Major energy company is offering two hours free a week to help lower bills
After bills increased again at the start of last month, many households across the country continue to struggle with the cost of living crisis.
April 1 was dubbed 'Awful April' thanks to household bills like energy, water and council tax increasing.
Some energy companies have also been forced to pay out £7million for overcharging around 34,000 customers.
While summer is approaching, one energy supplier, OVO Energy, is offering customers two hours of free electricity each week.
But how will this work for customers who use the energy supplier?
We take a look below.
The free electricity is only open to people who are signed up to the company's reward programme, OVO Beyond, which was set up in May 2024.
For those who are not signed up already, you can do so through the OVO app.
Customers are able to choose their time slots from week to week but they will only be offered off peak slots.
It will run from May 5 until August 31 and equates to a maximum of 34 hours of free electricity this summer.
So for those who work in the office or are not in the home much this might not be beneficial.
Peak energy use times tend to be in the morning when people are getting ready for work and school between 7am and 9am, according to British Gas.
Popular times also occur during the evening around 4pm to 7pm as people get home and make evening meals.
Demand during these hours can lead to strain on the electricity grid and increased prices.
Late at night or early morning tends to be when less energy is used by households across the country.
There are hours in the late evening and on Sunday though that can be used for free.
The reason this is the case is that during peak hours, there's not enough renewable energy around, which results in fossil fuel use.
The following time slots are available to choose from each week: 9am – 10am on specified weekdays
1pm – 2pm on specified weekdays
9pm – 10pm on specified weekdays
10am – 12pm Sundays
People need to sign up to OVO Beyond to book a free time slot which is free to do. More Trending
For those who pay by direct debit or have a smart meter, OVO Beyond unlocks automatically in the app.
The free electricity is also subject to a limit of 1kWh per hour and the hours must be confirmed within the set window.
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Those signed up will also be offered other perks like OVO Power Move, which offers various rewards via a prize draw – including a year's worth of free energy – for those who use energy at greener times of the day.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How I save £150 a month with half-price electricity due to simple schedule switch
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The money-saving pensioner, who was a support worker before retireing, told The Sun: 'I made some major changes to my weekly routine after taking up an offer for 'half-price electricity on Sundays' from my supplier, British Gas.' 'Sunday used to be a day for going out and seeing people, but I now tend to spend the day at home, taking advantage of my 'cheap energy' window". 'I allow my washing to pile up through the week, and then aim to get as much done as I can during the allocated five-hour slot on a Sunday.' Ria currently pays £70 a month for gas and electricity. Since signing up to the scheme, she's saved £50 and is expecting to save around £100 over the next year. Timing is key for discounts Ria has established a routine that works really well for her. 'I separate out my whites, my colours and my darks,' she said. 'If I'm efficient, I can just about get three or four washes in between 11am and 4pm when my electricity is half-price.' Helpfully, the energy price cap is set to fall to £1,720 from July 1, down from the current £1,849. Nevertheless, costs remain high. Thankfully, Ria runs a tight ship – and this includes monitoring her energy usage very closely. 'I don't usually switch on my tumble dryer because it's so expensive to run,' she said. 'However, I'm happy with the idea of using it carefully during those half-price hours on a Sunday.' Other firms offering time of use discounts British Gas is just one of a host of energy suppliers to offer time-of-use incentives to consumers to smooth demand and encourage smarter energy use, according to comparison site, Uswitch. Other providers which have schemes with free or half-price electricity at 'off-peak' times include EDF, Octopus, Ovo and Scottish Power. As well as Sundays, electricity suppliers often charge less late in the night or early in the morning (such as 7am-8am). All of these off-peak slots – when demand is lower – can work out a lot more cost-effective. 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Note that to take advantage of "off-peak" schemes such as this, you will need a working smart meter. Ria's other tips to keep energy costs down Saving up her washing for the cheaper "off-peak hours" on a Sunday is not the only step that Ria takes to help keep a lid on her energy bills. 'I always keep a pillow and blanket by the sofa in case I need to layer up when temperatures drop,' she said. 'And I've got hot water bottles ready to go whenever I need them.' Ria is also diligent about keeping cold air out of her home and ensuring that warm air stays in. 'I've got big thick curtains that cover the doors completely, as well as draught excluders to go along the bottom. "Lots of these are habits I learned from my childhood.' The savvy pensioner is also disciplined about not cranking up the heating. 'I can't afford to get tempted to notch up the thermostat,' she said. 'If anything, I try turning it down a little.' As we've reported previously, reducing it by one degree can potentially slash your heating bills by around £100. Ria added: 'It might not sound like a lot, but small changes can make a big difference.'
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
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