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Energy Fund 2026

OVO Energy Energy Fund

A discretionary hardship fund that clears gas and electricity arrears, replaces faulty white goods and stops the debt-collection clock for vulnerable OVO Energy customers. The catch is the 4-month Provisional Award Scheme — pay your current bills on time for four months and the existing debt is wiped in a single credit. Administered by Charis Let's Talk, the independent grant body that also runs the E.ON, Scottish Power and British Gas funds.

Check your route 0330 303 5063

£16,190

Maximum total household income for most routes

4 months

Provisional Award test before arrears are cleared

21 days

For the credit to land once you pass the test

30 days

To submit any missing evidence OVO requests

The OVO Energy Fund is administered on OVO's behalf by Charis Let's Talk, the same independent body that runs the E.ON, Scottish Power and British Gas Energy Trust funds. Several UK suppliers run their own debt-support funds — the headline mechanic is similar but eligibility thresholds vary. See our UK energy schemes guide for the full landscape, including the Warm Home Discount which stacks with the fund.

Two ways to qualify

Which eligibility route applies to you?

There are two main paths into the OVO Energy Fund. The means-tested benefits route is the standard path used by most applicants. The income or illness route covers households without a qualifying benefit but with low income or a serious medical condition — evidence-led and slightly more discretionary.

Means-tested benefits route

standard path · most applicants

You qualify if — You (or a household member) receive at least one qualifying benefit — Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (income £16,190 or less), Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or a Council-Tax Reduction on income grounds.

How it works — You submit the online form with your benefit-award letter, your OVO account number and a recent payslip or P60. OVO triages the application via Charis Let's Talk and, if accepted, places you on a 4-month Provisional Award Scheme: pay your current usage on time and the arrears are cleared at the end of the test.

Your next step

Apply through the OVO Energy Fund online form or call 0330 303 5063 (OVO general line, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) and ask to be put through to the hardship team. Have your benefit-award letter, account number and last 12 months of bills ready.

Process chain: You → OVO hardship team → Charis Let's Talk

Low income or serious illness route

discretionary path · evidence-led

You qualify if — You don't receive a qualifying benefit, but your total household income is £16,190 or less, OR you (or a household member) are seriously ill or have a terminal illness verified by a doctor's letter dated within the last six months.

How it works — Same form, but the supporting evidence carries more weight. Doctor's letters must be on headed paper, signed and dated. Income evidence (payslips, P60, benefits) must be dated within three months of the application. Discretionary cases are reviewed individually by Charis caseworkers.

Your next step

Get your medical letter or income evidence ready first — applications submitted without it stall and risk closure if you miss the 30-day deadline to provide missing documents.

Process chain: You → OVO hardship team → Charis Let's Talk

What the fund covers

Six things the OVO Energy Fund can pay for

The fund tackles the core drivers of fuel poverty — unpaid bills, faulty appliances, broken heating and a gap in financial knowledge — plus two supporting signals that strengthen any application.

Clear unpaid energy bills

The fund's main use — wiping current or final-bill arrears on your OVO gas and electricity account once you pass the 4-month Provisional Award test.

Replace faulty white goods

Free-of-charge replacement of broken washing machines, fridge-freezers, cookers and tumble dryers — usually with A-rated energy-efficient models that cut your future bills.

Boiler repair or replacement

For vulnerable households whose boiler is genuinely beyond repair. Routed through the wider OVO / Charis hardship network and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. Customer contribution depends on circumstances.

Debt-advice referral

Showing you have already taken free debt advice (Citizens Advice, StepChange) materially boosts your application — the fund expects this and frequently asks for proof in the form.

Supporting circumstances

Recent bereavement, pregnancy, learning difficulties, a sudden drop in household income, mental or physical health issues — all count and should be flagged in the form to strengthen the case.

Account credit hold

While the 4-month test is running, the existing arrears are suspended and frozen — no further interest, no further default notices, no collections action. The debt stays on the account but cannot grow.

Selectra expert

Will you actually get the credit, and how should you go about it?

Four household profiles. Find the one closest to yours and read the specific tactic — what evidence to lead with, what to avoid and where the discretionary fund tends to decline.

Pension Credit recipient with arrears

qualifying benefit · standard path

Best fit if — You receive Pension Credit (Guarantee or Savings element) and you have built up a balance owed on your OVO gas or electricity account. The benefit-award letter is the single strongest piece of evidence the fund accepts.

Skip if — You owe less than around £50 — small balances are usually better cleared by an affordable repayment plan with OVO's standard customer-care team than through the fund's 4-month process.

What you'll actually get

After 4 months of paying your current usage on time, the existing arrears are cleared in a single credit within 21 days. The debt does not accrue interest during the provisional period.

The cleanest path. Pair the benefit letter with a clear repayment offer for the next 4 months and the application should sail through.

Universal Credit household with kids

UC eligible · evidence + income

Best fit if — You receive Universal Credit and either no-one in the household works or the working adult is self-employed. Add a child element, a disability element or DLA/PIP for a stronger application.

Skip if — You receive UC but a partner is in regular salaried employment — you may fall outside the fund's eligibility window. Check Citizens Advice on what counts as "limited capability for work" before applying.

