As Britain braces for another long, cold winter, one of the country’s leading energy suppliers is doing what the government isn’t—offering direct, practical support to those struggling to stay warm.
Octopus Energy, a leading energy company with more than seven million customers in the UK, has announced that it is offering free electric blankets to those most in need. With heating costs soaring and households already stretched to the limit, the company’s initiative highlights a growing reality: private firms are increasingly stepping in to fill the gaps left by government inaction.
As energy prices continue to bite, many vulnerable people are faced with an impossible choice—heat or eat. Octopus Energy’s electric blanket scheme offers a lifeline, allowing customers to stay warm for a fraction of the cost. “While heating an entire home can cost £4 a day, an energy-efficient electric blanket can heat a person for only 2-4p an hour,” the company notes. In an era where every penny counts, that difference is life-changing.
So far, Octopus has distributed 93,000 free electric blankets to its most vulnerable customers, with an additional 10,000 available this winter. On average, the firm says recipients have seen up to a 20% reduction in their gas bills. These are tangible results—something sorely lacking in government-led schemes that have often been criticized for being slow, confusing, or inaccessible.
The most recent data from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero shows that UK residents pay the fourth highest electricity prices among EU countries, with small-scale consumers paying a disproportionate amount. Worsening the situation, gas and electricity prices show a large gap in price between different consumers in the past year. One report highlights how average households pay almost 30% more than large consumers like industrial buildings. This gap is even worse with gas prices, where an average Brit pays 58% more than the large-scale users.
The fact that a private energy provider has become a frontline actor in social welfare underscores how little confidence remains in government solutions.
In the midst of rising discontent and declining trust in the government’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis, this initiative serves as both a lifeline for struggling households and a stark indictment of official inaction and disastrous energy policy.
