EDF is set to provide customers with an opportunity to receive up to 16 hours of complimentary electricity starting this weekend. The company’s initiative, known as the Sunday Saver challenge, rewards individuals who shift their energy consumption away from peak hours during weekdays. Typically, these peak hours fall between 4 pm and 7 pm from Monday to Friday, urging participants to minimize energy usage during these times.
Participating customers can earn between four and 16 hours of free electricity for adjusting their energy consumption habits. By reducing energy usage by 5%, customers can secure four hours of free electricity. Those who cut back by 20% receive eight hours free, while a 35% reduction earns twelve hours, and a 50% decrease entitles users to 16 hours of complimentary electricity.
To enroll in the Sunday Saver program, customers must manually sign up through their EDF accounts as the scheme does not automatically register EDF clients. Additionally, participants must have a smart meter that transmits readings to EDF every 30 minutes.
EDF’s Retail Director, Rich Hughes, emphasized the objective of the Sunday Saver initiative, stating, “We launched Sunday Saver to help customers save cash and carbon, all while contributing to a more sustainable energy system. We’re thrilled that over 154,000 customers have already benefitted from free electricity as a reward for adjusting their daily usage habits and helping to ease the strain on the electricity grid during peak times.”
As energy bills are expected to increase this winter, with the Ofgem price cap rising from £1,720 to £1,755 for a typical dual fuel household, customers are advised to be mindful of their energy consumption. The updated price cap will be effective from October 1 to December 31 for those on a standard variable rate tariff. While there is a cap on the charges for gas and electricity units, the total bill amount is still determined by actual energy usage.
The Ofgem price cap sets limits on charges for gas and electricity units, as well as standing charges, which are fixed daily fees for energy network connection. The cap serves as an indicator of expected annual costs for households with average energy consumption levels, assuming 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas usage over a year.
