British Gas customers can get 50% off electricity with Summer Sundays

Selected British Gas customers can save up to 50% on their energy bill every Sunday from now until 24th September 2023. British Gas ran a similar scheme throughout the winter months which meant that customers who opted in could save on their energy bills at set times, following the introduction of the Demand Flexibility Service launched by the National Grid in 2022.

In this article, we explain how British Gas customers can save on their energy bills, who is eligible to take part in the Summer Sundays scheme and additional ways in which you can cut back on your energy usage.

What are British Gas Summer Sundays?

PeakSave is a scheme introduced by British Gas to enable customers to save money on their energy bills. After a successful PeakSave scheme throughout the winter months, it has introduced 'Summer Sundays', giving customers the chance to save up to 50% on their energy usage every Sunday until 24th September. British Gas customers that are selected for the scheme will get half-price electricity for 5 hours on each 'Summer Sunday' and users are encouraged to use their appliances throughout this time while energy demand is low.

How do British Gas Summer Sundays work?

British Gas customers taking part in the Summer Sundays scheme will be encouraged to use energy during the 11am - 4pm window each Sunday from now until 24th September 2023. Throughout this period, electricity prices will be half price and customers are therefore encouraged to use high-energy appliances e.g. the washing machine or dishwasher, during this time as they will only be billed for half of the energy usage. The Summer Sundays PeakSave scheme works by billing you for the full-price electricity usage during this time and then later crediting the account with the discounted usage. Credits will normally arrive within 7 working days of each event ending. British Gas Summer Sundays only applies to electricity usage, gas usage will still be charged at full price.

It is also worth noting, however, that to ensure fair usage for all customers, there is a 60 kWh cap for each event and customers are therefore encouraged to complete regular day-to-day tasks throughout the 5-hour window and not use energy excessively. According to British Gas a large home would use around 12 kWh of electricity a day.

If you move home, change supplier or have a prepayment meter installed during the PeakSave Summer Sunday you will no longer be eligible to take part in the scheme and will not receive any credit. British Gas also notes that it can cancel Summer Sundays at any time.

Who is eligible to take part in British Gas' Summer Sundays?

In order to take part in the Summer Sundays PeakSave scheme customers must have taken part in a PeakSave scheme before or have received an email invite from British Gas. If you choose to take part you will automatically be included in each PeakSave Summer Sunday event and will not need to opt-in to each one. If British Gas has your mobile number, you will be reminded via text message prior to each event.

If you want to register your interest in British Gas PeakSave schemes you can do so here.

How to save money on your energy bill

If you are not eligible to take part in the British Gas Summer Sunday scheme or are looking at other ways to save money on your energy bill, the following tips can help you to save money:

• Switch to LED light bulbs - Switching to LED lightbulbs is more energy efficient and can save money on your energy bills as they use less energy. It is worth checking the energy rating of the lightbulb when buying however as some are more energy efficient than others.
• Use energy-efficient appliances - Using energy-efficient appliances can help to save money as they require less energy when being used. All appliances come with an energy efficiency rating, with those rated A being the most energy-efficient.
• Use appliances to their full capacity - Using appliances such as the washing machine and dishwasher to their full capacity can save money as you are unlikely to need to put on as many cycles and therefore reduces the number of times you need to use the appliance.

For additional money-saving tips read the following articles:

• How to save money on your energy bills
• What is the cheapest way to cook?
• How much electricity am I using?
• How to save money on your household bills
• A complete guide to Cost of Living Payments, eligibility & money saving tips