Major energy supplier is giving away free gas and electricity for Valentine’s Day today
A MAJOR energy supplier is giving away free gas and electricity for Valentine's Day.
EDF customers can get four hours of free electricity between 7pm and 11pm today.
In order to get the freebie you must have a smart meter that sends readings every half an hour.
Payments will be credited to your EDF account around a fortnight after the event.
The deadline to sign up has passed but anyone that did will get the discounted bill today.
You will automatically get four free hours of electricity and don't need to do anything further.
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It comes after the firm gave away eight hours of free electricity on Christmas Day to those who signed up for its December Sunday Saver challenge.
EDF runs regular Sunday Saver challenges which allow you to earn free electricity if you shift your energy usage away from peak hours.
For example, you could charge your devices outside of peak times, run your dishwasher in the morning or batch cook meals at the weekend.
The more you shift your usage during the week, the more free electricity you earn.
For example, if you shift 40% of your peak usage, you can earn up to 16 free hours to use the following Sunday.
You can check when you use the most electricity by going to the Energy Hub in MyAccount.
The credit is added to your account automatically and you can keep track of how much free electricity you’ve earned each week in the Energy Hub.
To join, go to Energy Hub in your MyAccount monthly and sign up for the challenge.
If you do not sign up in time then EDF can send you an alert when the next challenge sign-up period opens.
To join you must have a smart meter that sends readings every 30 minutes.
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.
Other suppliers giving away free energy
EDF is not the only energy supplier that will give you free electricity.
For example, Octopus Energy customers who are signed up for “Octoplus” can take part in free electricity sessions when market energy prices fall.
The sessions typically last a couple of hours and happen on an ad-hoc basis.
Octopus lets its customers know when the Free Electricity Sessions are happening anywhere from a few hours to a day ahead.
Ovo Energy also has a scheme that rewards customers for slashing their energy consumption during peak times.
The peak hours are currently between 5pm and 7pm from Monday to Friday.
Households whose peak energy use is less than 15% are entered into a monthly prize draw.
The lower the percentage, the more prize draw entries you earn and the better your chance of winning.
This month’s prizes include 17,900 £2 prizes and 125 £50 prizes.
Meanwhile, five lucky customers will win a year’s worth of free energy.
The £2,000 prize is awarded as energy credit over 12 months.
Go to ovoenergy.com/power-move for more information.
Meanwhile, Scottish Power customers can get half-price electricity every weekend between 11am and 4pm through its Power Saver scheme.
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The scheme is designed to encourage households to use less energy at peak times and reduce demand on the grid.
To join, simply register to become a Power Saver and you will automatically be able to take part in the event.
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