A MAJOR energy supplier is to give away eight days' worth of free electricity, starting in just weeks.
The offer will be available to both new and existing customers on every Bank Holiday until March 2026.
The next Bank Holiday falls on Good Friday, or Friday April 18, which will be swiftly followed by Easter Monday, on Monday April 21, and the early May Bank Holiday, on Monday May 5.
In total there will be eight bank holidays in the next 12 months.
E.ON Nexthas said its offer could save households £3.50 on every Bank Holiday, reducing bills by £28 across the year.
To take advantage of the offer consumers will need to sign up to the supplier's Pledge tariff.
The tariff is fixed for 12 months and offers rates that track below theOfgemprice cap, which will rise to £1,849 a year for the average household from Tuesday April 1.
Unlike a traditional fixed energy deal, the terms of the tariff mean that what you pay per unit of gas and electric may fluctuate over the contract term, but it will stay below the price cap.
E.ON Next says its Pledge tariff saves the average household £50 per year compared to those on the price cap.
There is a requirement to pay for the tariff by direct debit and customers will need a smart meter where possible.
If you don't want to switch to E.ON Next's Pledge tariff, a host of energy firms offer similar free electricity sessions, for example, for moving usage to off peak times.
Here are the other deals on offer:
British Gas
British Gasis cutting the price of all energy consumed between 11am and 1pm today (Friday March 28).
The sale is the second Green Flex event hosted by the provider, bringingcut price energyto thousands of customers.
The offer rewards customers who opt in, with half price electricity when there is a surplus ofrenewable energyavailable in the grid.
As well as ad hoc Green Flex events British Gas offers customers the chance to save every Sunday through its PeakSave scheme.
The scheme offers customers half price energy between 11am and 4pm, when there's less pressure on the National Grid.
So far, shifting usage to these off-peak hours has saved British Gas customers more then £20 million.
EDF
EDF Energy's Sunday Saver challenge rewards customers who shift their usage to the end of the week.
It rewards those who use energy on Sundays with free energy to use the following week.
And, the more energy you shift away from peak periods during the week, the more free electricity you'll earn.
For example, moving 40% of your usage away from peak hours could earn you up to 16 free hours of electricity to use the following Sunday.
To take part, customers need a smart meter set to provide half-hourly readings.
Adjusting your meter settings is quick and easy – simply log in to your EDF MyAccount at edfenergy.com/myaccount/login, go to the “About Me” section, select “Smart Meter Preferences,” and choose the half-hourly option.
Once your meter is set up, you can join the Sunday Saver challenge through the Energy Hub in your MyAccount.
Ovo Energy
Ovo Energy offers customers the chance to win free energy if they reduce their energy consumption during peak times.
Power Move offers customers the chance to win up to £2,000 of free energy if they use 85% or more at off-peak times.
For every month a customer's peak energy usage is less than 15% they are entered into a prize draw.
Five customers win the top prize of £2,000 of energy to use over one year, with 200 winning £50 prizes and 22,850 landing £2 of free energy.
You can sign up by visiting ovoenergy.com/power-move.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power's Power Saver scheme offers customers the chance to access half-price electricity between 11am and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday.
To have half the cost of the energy they used during those hours refunded, customers just need to register to become a Power Saver.
Scottish Power will also occasionally launch ad-hoc Power Saver events during the week.
You must have a smart meter to register to be a Power Saver.
Octopus Energy
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 asmart 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.
This week has also seen a warning made to consumers with Radio Teleswitch Signal (RTS) meters to urgently contact their providers ahead of the service being switched off.
Accurately monitoring energy usage will be even more crucial for consumers when the energy price cap goes up on Tuesday April 1.
Ofgem has confirmed that the average dual fuel bill for those not on a fixed deal will rise from its current level of £1,738 a year to £1,849.
This is an increase for the average household of £111 a year, or £9.25 a month.
It is the third consecutive quarter to see an energy price increase for around 22million households on standard variable tariffs (SVTs).
The figure is £159 per year higher than the price cap set for the same period last year, but £531 lower than at the height of the energy crisis in early 2023.
The changes come amid what's been dubbed ‘awful April' with the month potentially set to see consumers faced with annual bill increases of almost £700.
But, if you're struggling with costs take action as thousands of households could be missing out on free boilers and energy bill discounts.
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.
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