A MAJOR energy supplier is giving households two hours of free electricity every week during the summer.
Ovo Energy is offering the free sessions from tomorrow and households can use the electricity for anything from running the dishwasher to meal prep.
AlamyOvo is giving customers two hours of free electricity each week this summer[/caption]The free electricity is available to customers who signed up to Ovo’s free rewards programme, Ovo Beyond.
The hours will be available from May 5 until August 31.
Every week, customers can choose when to use their free electricity in a range of weekday and weekend time slots.
These include:
9am – 10am on specified weekdays 1pm – 2pm on specified weekdays 9pm – 10pm on specified weekdays 10am – 12pm SundaysThe sessions avoid peak hours to help reduce pressure on the grid.
You will need to choose your time slot for the following week in a selection window.
Customers simply need to sign up to the rewards through the Ovo app or their account.
Gráinne Regan, head of Beyond at OVO, said: “We launched Beyond to help lower bills and reward our customers for taking greener action.
“So whether people choose to get ahead on meal prep, make a dent in the laundry or charge up the iPad, we want to help cut costs by giving two free hours of electricity every week this summer.”
What other schemes does Ovo offer?
Ovo also has a Power Move scheme which rewards customers for reducing their electricity usage during peak hours, which are typically between 4pm and 7pm on weekdays.
If you reduce your energy usage during these times below a certain percentage of your daily total then you are entered into a monthly draw for £2 to £2,000 worth of free electricity.
Usually you need to cut your usage by 15%, so avoid putting on the washing machine or dishwasher during these hours.
The energy firm is just one supplier that offers free energy sessions outside of off-peak hours.
How do I calculate my energy bill?
BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill.
To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/kWh.The standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year – irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity.
You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill.
Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs.
You’ll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage – this will then give you your annual costs.
Divide this figure by 12, and you’ll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1.
We have rounded up all of the schemes offered by other providers.
British Gas PeakSave Sundays
British Gas can get half price electricity every Sunday between 11am and 4pm through its PeakSave scheme.
More than 650,000 customers have already signed up and have saved a total of £13million.
If you ran two loads of laundry during the discounted PeakSave period instead of at other times, you could save up to £84 a year.
Or you could save £17.42 a year by shifting your Sunday dishwasher cycle to during PeakSave hours.
To sign up visit britishgas.co.uk/energy/peak-save.html.
Scottish Power Power Saver
Scottish Power’s Power Saver scheme offers 50% off electricity between 11am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
This gives customers a large window of opportunity to shift their energy consumption and maximise their savings.
Again, doing two loads of washing to either of these windows during the weekend could save you £84 a year.
Additionally, scheduling two weekend dishwasher cycles during this time could save you £35 a year.
EDF Sunday Saver
EDF’s scheme encourages customers to move their electricity usage away from weekday peak hours (4pm to 7pm) in exchange for free electricity the following Sunday.
You can qualify for up to 16 full hours of free electricity.
Based on two loads of washing and drying plus one dishwasher cycle, you could save around £200 a year.
But you need to carefully manage your electricity usage during the week in those peak hours to maximise your savings.
Octopus Energy Octoplus
Octopus Energy offers Octoplus members free electricity during times when the grid is at its greenest.
When energy market prices drop, the supplier shares those savings with customers that have signed up in hour-long Free Electricity sessions.
The slots typically occur between 1pm and 2pm during the summer months.
Octopus Energy has hosted eight of these Free Electricity sessions since the scheme launched last August.
As the cash is paid on an ad-hoc basis it can be difficult to plan when you will save.
Meanwhile, many appliances, such as washing machines, take more than an hour to run, so it can be hard to make a worthwhile saving.
What energy bill help is available?
There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
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
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