Millions of smart meter users have one week left to get 25 hours of free electricity - check how to claim

Households with any major energy supplier - including British Gas, EDF, EON, Ovo and Octopus - can take part.

The programme gives five hours of free electricity each weekend throughout November.

Participants can claim up to £25 back for the power they use during the chosen time slots, offering a welcome saving as energy bills are expected to rise heading into winter.

Participation requires downloading the complimentary Uswitch application and linking it to an existing smart meter, a process that takes under two minutes.

Registration must be completed before the Halloween deadline to access the November programme.

Each week during November, participants receive notifications to select their preferred five-hour window for the following weekend.

Options include Saturday morning from 7am to noon, Saturday afternoon from noon to 5pm, or corresponding Sunday slots.

Following each weekend session, the app calculates electricity consumption costs and displays earnings in a dedicated section.

Once the final November weekend concludes, accumulated funds can be transferred directly to participants' bank accounts.

The programme caps total savings at £25 across the campaign period, equating to approximately £5 per weekend. This limitation appears in the scheme's terms and conditions.

Running household appliances incurs significant hourly costs, with tumble dryers consuming approximately £1.21 worth of electricity, immersion heaters around 82p, and vacuum cleaners roughly 25p.

By concentrating high-energy tasks within the free periods, households can maximise their savings.

The strategy involves accumulating weekly chores and completing them during the designated slots. Participants are encouraged to schedule washing, drying, hoovering and other energy-intensive activities within these five-hour windows to optimise the financial benefit.

Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch.com, stated: "With the energy price cap rising tomorrow, Uswitch is offering 25 hours of free electricity to help reduce the blow."

She explained that shifting energy-intensive tasks to free sessions not only generates savings but also reduces weekday grid strain. "Moving our energy use to off-peak times also helps make our energy greener at the same time, as the grid is more likely to be powered by renewables then," Mathie added.

The company has helped households save over £2.7billion on utility bills during its 25-year history, according to Ms Mathie.