Octopus is handing customers £150 off bill after 'reviewing' accounts

Octopus - which is rivalled by the likes of British Gas, EDF, E On Next and Ovo - will be giving away a further 20,000 electric blankets this winter to vulnerable customers.

People with Octopus Energy may be eligible for free electric blanket to help cut winter energy bills. Octopus - which is rivalled by the likes of British Gas, EDF, E On Next and Ovo - will be giving away a further 20,000 electric blankets this winter to vulnerable customers.

It is is part of Octopus Energy’s £30million Octo Assist Fund, which supports customers in specific circumstances, including those who are medically vulnerable, elderly, or living alone with priority being give to those most in need.

Mario Lupori, Director at Octopus Energy Group, commented: "We know many people are worried about the costs of heating their homes over winter. An electric blanket means you heat the human, not the home - staying warm for as little as 3p an hour.

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"We’ve got 20,000 more blankets this year to give out to our most vulnerable customers and we’re delighted that they will help them stay warm.” Octopus Energy is offering one electric blanket per household to support the most vulnerable homes. This approach allows them to assist as many people as possible.

People are urged to create a Paylink budget to see what support is available, and to see if they qualify for financial assistance. A team member will review the health of the customer’s account and the information provided during the application process to make a decision. Octopus said it then aims to get back to the customer within around a week.

The electric blankets are supplied by Dreamland. Octopus customers with an electric blanket saw their gas bills fall by 20 per cent on average in previous winters, while only increasing their electricity usage by 0.2 per cent - adding up to an average saving of £150 across the three months.

Octopus has made the move ahead of the new energy price cap from October 1.