It comes as the Ofgem price cap has risen to £1,755 for a typical dual fuel household paying by direct debit
Energy bills are way more expensive than they used to be – but did you know there are schemes which offer you free gadgets to slash your costs?
You normally need to be on a low income or have a low energy rating on your home to be entitled to help. It comes as the Ofgem price cap has risen to £1,755 for a typical dual fuel household paying by direct debit.
You will be covered by the Ofgem price cap if you are on a standard variable rate (SVR) tariff, so if you’re not locked into a fixed rate deal.
But there isn’t actually a total cap on what you can pay for energy. Your bill is still charged based on how much gas and electricity you use.
Free electric blankets
Electric blankets are cheaper to run than your central heating, so they have become a popular way to keep energy costs down.
If you’re struggling with your energy bills, or you’re considered to be a vulnerable customer, then it is worth checking if your energy supplier can offer you a free electric blanket.
For example, Octopus gives away free electric blankets through its Octo Assist fund, which is a support scheme worth £40million and is designed to help customers facing financial hardship.
OVO Energy is also offering free electric through its Extra Support Package, with £56million put aside to help struggling customers. Check with your supplier to see what support it can offer.
Free boilers
Check if you are eligible for free help to make your home more energy efficient, including a new boiler, under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
You must be claiming certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or the Guarantee element of Pension Credit, and your home must have a low energy rating.
If you own your house, it must have an energy efficiency rating of D, E, F or G. If you rent from a private landlord, the house must have an energy efficiency rating of E, F or G and you must have the owner’s permission to do the work.
You should contact your local council to find out if they’re taking part in the ECO scheme, or contact your energy supplier directly.
If you live in England or Wales and want to replace your existing gas, oil or electric boiler with a heat pump or biomass boiler, you could get £7,500 towards the cost of doing so through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Free insulation
You may be entitled to free insulation through the Warm Home grant. If you live in England, the scheme is only available in certain postcodes and you have to apply through your local council.
Your home has to be privately owned, either by yourself or your landlord, and your energy rating must be D, E, F or G. You must also usually have a household income of £36,000 a year or less.
You can sometimes earn more than this if someone in your household is getting certain benefits. There are similar schemes called the Warmer Homes Grant in Scotland and Nest in Wales.
Free shower heads
When you use less water, you usually heat less water, which saves you energy. You can check the Save Water Save Money to see what free water-saving gadgets are available where you live, including regulated shower heads.
Regulated shower heads use a flow regulator or restrictor to control water usage by reducing the flow rate.
