Millions of households are being offered the chance to slash their energy bills by almost £100 a year – by shifting when they use electricity.

Energy giant EDF Energy is rolling out four “free electricity” Sundays this spring under its “Sunday Saver” scheme, with customers able to earn up to 64 hours of free power over the next month. The deal hinges on households cutting their usage during peak weekday hours – typically between 4pm and 7pm – when demand on the grid is highest.

Those who take part in the April challenge can then redeem their rewards on April 19 and 26, and May 3 and 10, effectively running high-energy appliances for free.

How the ‘free electricity’ deal works

Households must have a working smart meter sending half-hourly readings and sign up by April 5 at 11.59pm.

The scheme rewards customers depending on how much they cut peak-time usage:

• Cut by 5% – earn 4 hours of free electricity
• Cut by 20% – earn 8 hours
• Cut by 35% – earn 12 hours
• Cut by 50% – earn the full 16 hours per week

Over four weeks, that adds up to a maximum of 64 free hours. Typical ways to qualify include running dishwashers overnight, avoiding tumble dryers in the evening and charging electric cars outside peak hours.

EDF claims the initiative can knock around £96 a year off bills for the most committed users. On average, participants currently earn about 18 hours of free electricity per month, according to company data.

Since the scheme launched in 2024:

• Customers have racked up more than 20.5 million free hours of electricity
• That equates to roughly £6.6 million in total bill savings
• The most active users in 2025 earned an average of 266 hours free across the year

Joe Souto, Director of Retail at EDF, said the scheme comes as households prepare for changes to energy costs. He said: “With the energy price cap coming down in April, Sunday Saver continues to give customers a simple, practical way to cut costs and save even more when they need it most.”

“If customers commit to every Sunday Saver challenge and flex their energy use, they could achieve an average of 266 hours of free electricity on Sundays, and £96 on their annual energy bills.” Mr Souto also said customers can monitor their savings via EDF’s Energy Hub, adding it is “a straightforward way to ease pressure on bills while supporting a more sustainable electricity grid.”

You must change your habits

While the headline offer of “free electricity” may sound generous, it requires households to actively shift when they use power – and in some cases cut peak usage by up to 50%.

That could prove challenging for families tied to evening routines, particularly during colder months when energy demand is highest. However, for those able to adapt, the scheme offers an opportunity to directly reduce bills without switching supplier or tariff.