What you'll actually get

Same arrears clearance after 4 months of on-time current bills. White-goods replacement (free of charge) can be requested in the same application if a faulty appliance is driving up your bills.

Always combine UC with at least one secondary signal (kids, disability, illness); a UC-only application without context is the most common decline.

Faulty white goods, working appliances driving up bills

appliance replacement · evidence

Best fit if — Your washing machine, fridge-freezer or cooker has broken or is so old that it materially increases your electricity bill. The application can be made standalone (without arrears) or stacked with an arrears claim.

Skip if — Your appliance is repairable for under £100 and you have manufacturer warranty cover. Replacing a perfectly fixable appliance under the fund wastes the entitlement.

What you'll actually get

A surveyor visit or remote assessment, then either a free A-rated replacement appliance fitted by Charis' contractor, or a written rejection with reasons. Delivery and installation are included; old appliance removed.

A high-impact use of the fund that is regularly overlooked. Photograph the broken appliance and any electricity-bill spike before applying.

Serious illness, no qualifying benefit

medical evidence · discretionary

Best fit if — You or a household member are seriously ill or have a terminal illness, and the household income is genuinely tight. A GP, hospital consultant or palliative-care professional has issued a letter confirming the condition.

Skip if — The medical letter is older than six months, or it is not on headed paper signed and dated. Without a compliant letter, this route stalls — start with a fresh GP letter before you submit the form.

What you'll actually get

The same 4-month test then full arrears clearance. OVO may also fast-track white-goods support if a working appliance is essential to a household member's treatment (e.g. fridge for medication storage).

A discretionary path that succeeds when the medical letter is recent and unambiguous. Keep a copy; the fund occasionally asks for the same evidence twice.

Three steps to a clean credit

How to apply for the OVO Energy Fund

  1. 1

    Submit the application form (online or by phone) — Apply through the OVO Energy Fund online form or call 0330 303 5063 and ask to be put through to the hardship team. Send scans or photos of your benefit-award letter, doctor's letter (if relevant) and recent income evidence — originals are not needed. Missing evidence triggers a 30-day clock; miss it and the application closes.

  2. 2

    Pass the 4-month Provisional Award test — If accepted, you commit to paying your current gas and electricity usage on time for four months from a specified start date. The pre-existing debt is suspended (no interest accrues) but stays on the account. Miss a payment and the test fails — the application is rejected and the debt remains payable in full.

  3. 3

    Receive the credit clearing the arrears — Pass the 4-month test and the agreed clearance amount is credited to your OVO account within 21 days. The credit wipes the arrears outright; it is not paid into your bank. Decline letters can be revisited if your circumstances change — you can reapply.

Stack with £150 WHD on top

More support schemes beyond the Energy Fund

The Energy Fund stacks with the Warm Home Discount, the Cold Weather Payment, the Winter Fuel Payment and ECO grants. Selectra's scheme guides tell you which other rebates you may be entitled to alongside this one.

See all energy schemes

Common questions

OVO Energy Fund — frequently asked questions

The fund is financed by OVO Energy but administered on its behalf by Charis Let's Talk, the same independent grant-administrator that handles the E.ON, Scottish Power and British Gas Energy Trust schemes. Charis handles the application form, eligibility checks and the 4-month Provisional Award. Apply via the OVO Energy Fund online form or call 0330 303 5063 and ask to be put through to the hardship team.

The fund clears the full balance of your current or final-bill arrears in a single credit, provided you pass the 4-month test. There is no fixed cap published — the credit is sized to wipe the debt outright rather than to a flat figure. For white-goods replacement, the new appliance is supplied free of charge through a Charis contractor; you do not pay anything towards it.

The test fails. Your application is rejected, and the existing debt — together with any further arrears built up over the four months — becomes payable in full. There is no appeal because the decision is technical (you missed the test), not discretionary. You can reapply later if your circumstances change.

Yes, provided you (or your partner) are either not working or self-employed. Universal Credit recipients in regular salaried employment usually fall outside the fund's eligibility window. Combining UC with a secondary signal (child element, disability element, DLA/PIP, serious illness) materially strengthens the application.

Yes. Unlike E.ON's Affordable Warmth Scheme, the OVO Energy Fund is restricted to active OVO Energy customers — and you must be the named account holder. If you switched away in the last 12 months you may still be eligible to apply for arrears clearance on your final OVO bill.

There is no formal appeals procedure — the original decision is final. However, you can reapply if your circumstances change (new benefit award, drop in income, fresh medical letter, etc.). Always include any new evidence in the reapplication; resubmitting the same form rarely succeeds.

Have these to hand: your OVO account number, your latest benefit-award letter (if relevant), your most recent payslip or P60 (within 3 months), proof of household income, and — if applying on health grounds — a doctor's letter on headed paper signed and dated within the last 6 months. Scans, photos or photocopies are accepted; originals are not required.

Yes, and you should. The Warm Home Discount applies automatically to qualifying low-income pensioners and benefit recipients; the Energy Fund is a separate grant for arrears. The two stack with the Winter Fuel Payment, the Cold Weather Payment and ECO grants for insulation and heating upgrades.