EDF Sunday Saver: earn free electricity just by being a bit clever with your kettle

Cut your energy bill with EDF’s Sunday Saver. Shift your weekday electricity use and earn up to 16 free hours to use on Sunday. Here’s how it works.

EDF customers – ready to get your savings on?

While it might sound like one of those schemes you think is too good to be true…it’s not.

EDF runs Sunday Saver where you can earn FREE electricity.

You simply use less electricity during weekday peak times (4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday), and you can earn up to 16 hours of completely free electricity the following Sunday.

We’ll say that again for the people boiling their pasta at 6:30pm — free electricity, just for shifting when you prepare your evening meal.

What’s the deal?

EDF is trying to get people to use less electricity when the National Grid is under the most strain, usually weekday evenings when everyone’s cooking dinner, chucking on the telly and getting the washing machine going.

So, if you move your electricity use to less busy times, like mornings, late evenings, or weekends, you can earn free hours to use electricity guilt-free the following Sunday.

How many hours depends on how much peak-time energy you avoid:

% of weekday peak electricity usage you reduced	Free electricity earned for the next Sunday	When you can use your free electricity
5% to 19.9%	4 hours	8am to midday
20% to 34.9%	8 hours	8am to 4pm
35% to 49.9%	12 hours	8am to 8pm
50% or more	16 hours	8am to midnight

So if you’re clever with your usage Monday to Friday, you can blast the washing machine, air fryer, and hairdryer for free on Sunday.

How to take part

You need to:

• Be an EDF customer
• Have a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings (you can check/set this in your account)
• Sign up in the Energy Hub in your MyAccount before the start of the month to join that month’s challenge

You can also register for reminders if you miss a sign-up.

How does it save me money?

Let’s say you boil the kettle, do a few loads of laundry, run the dishwasher and charge your devices during your free Sunday hours.

Normally, that’d all add up on your bill. But EDF track your usage during those free hours and gives you a bill credit based on how much electricity you used.

So rather than paying for that Sunday binge-clean, it’s wiped from your bill. Lovely stuff.

You don’t need to submit any forms, click any special buttons, or turn your fridge off and back on again. EDF handle it all and applies the credit after the final Sunday of each month.

Why are they doing this?

Because they’re trying to help the planet (and the National Grid) by getting people to use energy more smartly.

And, because let’s be honest: everyone loves a freebie, especially when it cuts the size of your next energy bill.

According to EDF, they’ve already given out over 6.2 million hours of free electricity, worth £1.5 million. That’s a lot of roast dinners and re-runs of Come Dine With Me powered for nowt.

A few things to know

• It’s not every month. You’ll need to sign up each time a new challenge is announced.
• You’ll need a smart meter that sends readings every 30 minutes.
• Credits can’t be taken as cash, but they will lower your bill or be added to your PAYG balance.
• It’s open to prepay customers too.
• You have to be on a tariff with no more than two unit rates (so check if you’re eligible).

Is it worth it?

Absolutely! Especially if you’re already trying to cut back on energy bills.

All you need to do is be a bit more mindful about when you’re switching things on.

Maybe move tea/dinner to 7:30 pm, or schedule the dishwasher for the next morning.

Even a 20% shift in usage can earn you 8 free hours the following weekend.

Read next:

50 ways to save money on energy bills without switching

What do “in credit” and “in debit” mean on an energy bill?