OVO launches Extra Support Package worth £56m for customers this winter

• OVO’s latest Extra Support Package will open from 1st October to help customers in immediate need.
• Since 2022, OVO has provided £190m worth of customer support. 
• New polling reveals that 91% of Brits are worried about their bills this winter, with 7 in 10 even more concerned than last year
• OVO continues to call on the government to introduce a social tariff offering discounted energy bills to those who need it most which could lift millions out of fuel poverty.

18 September, London: OVO announces its £56m Extra Support Package to help keep households warm as millions brace for another tough winter.

While support is on offer all year round, applications for enhanced winter support open on 1st October. OVO has provided £190m in support since 2022, offering measures such as heated blankets, smart sockets, and efficiency kits, and assisted 42,000 customers last year. 

New polling from OVO reveals that 91% of people are worried about their bills this winter, with 7 in 10 (71%) saying they are even more concerned than last year. Fuel poverty in England has risen to 9 million households – more than at the peak of the energy crisis – a 62% increase since 2020.

OVO continues to call for a social tariff

OVO is also calling for a social tariff to protect those who cannot afford to heat their homes through the sustained period of high prices to come.

A new report by the Green Alliance shows a social tariff offering discounted energy bills to low-income households would lift more people out of poverty than the government’s Warm Home Discount did in 2024. There is strong public support for the introduction of a social tariff, with two thirds (67%) of people in support. Over three quarters (77%) of people believe it would positively impact the most vulnerable households and half (53%) believe it would make a considerable difference to them personally or people they know. 

David Buttress, CEO of OVO, said:

“We’re providing support to those who need it most by working together with our charity partners and committing our largest ever customer support package. 

“But this isn’t a long term solution. We need to make the energy system work better for everyone. That starts with targeted support in the form of a social tariff – no one can be, or no one needs to be left behind.”

David Barclay, Warm Welcome Campaign Director, said: 

“At the Warm Welcome Campaign we believe it’s vital that people can access the support they need in a place where they feel comfortable and safe, and that’s why we’re so pleased to be working closely with OVO again this winter. Through our partnership we will be helping our Warm Welcome Spaces across the country become places where people can receive meaningful practical support to help get them through the hardest months of the year.”

Vikki Brownridge, CEO at StepChange Debt Charity, said: “We’re pleased to continue our partnership with OVO, which will provide much needed support to customers struggling with energy bills throughout the colder months. We know the past few years have been challenging for households facing significant cost of living pressures. OVO’s Extra Support will help thousands of people access advice and support with energy arrears and wider financial difficulties. We look forward to working closely with OVO on this important initiative.”

Supporting customers over winter 

The package includes:

• • Free energy saving products: This includes electric throws, smart sockets, and home efficiency kits.

• Energy efficiency upgrades: Customers could receive a wide range of energy-saving measures installed through GBIS – from loft insulation to a new boiler, or even high-end tech like heat pumps. Eligible customers could get a whole package installed, all for free.
• Financial support: This includes Direct Debit reductions, emergency credit top-ups, and extended repayment plans.
• New partnerships and increased financial relief for customers: alongside help for organisations including Warm Welcome Campaign and StepChange.
• Dedicated support: in the most financial difficulty will receive help from a specialist team.

Supporting charities and communities across the UK

OVO is providing support for charities on the frontline of the cost of living crisis, including:

• StepChange
• Money Advice Trust
• Scope
• Alzheimer’ s Society
• National Energy Action
• National Support Network
• Warm Welcome Campaign
• Business In The Community 
• Charis
• Samaritans
• The Wise Group
• Income Max

END

Notes to Editors:

To find out more and  apply for support please click on the link below. The additional support over winter will open for registration from 1st October:

https://www.ovoenergy.com/extra-support

For more information please contact [email protected]

About OVO

In 2009, OVO was born to make energy better for people and the planet. Today, OVO is trusted by around four million customers with their home energy, EV charging, green tech upgrades, and more. 

OVO is getting the UK ready for a greener, fairer future – supporting new renewable power projects in communities across the country. Not only is OVO bringing low carbon tech into homes, it’s finding smart ways to cut costs for customers – making heat pumps, solar panels, and electric cars more accessible. Behind all this work is Plan Zero: the bold, science-backed sustainability strategy, which sets out how OVO will become a true net zero business by 2035. 

This progress can only happen with a culture fit for the future. OVO’s multiple awards include the Best Place to Work for Women in The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Work 2023, which also saw the company coming in the Top 10 for Very Big Organisation. 

OVO also won Company of the Decade at the BusinessGreen Leaders’ Awards 2020. 

OVO key facts

• UK Customers: four million 

• People: 4,500 colleagues with sites in London, Bristol and Glasgow. 

• Customer service

• • • Over 170,000 5* reviews on Trustpilot for energy supply.
    • £190m support offered to customers in need since 2022.

• Rewarding customers

• • Beyond: More than 750,000 customers have signed up to OVO Beyond
    • Over 14 Million EV miles banked
    • 47K solar panels banked
    • 44K Months of heat banked
  • Charge Anytime over: £18.3 million saved to date by customers.
  • Solar and heat pumps: Over 1,000 heat pumps installed and over 500 solar systems installed in UK homes.
  • World leading trials: 320+ OVO customer trialists on the world’s first and largest domestic vehicle-to-grid trial, run by us. 
  • Rewarding trials: Over £2 million in credit through Power Move, for using energy at greener times – saving over 600 tonnes of carbon.
  • Expert advice: Over 10,000 home visits completed by OVO’s Energy Experts, giving customers one-to-one guidance on making their home more efficient.