British Gas, EON and EDF giving out free electricity on Christmas Day

Some of the UK’s largest energy suppliers are offering their customers free electricity and gas on Christmas Day, including British Gas, EDF and E.ON Next.

Some other energy providers are offering discounts for customers, and there is also government help available for those who may struggle to pay their energy bills during the cold weather.

EDF is offering customers eight hours of free electricity on Christmas Day by signing them up to its Sunday Saver Challenge.

Customers need to have signed up to the challenge which encourage them to shift their electricity usage away from peak hours usually 4pm to 7pm.

New and existing E.ON Next residential customers who signed up to the Next Reward Days 18-month fixed tariff will receive three free electricity days over the holiday

E.ON Next to cover the cost of electricity used on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (24-26 December) for eligible customers. Standing charges will also be waived during those three days.

E.ON Next will waive the electricity standing charge, and charge nothing for electricity used on 24, 25 and 26 December, regardless of how much electricity is used.

British Gas is offering half price electricity on Christmas Day and Boxing day from 11am to 4pm if they are signed up to its PeakSave scheme.

Customers can sign up for PeakSave on any tariff with an electric smart meter and will automatically receive the discount with no need to opt in although customers will have needed to sign up for PeakSave by December 15.

There are other schemes available for anyone struggling with winter fuel bills.

The Winter Fuel Payment has made national headlines after it was announced that the government would scrap the payment for thousands of pensioners across the country. The scheme provides a one-off payment of £300 to those who have reached state pension age and is to be contributed towards heating costs.

The Household Support Fund was introduced to help vulnerable households manage the cost of living crisis. The government program financially helps Brits who are struggling to pay for food, energy and water bills to name a few.

The Cold Weather Payment helps vulnerable households between November 2024 and March 2025 and claimants will receive £25 per week if temperatures in the local area drop below 0C for seven consecutive days.

The Warm Home Discount is for households on a low income or receiving pension credit – a £150 discount is made towards energy bills.

There is also a Home Energy Check, which is run by local Age UKs to provide a free home check to ensure a property is energy efficient and not losing heat unnecessarily.