A NUMBER of energy firms will give households free electricity this Christmas.
Suppliers including E.ON Next and EDF will pause charges on electricity usage over Christmas Day.
E.ON Next, said free energy will be available to customers over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Standing charges – which are a fixed daily amount that you have to pay, no matter how much energy you use – will also be waived during this three-day period.
To participate in E.ON Next’s scheme, customers must be signed up for the supplier’s Next Reward Days 12-month Fixed Tariff.
Households also must have a smart meter to be eligible for the offer.
Meanwhile, EDF customers will receive free electricity on Christmas Day.
Households who signed up for its Sunday Saver Challenge will get eight hours of free power on December 25.
The scheme rewards customers with free electricity on Sundays when they shift their usage to off-peak times during the working week.
However, this Christmas Day, EDF will be offering participating customers free hours of electricity regardless of whether they have adjusted their energy usage the week before.
To be eligible for the scheme you must have signed up by December 1 and have a smart meter.
If you still wish to get free electricity hours on Sundays, you’ll still need to reduce your usage during “peak hours”, which tend to be between 4pm and 7pm, Monday to Friday.
You can find out more by searching for “Sunday Savers” on the EDF website.
The discounts come as many households are worried about rising energy bills this winter.
The current price cap is set at £1,717 per year, but it is forecast to rise to £1,736 in January.
A decision to means test the Winter Fuel Payment also means that millions of pensioners will miss out on a £300 cash boost to go towards their energy bill.
Many other suppliers are offering discounts on electricity this winter.
For example, British Gas is offering discounted energy between 11am and 4pm on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The offer is available to new and existing British Gas customers on any tariff, but you will need a smart meter.
Any money you save across the two-day window will be added to your account as a credit.
The deadline to sign up for the offer is December 15, just over two weeks away.
Households can sign up through British Gas’ website via https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/peak-save.html.
British Gas offered customers half-price electricity on Christmas Day last year, which the firm says saw customers earn a total of £1.4million in credit.
Elsewhere, Scottish Power said it is offering half-price electricity for smart meter customers on Saturdays and Sundays.
The discounted rate is available every Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 4pm,
Meanwhile, Octopus Energy customers who are signed up for the “Octoplus” can take part in free electricity sessions when wholesale prices fall below zero.
The sessions last an hour, and customers can use electricity for free and receive credits for using more than they typically would.
All customers with a smart meter, including smart prepay meters, receive an alert the day before each session.
When the session begins, they can ramp up their electricity usage – whether it’s charging gadgets, running a laundry marathon, or any other household activity.
Any extra electricity consumed beyond their normal usage will be credited back to their account.
Find out more by visiting octopus.energy/free-electricity/.
Ovo Energy also offers a scheme which rewards customers for reducing their energy consumption during peak times.
Power Move offers customers up to £10 a month if they use 8.50% or less of their home’s total electricity between 6-9pm, Monday to Friday.
For example, by using the dishwasher in the morning or waiting until after 9pm in the evening to catch up on TV.
You can sign up by visiting ovoenergy.com/power-move.
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
