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As millions of families struggle with their energy bills, energy firm OVO has unveiled a new service that it believes will help households slash their energy bills by £260. Under this scheme, which will be first trialled for hundreds in the south west, trained energy experts from the company will visit households to provide a free home assessment on how they can increase their energy efficiency. As the global fossil fuel energy crisis has sent bills spiralling, experts have hailed energy efficiency measures as a way to permanently lower them, by reducing reliance on expensive natural gas.
OVO believes its Energy Experts service, launching today, could potentially deliver savings of up to £260 per household across the UK, by offering cheap and easy ways to lower their bills.
This scheme comes after recent polling found that 88 percent of Britons would like more help managing their energy bills, with 76 percent of those surveyed saying that it was their number one priority for saving cash in 2023.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Raman Bhatia, the CEO of OVO said: “The UK has some of the leakiest, oldest and coldest homes in Europe. British homes lose heat up to three times faster than homes in Germany, and we are lagging far behind other European countries when it comes to making our houses energy efficient.
“With warm air escaping through poorly fitted windows, gaps in doors and badly insulated roofs, heating systems are working harder to keep us warm. But this is a fixable problem.”
OVO noted that according to recent research by the University of Warwick, the UK could save more than £10billion could be saved on energy bills each year if leaky homes were upgraded and insulated.
By reducing household reliance on expensive imported natural gas, the Treasury could save the huge sums of money it planned on using for the Energy Price Guarantee.
Mr Bhatia continued: “Energy companies, the housing industry and the Government need to work together to make our homes more energy efficient. If we don’t act now, we will miss the opportunity to tackle the energy crisis head on.
“We are stepping up. Our latest Energy Experts trial offers a free home health report to help show households how they could save up to £260 on bills per year through simple changes and a free energy tracker to help reduce their energy usage.
“71 percent of consumers think that green technology is too complicated or too expensive to adopt. Yet small changes – such as draught proofing gaps – could save £125 per year.
“But these measures aren’t just about getting through this winter – they are about future-proofing our homes for all the winters to come and improving our energy resilience through insulation. ”
While over two thirds of those surveyed (71 percent), believed that “green technology” measures are too complicated and expensive to adopt, OVO noted that even the most simple energy measures – such as insulation for a hot water cylinder and low energy light bulbs – can cost up to £175 but generate a saving of £135 per year.
In total, the company estimates that their free energy service could help customers save up to £260 by highilighting simple measures and behavioural changes, and will also give them a free Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
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The OVO Home Health Report includes an option of a free home visit to assess the steps required to make their home more energy efficient and cut costs.
Following the visit, the experts would provide a full report and occupancy assessment, along with a step by step advice from technicians with no obligation, and a free energy tracker service to help customers understand ways to reduce their energy usage
Angela Howarth, director of communications at Energy Saving Trust, said: “We know that finding ways to cut down on energy costs is front of mind for many households this winter and beyond. Improving the energy efficiency of homes can make a big difference to bills, as well as reducing carbon emissions.
“We’re proud to support OVO’s Energy Experts to provide advice to people around both simple measures such as draught proofing and the adoption of green technologies to help make a lasting impact.”
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