OVO's Extra Support Package is now open to help the most vulnerable customers save up to £300 a year on their energy. Media Centre OVO 27 October 2026 | OVO * OVO's new Extra Support Package is now live, focussing on targeted, bespoke support for customers facing the greatest financial challenges this winter. * This year's package is tailored to individual needs, offering eligibility-based assistance ranging from free energy-saving appliances and direct financial support, to debt relief, debt advice, and access to support from 2,500 organisations through Lightning Reach. * Depending on eligibility and a customer's tailored package, they could save up to £300 per year on their energy. * As part of the launch, OVO is hosting a series of in-person OVO in the Community events across the UK - beginning this week in Swansea and Newport - helping customers to identify and understand the support available to them. Tuesday 27 October, London: OVO's Extra Support Package for 2026/2027 is now open for applications, providing crucial assistance to customers who need it most this winter and beyond. With the energy price cap having increased this autumn and further increases predicted for January, millions of households across the country are facing serious concerns about keeping their homes warm this winter. OVO is continuing to step in with direct, targeted aid - including energy-efficiency advice, debt support, and free energy saving and warming products - to ensure support reaches families who need it most. While support is on offer all year round, applications for this year's enhanced winter support open today, Tuesday 27 October. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, OVO's specialist teams will work directly with customers to build a tailored package of support tailored to their specific circumstances, which could save customers up to £300 per year. Since 2022, OVO has provided £220m in support and helped 69,000 customers last year alone, offering measures such as heated blankets, smart plugs, and energy efficiency kits. Supporting customers over winter The package is being delivered across the UK through the following key targeted offerings*: * Free energy saving products: This includes rechargeable hot water bottles, thermos flasks, heat pads, LED light bulbs, smart plugs, and replacement white goods. Heated throws - which cost approximately 3p per hour to run - will also be available. * Financial support: This includes direct credit top-ups of £150 (in addition to eligible customer's Warm Home Discount) and extended repayment plans. * Debt relief and advice: Supporting customers with complex or energy specific debt. * Income maximisation: Supporting customers to identify missing benefits and break the fuel poverty cycle. * Access to Lightning Reach: Partnering with Lightning Reach to give customers access to support from 2,500 organisations offering financial advice. In-person community events Across autumn and winter, OVO will host a series of regional, in-person OVO in the Community events across the UK, starting this week in Swansea and Newport. At the events, OVO customers can speak to OVO's specialist advisers and energy experts and find out what support - including free energy-efficient products, warming appliances, and debt support - is available to them. Advisors will be on hand to assess eligibility face-to-face and help customers apply for the specific energy-saving and warming products that best suit their household needs. The events are also open to non-OVO customers who are also interested in receiving energy-efficiency and debt advice. Supporting charities and communities across the UK OVO is providing support for charities and organisations on the frontline of the cost of living crisis, including: * StepChange * Warm Welcome * Citizens Advice Plymouth * IncomeMax * Charis * Lightning Reach * National Support Network. Laura Bradley, Warm Home Discount Lead, OVO commented: "We know that this time of year brings immense pressure to households up and down the country. That's why we're committed to not just offering short-term relief, but delivering deep, targeted support that makes a lasting difference. By bringing our teams directly into the heart of communities, we can help people access the tools, advice, and financial support they need to stay warm, safe, and in control of their bills this winter." Vanessa Northam, Partnerships Director, StepChange Debt Charity commented: "Keeping homes warm is a challenge for many households every winter. But with energy prices remaining exceptionally high and further increases expected, the months ahead could be among the toughest yet. "OVO is setting a strong example across the energy sector by supporting customers in financial difficulty. Its direct assistance can help ease the pressure of high energy costs, while its established referral pathway with StepChange connects customers experiencing financial difficulty with free, impartial debt advice that delivers the best solution for their unique circumstances." Daniel Peters, Senior Operations Manager Utilities, Citizens Advice Plymouth, commented: "OVO Energy Group continue to see rising energy and fuel costs driving inflation, which has traditionally pushed the most vulnerable customers into financial hardship. However, the impact is now being felt more widely, with many people who may not previously have required support now seeking information, advice, and assistance. "It is encouraging to see OVO's continued commitment to supporting these customers, alongside the strong partnerships working together with a shared goal of helping people through what is expected to be another challenging winter. "The support provided through these partnerships plays a crucial role in delivering financial relief, improving wellbeing, and helping customers access the guidance and practical next steps they need during difficult times." Rhiannon Sheridan, CEO at Lightning Reach said: "Too many people miss out on help simply because it's hard to find, and harder to apply for. OVO's Extra Support package brings a full range of support into one place. Together, we can make sure people get all the help they need, with one simple application." David Barclay, CEO, Warm Welcome said: "Winter can be an incredibly difficult time for people facing financial pressures, particularly when the cost of heating their homes means they have to make impossible choices about staying warm. No one should face winter feeling isolated or unsure where to turn for support. "We're incredibly grateful to OVO for their generosity and commitment over the past three years. This long standing partnership plays an important role in helping us raise awareness of the support available and reach more people who may be struggling this winter. By working together, we can help ensure that people not only have access to practical support, but also know that they are not alone." To support customers further, OVO is also partnering with Nesta on the Money Saving Boiler challenge, encouraging UK households to make the simple change of lowering their boiler flow temperature to 60°C to shave approximately £57 off their energy bill each year. Visit Nesta's dedicated website for more information and instructions on how to lower your boiler flow temperature this winter. OVO is also calling for a social tariff to protect those who cannot afford to heat their homes through the sustained period of high prices to come. While OVO welcomes the government's existing winter support - including the £150 Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments worth between £200 and £300, and the VAT reduction to 0% on domestic electricity bills - a targeted social tariff represents the most effective long-term solution to provide sustainable protection and ensure vulnerable households stay warm and safe. Notes to editors: *Support subject to eligibility. Applications for products including hot water bottles, thermos flasks, heat pads, LED light bulbs, smart plugs and replacement white goods will be available to apply for from Monday 2 November. To find out more and apply for support please click on the link below: https://www.ovoenergy.com/extra-support About OVO: In 2009, OVO was born to make energy better for people and the planet. Today, OVO is trusted by around four million customers with their home energy. OVO was acquired by E.ON in October 2026. There is no immediate change for customers of E.ON Next or OVO. Existing tariffs are honoured in full, customer service channels continue as they are, and customers will be given plenty of notice of any future change that affects them.

