Energy bills update: Families can claim £10 in electricity refunds on Christmas - but time's running out

The offer applies regardless of a household’s current energy supplier.

Uswitch monitors electricity use through the day and calculates the total cost based on applicable unit rates.

The refunded amount is then capped at £10. Households must register by December 21 to take part.

Participation requires downloading the Uswitch app and linking it to a smart meter.

After connecting the meter, users can enrol in the Power Hours programme.

Existing Power Hours members can activate the Christmas Day offer directly through the app. The monitoring window runs from 8am to 4pm on December 25.

Refunds will appear in the user’s Uswitch account in January as available earnings. Users can then transfer the refund to their bank account.

Uswitch said it may take up to a month for the funds to be processed.

Energy bills are still charged by suppliers as normal, with the refund functioning as a separate cashback payment that appears later. EDF is running a similar initiative for its own customers through the Sunday Saver Challenge.

The scheme typically offers up to 16 hours of free electricity per month, but December includes an automatic eight-hour free period between 8am and 4pm on Christmas Day.

Eligibility requires being an existing EDF customer and opting into the challenge through the Energy Hub account.

Uswitch is also offering a separate incentive for those switching suppliers. Households that move to EDF’s Simply Fixed Nov26v10 tariff receive 100 hours of free electricity.

The tariff is priced at £1,599 a year for a typical household. This is £156 below Ofgem’s current price cap of £1,755.

Households must switch to the tariff and then download the Uswitch app and connect their smart meter within two weeks to receive the 100 free hours.

The value of the incentive is added to the user’s Uswitch account before the new year.

EDF has also launched a new tariff called Free Phase. The firm said Free Phase could reduce electricity bills by up to £187 a year compared with standard variable tariffs.

The tariff operates across three pricing tiers that reflect real-time wholesale costs. The structure enables customers to shift usage to lower-priced periods.

Households are being reminded to monitor energy-intensive appliances during December.

Washer-dryers are among the most expensive to run, costing an estimated £9.10 for the month. Tumble dryers follow at approximately £8.30.

Chest freezers and fridge-freezers cost around £6.50 and £6.40 respectively in December. Fridge-freezers account for around 8 per cent of household energy bills.

Washing machines represent about 7 per cent of home electricity costs, with average monthly usage estimated at £5.20.

Energy analysts say usage patterns typically increase during the festive period as households cook meals, use heating for longer and run appliances more frequently.