customers can save hundreds of pounds by using the provider’s current energy efficiency schemes.

From free electric blankest and thermal imaging cameras to Saving Sessions and a hardship fund, there’s lots on offer for households struggling with high .

Here’s a rundown of the schemes available now – and how you can apply.

Free electric blankets

For some people with mobility issues, heating the person instead of the whole home can be really effective.

Octopus Energy has given over 50,000 electric blankets to customers who need them most.

According to the energy provider, customers who received one saw a 20 percent fall in their energy bill and an average annual saving of £150. People can see if they’re eligible to receive this support here.

Octopus Energy Helpers scheme

Octopus’s Energy Helpers scheme, which launched two years ago, sends trained energy experts to customers’ homes to provide tailored energy-saving advice to reduce bills.

According to Octopus, it’s completed over 250,000 visits so far. People can register their interest in this here.

Thermal imaging camera loan scheme

Octopus Energy has loaned thermal imaging cameras to almost 8,000 customers to find spots in their homes where heat was escaping, for example at improperly sealed doorways and letterboxes.

Once draughts are identified, people can look into cost-effective ways to fix them. The scheme is running again this winter and it’s free for customers to sign up.

They just need to fill out a form online to get added to the waitlist. The provider then prioritises sending these out based on who needs them most.

Octo Assist hardship fund

Customers who are increasingly struggling with their energy bills are urged to get in touch with Octopus as there are even more ways it can help out.

The firm is currently offering a financial hardship fund, ‘Octo Assist’, which is worth £30million to give grants and monetary credits to customers in need. People can find out more or apply for this here.

Octopus ‘Saving Sessions’

To save even more money on bills, Octopus customers can opt into the provider’s ‘Saving Sessions’. To take part, eligible customers with a smart meter reduce energy usage during certain “peak times” and subsequently earn rewards, such as credit on their account or other prizes.

Saving Sessions was the first consumer flexibility project to be announced after the National Grid’s Demand Flexibility Scheme (DFS) launched in November 2022.

Last year, more than 700,000 of Octopus’ smart meter customers signed up to turn down their energy usage, earning a combined £5.3million over winter.

This year’s Saving Sessions has already eclipsed the last, with over 1.2 million customers now signed up and already having earned a collective £4million in just 10 possible hours of activity.

According to Octopus, this translates into more than 350,000 kilograms of CO2 avoided, and more than 1,400 megawatt hours (MWh) shifted out of peak times – equivalent to powering a city the size of Manchester for two hours.

The average customer payout across all events so far this winter is over £11.

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