Fuse, OVO, Rystad, Jackdaw: this week's top energy stories. October 24, 2026 This week's top stories include Fuse's plug-in solar and storage system, OVO's executive reshuffle, the UK's approval of the Jackdaw gasfield and more Fuse Energy has made its new plug-in solar and storage system, Jules, available for pre-order, with potential savings for UK households of £330 per year Solar is currently the cheapest source of electricity in the UK, yet fewer than 10% of households across the country currently have solar panels. That is a huge missed opportunity not only for Britons struggling with the cost of energy but for the UK Government, whose ambitious net zero goals depend on nationwide decarbonisation. Fuse Energy, Europe's fastest growing energy company, has a solution that could put solar power in the hands of millions more UK citizens. The London-based firm has today announced that Jules, a first-of-its-kind plug-in solar and battery storage system, is now available for pre-order in the UK. OVO's senior leadership team has been restructured, with ex-E.ON executives Anthony Ainsworth named CEO, Christopher Shead as COO and Richard Brooks as CCO OVO is undergoing a significant executive reshuffle following the completion of its acquisition by E.ON, with three senior appointments signalling a new chapter for the UK energy supplier. Anthony Ainsworth, formerly Chief Operating Officer of E.ON UK's industrial and commercial business, will take over as OVO's CEO. Christopher Shead, previously Director of Customer Operations at E.ON UK, becomes Chief Operating Officer, while former E.ON UK Finance Director Richard Brooks takes on the role of Chief Commercial Officer. Anthony succeeds Chris Houghton, who returned to lead OVO's retail energy business in November 2025 following spells at the company between 2014-2018 and 2020-2021. The appointments follow the Competition and Markets Authority's clearance of E.ON's acquisition on 1 October 2026, with the transaction formally completed a week later. Rystad Energy's Global Energy Scenarios 2026 finds energy security, not just climate policy, now sets the pace of the transition, led by electrification In 2021, Russia supplied around 36% of Europe's gas imports. By 2025, that figure had fallen to around 7.5% as a direct result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Over the same period, Europe's imports of American LNG rose from 6% to around 21%. That shift helps to explain why the global energy system has coped with the Strait of Hormuz crisis better than many feared, according to a new report from Rystad Energy, one of Europe's foremost energy intelligence institutions. Jon Ødegård Hansen, Senior Vice President and Head of Energy Systems at Rystad Energy, says the report was built around the uncertainty that has dominated global energy markets throughout much of the 2020s. "Over the past five years, global energy markets have weathered two severe energy crises," he explains, referencing the Russia-Ukraine war and the US-Israel-Iran war. "Both had long been seen as major risks to the global energy system, yet so far they have played out quite differently than many expected." Shell and Equinor's Adura joint venture wins consent for Jackdaw, as the UK weighs energy security against net zero ambitions after a lengthy legal battle The UK Government has officially approved drilling in the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, ending years of legal and political wrangling. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh authorised the regulator to grant consent to Adura, the Shell and Equinor joint venture that operates the field, located 150 miles east of the Aberdeenshire coast. Adura expects production of gas to begin within a mere matter of weeks. The Energy Secretary said the decision would support the country's energy security with homegrown gas this winter, though several commentators have argued otherwise. The Conservative government first approved Jackdaw in 2022, but the courts later found that the emissions from burning the gas had to be assessed before production could begin. That Supreme Court ruling in the Finch case sent Jackdaw and the Rosebank oil field back through the regulatory process, which has taken years. Before taking office in the summer of 2024, the Labour government had pledged not to approve new drilling licences in the North Sea, though this decision by the Burnham administration reneges on that initial promise. Since succeeding Sir Keir Starmer this summer, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly vowed to take a "pragmatic approach" to decisions over drilling in the North Sea, which has been a cause célèbre amongst environmentalists and energy insiders alike. The UK's onshore wind applications have hit a peak, with RenewableUK welcoming the revival but Caeli warning grid access and site quality decide delivery Developers are lodging plans for onshore wind farms in England at a rate not seen in ten years. About 45 applications were submitted in the year to March 2026, according to an analysis of government data done recently by The Guardian. That is the highest annual total since the Conservatives' de facto ban on new onshore projects took hold in 2015. Labour dropped the restrictions within days of taking power just over two years ago, with former Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling the Tory ban "absurd". Since then, the effect on the planning pipeline has been stark. Before the election in 2024, applications covered about 9MW of onshore wind a month in England, measured on a 12-month rolling average. By the start of this year, that figure had reached about 36MW a month. The low point came before September 2023, when Conservative ministers first began easing planning rules and applications averaged around 1MW a month. Executives. * Andy Burnham Prime Minister of the United Kingdom * Anthony Ainsworth Chief Executive Officer * Christopher Shead Chief Operating Officer * Richard Brooks Chief Commercial Officer Company Portals