- Households with smart meters can get paid back up to £10 by Uswitch.com for any electricity they use between 8am and 4pm on their choice of the 2nd, 3rd or 4th of May
- The offer is open to anyone with a compatible smart meter, no matter who their supplier is, but spaces are limited so sign up soon
- Using the oven for two hours and an electric hob for two hours to cook a bank holiday roast could earn households £1.95 back on their cooking bill[1]
- Uswitch.com invites households to download the free Uswitch app, connect their smart meter and sign up to the scheme before the end of 29 April
Households can get paid back for the cost of using eight hours of electricity over the first May bank holiday weekend with a new offer from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Uswitch.com is offering to pay households back for any electricity they use between 8am and 4pm on one day over the weekend, up to the value of £10. Households can choose their preferred day from Saturday 2 May, Sunday 3 May or Monday 4 May.
The offer is open to anyone with a compatible smart meter, no matter who their supplier is. For new customers, spaces are unlimited until the end of the sign-up window, they’ll just need to connect their smart meter to the free Uswitch app, and sign up to Power Hours, Uswitch’s energy-saving scheme.
Existing Power Hours customers can simply look out for the Early May Bank Holiday offer within the app and activate it to take part, but hurry as this is limited to a maximum of 25,000 existing users that already have their smart meter connected to their Uswitch account.
By the end of May, Uswitch will calculate how much electricity each household used on their chosen day between the active hours. Customers will be notified when their earnings are available to claim. Customers can then withdraw their earnings straight from the Uswitch app into their bank account.
Households that use an electric oven for two hours to cook a bank holiday roast could get back 99p from their cooking bill. Using a 1.4kW air fryer for two hours could earn 69p, and using an electric hob for two hours could add 96p[1].
Making the most of the bank holiday by washing the car for an hour with a 1.5kW jet washer could earn you back 37p, while every load of washing you put through the washing machine and tumble dryer could earn you 93p back[1].
Table: Energy savings from various activities
| Device | Power (kW) | Use | Power use (kWh) | Approximate cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tumble dryer | 3kWh per cycle | 1 load | 3 | 74p |
| Electric oven | 2kW | One hour | 2.00 | 49p |
| Jet washing | 1.5kW | 1 hour | 1.50 | 37p |
| Air fryer | 1.4kW | One hour | 1.40 | 35p |
| Electric shower | 7.5kW | Ten-minute shower | 1.25 | 31p |
| Dishwasher | 1kWh per cycle | 1 load | 1 | 25p |
| Washing machine | 0.712kWh per cycle | 1 load | 0.71 | 18p |
| Kettle | 3kW | 1 full kettle | 0.25 | 6p |
| Vacuuming | 150W | 1 hour | 0.08 | 4p |
Source: Uswitch.com
Costs for using the appliances are calculated using Ofgem’s price cap unit rates for April to June 2026.
Households need to sign up before 11.59pm on Wednesday 29 April.
Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “The cost of energy is on everybody’s minds at the moment, so we hope that as many homes as possible can enjoy our little gift of free electricity for the first May bank holiday weekend.
“Whether you’re tackling the spring clean, catching up on laundry, or cooking for friends and family - you can earn back your electricity spend on us.
“It doesn’t matter who your energy provider is, everyone is welcome to claim back the cost of their electricity. You just need a compatible smart meter.
“We’ll pay you back for electricity used between 8am and 4pm on your preferred day of the bank holiday weekend.
“We’ll calculate your earnings by the end of May, and you’ll then be able to withdraw the money directly from the app into your bank account.
“Spaces are limited, so download the Uswitch app and sign up as soon as possible to make sure you don’t miss out on your free electricity.”
Download the free Uswitch app and connect your smart meter to claim your May bank holiday electricity
ENDS
For more information
Rianna York | Energy PR Manager
rianna.york@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
- Costs calculated using Ofgem’s standard rates for gas and electricity. A 2kW electric oven running for 2 hours would consume 2kW x 2 hours x 24.67p/kWh = 99p of electricity in this time based on April price cap rates. Air fryer: 1.4kW x 2 hours x 24.67p/kWh = 69p. Electric hob: 1.95kW x 2 hours x 24.67p/kWh = 96p.