British Gas to EDF – the help you can get from big energy companies if you are struggling | Personal Finance | Finance

Ovo has also increased its emergency credit from £5 to £15 for prepayment customers and they can also be offered payment holidays.

The firm has also stated that if customers are switched to pre-payment plans then they will receive regular check-ins to help them through the winter months.

Ovo will also help by providing customers who are most in need with smart thermostats and electric throws. People can claim a free boiler service worth £90.

Ovo said it remains “dedicated to its pledge” to never disconnect customers who fall behind on their payments.

There will also be dedicated support for customers in the “most financial difficulty” from a specialist team as well as a dedicated website where customers can find out more about each element of support.

SSE was taken over by OVO Energy in 2020 and customers are able to access the OVO energy support if they need help with their energy bills however, they will need to contact SSE for the support. 

Octopus Energy – OctoAssist Fund

Octopus Energy has recently rolled out a £40million package to help lower the burden of standing charges facing households this winter.

Under this new plan, all customers on Octopus’s standard variable tariff will automatically receive a four percent reduction in standing charges on their energy bills and over 100,000 in “the greatest need” can apply for “standing charge holidays” of up to six months.

People can also apply for the OctoAssist Fund which has a budget of £15million to help customers “most in need”.

The help which Octopus is based on a person’s personal circumstances and there is not a set limit on what a person can access. If people get in touch with Octopus then they can provide access to existing schemes, monetary support from the firms’ fund, or a loan of a thermal imagery camera to find heat leaks at home.