
It is available to vulnerable customers experiencing hardship.
To apply, visit EDF’s website and make sure you have details of your account number (find it on your energy bills or EDF emails) and the current debt balance on all EDF accounts you have.
Check directly with your supplier to see what help is available from them.
You should also be aware of the government’s £150 Warm Home Discount and Household Support Fund.
The Sun previously rounded up all the energy bill help worth £5,710 that you could be eligible to claim, which you can read here.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories