OVO opens new £50million energy support package after Winter Fuel Payment cuts

The new OVO Energy Extra Support Package is worth £50million and opens on the same day where millions of people will see their energy bills rise this winter

OVO Energy has today opened its new support package for struggling customers - including pensioners who will miss out on Winter Fuel Payments.

The new OVO Extra Support Package is worth £50million and opens on the same day where millions of people will see their energy bills rise this winter. It is available only to OVO customers. Some of the support you could be offered includes payment holidays for all prepayment customers, or direct debit reductions, as well as free energy-saving products including electric throws, mattress toppers, and home efficiency kits.

You could also be offered energy efficiency upgrades, from loft insulation to a new boiler or heat pump. Over the past year, OVO has supported over 200,000 customers through its customer support package. OVO has also revealed that pensioners who miss out on Winter Fuel Payments may still be eligible for support from OVO.

Around 10 million fewer people will no longer receive Winter Fuel Payments - worth up to £300 depending on your circumstances - over the coming months, following a change in the eligibility rules. Winter Fuel Payments used to be available to everyone over state pension age, but now you need to be claiming means-tested benefits including Pension Credit.

In order to see what help you're eligible for from OVO, you'll need to apply for its Extra Support Package online by entering your account number and postcode, followed by your monthly disposable income. This is the money you have left after paying tax, rent or mortgage payments, and essentials like utility bills.

The chief of OVO has urged for the Government to implement an energy social tariff, a concept already utilised in the telecoms industry to assist those on benefits like Universal Credit with their broadband bills. This measure, which has been proposed by campaign groups for several years, would likely manifest as a targeted discount energy deal for poorer customers, potentially below the price of the cheapest standard energy tariff available.

Chief executive David Buttress said: "A social tariff would allow us to address the cost of energy for the poorest in our communities in a way that means, collectively, we could give them the protection they need to get through the winter months."

It comes as the Ofgem energy price cap rose to £1,717 a year for the average dual fuel household paying by direct debit from today. This is up from the previous price cap level of £1,568 a year. The Ofgem price cap does not put a limit on how much you can pay for energy - instead, it sets a limit on unit rates for gas and electricity, as well as the standing charges, which is what you pay to be connected to the grid.