ONE of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers has extended an initiative offering customers half price electricity.
British Gas has pushed back the close date of its “Peak Save” scheme from today until March 31.
GettyBritish Gas has extended its PeakSave scheme offering households cheap electricity[/caption]
The scheme offers eligible customers half price electricity between 11am and 4pm on Sundays.
British Gas first launched the scheme in December 2022 before relaunching a similar version of it last June.
Hundreds of thousands of households have signed up already.
You can sign up to the scheme on British Gas’ website, by entering in your full name, email address and customer reference number.
British Gas will then get in touch if your application is successful and you will be credited back any money saved after taking part each Sunday.
The credit will show up as “PeakSave Credit” on your bill or online statement.
Crucially, you can only register your interest for the scheme if you have a smart meter that can send half-hourly meter readings.
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert website has branded the scheme a “no-brainer” for those who can sign up.
If you’re not with British Gas, Ovo Energy has a similar scheme which rewards customers for reducing their energy consumption during peak times.
Peak Move offers customers up to £15 a month if they cut their usage between 4-7pm, Monday to Friday.
For example, by using the washing machine in the morning or waiting until after 7 in the evening to stick the dishwasher on.
Other help to pay for energy bills
It’s definitely worth signing up for British Gas’ PeakSave or OVO’s Power Move schemes if you can, but you can make bigger savings through other means.
You might be able to get free home insulation or have other energy-saving measures installed in your property through the Energy Company Obligation.
The scheme is designed to help low-income households on certain benefits such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit and Housing Benefit.
The Government previously told The Sun households eligible for the scheme save around £600 to £700 on their bills each year after having energy-saving measures put in place.
You can find out more about the scheme on the Government’s website.
You might be able to get a grant to help towards the cost of installing a heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme too.
The £450million fund offers grants to homeowners in England and Wales to buy the devices which could save you £140 a month on your bills.
Plus, it’s worth seeing if you’re eligible for the Household Support Fund (HSF) as you might be able to get help paying for energy bills.
You can read more about the scheme here.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help you check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to.
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator works out whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credits and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to not only find out which benefits you could receive but also to find out how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can give you an indication of what you might be eligible for.
Check if you’re eligible for benefits too as they could help you pay for energy bills on an ongoing basis.
They often open up other added discounts and freebies too including cost of living payments.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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