Worried about the cost of staying cool? EDF's Heatwave Relief Packs could hand you £100

What are EDF's Heatwave Relief Packs and who can get them?

When the weather turns dangerously hot, most of us reach for a fan and think little more of it, (unless you want to buy one and find there are zero to be found anywhere!) but for a lot of households, though, switching that fan on brings on added worry about how much that it's adding to the electricity bill, and that worry can be enough to make someone sit and swelter rather than risk the cost.

If you've ever hesitated over a fan or an appliance because money's tight, and EDF is your energy supplier, this is a piece of useful news worth knowing about.

EDF has launched a new £1 million scheme called Heatwave Relief Packs, aimed at helping vulnerable customers stay safe and comfortable when temperatures climb. The energy supplier announced the initiative in July, and the plan is to reach up to 10,000 households with tailored support worth up to £100 each.

This post walks through what the packs contain, who can get one, how EDF decides, and what you can do if you're not an EDF customer, because there's more help out there than most people realise.

What are EDF's Heatwave Relief Packs and who can get them?

EDF's Heatwave Relief Packs are bundles of practical cooling help worth up to £100, aimed at customers in vulnerable circumstances who might struggle to keep their homes cool or worry about the cost of running fans and other appliances. The support is tailored to each household rather than a fixed box of items, so what one person receives may differ from the next depending on their needs.

The people EDF has in mind here are those most at risk when the heat builds, so that means older people, babies and young children, disabled people, those living with heart or breathing conditions, anyone taking certain medications, and households under real financial pressure.

These are the same groups that health officials consistently flag as most vulnerable during hot spells, and they're the reason a scheme like this exists at all. Heat doesn't affect everyone equally, and for some people a stifling home is a genuine health risk rather than just an uncomfortable night.

Getting the support it isn't the usual sign-up-online type arrangement, as EDF identifies eligible customers itself, working through its own customer support teams, referrals from trusted charities and community organisations, and direct contact with customers it already knows may need help. Two of those partners are named: Charis , which is helping distribute the packages, and SHINE London, an energy advice service that supports vulnerable households across the capital and is helping identify people who'd benefit.

What's actually inside a Heatwave Relief Pack?

Each pack combines physical cooling equipment with a bit of bill support and some practical advice, and the exact contents are matched to the household. The equipment side can include energy-efficient desk or pedestal fans, handheld or neck fans, thermal blackout curtains, reflective window film, reusable hydration bottles and cooling towels. These are simple, low-cost items, but together they make a real difference to how bearable a home feels on a hot day.

Alongside the kit, eligible customers can receive up to £20 of electricity credit or vouchers, meant to cover the cost of actually running the cooling appliances once they've got them, which ius really useful as that helps reduce some of the worry so many people have; the sense that using a fan all night is going to land them with a nasty bill that they can't afford.

The packs also come with guidance on staying safe in the heat, which we'll come back to later because a lot of it costs nothing at all.

How do you apply for the EDF Heatwave Relief Packs?

You can't apply directly; there's no online form or phone line dedicated to the packs, because EDF is choosing recipients through its support teams and its charity partners rather than opening it up to applications. Their approach helps reach the people who need it most, but it does mean sitting and waiting isn't much of a strategy if you think you'd qualify.

The practical move, if you're an EDF customer who might be eligible, is to make sure EDF actually knows your circumstances. The best way to do that is to ask to be added to EDF's Priority Services Register, a free scheme that flags customers in vulnerable situations for extra support of all kinds.

Being on that register is exactly the sort of thing that puts you on EDF's radar for schemes like this one, so it's worth a call to EDF's support team to explain your situation, whether that's a health condition, your age, caring responsibilities, or money being tight.

Why is EDF doing this now?

The simple answer is that extreme heat has become a serious and growing health risk in the UK, and support has historically focused on winter rather than summer. Energy suppliers have long recognised that cold weather puts vulnerable households in danger, with all sorts of winter schemes to match, but hot weather has had far less attention despite carrying real dangers of its own.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, there were an estimated 1,311 heat-associated deaths in England across four heat episodes during the summer of 2024, with the highest death rates among people aged 85 and over. Since 2020, more than 10,000 heat-associated deaths have been recorded across UK heat episodes.

The picture this year looks worse still: provisional UKHSA figures for May and June alone pointed to 2,877 excess deaths linked to heat, with June's rare red heat warning accounting for the bulk of them, and the agency has warned this year could see the highest heat-associated death toll on record.

For anyone watching their budget, the instinct is to cut back on anything that uses electricity, and in a heatwave that instinct can tip from thrifty to dangerous. EDF's retail director Joe Souto has described it as a summer version of the heating-or-eating dilemma, where people avoid using fans because they're anxious about the cost. A scheme that hands over both the equipment and a little credit to run it is designed to break that trade-off, so nobody feels they have to choose between their health and their bill.

How much does it actually cost to run a fan?

Most household fans cost somewhere between 5p and 21p to run for a full eight-hour night, based on the electricity unit rate of 26.11p per kWh under the July to September price cap. A small 40W to 50W fan sits right at the cheap end, while a larger 100W model costs a bit more, but even the pricier option is pennies rather than pounds.

Put that across a two-week heatwave and a typical fan adds only a couple of pounds to your bill in total, which won't break the bank.

Air conditioning is a different story, with continuous use running into several pounds a day, but a fan is one of the cheapest ways to make a hot room bearable.

Cooling method	Rough running cost	Notes
Small fan (40 to 50W), 8 hrs overnight	About 5p to 12p a night	Cheapest way to keep air moving
Larger fan (100W), 8 hrs overnight	About 21p to 24p a night	Still only pennies per night
Fan over a two-week heatwave	Roughly £1 to £3 total	The worry is usually bigger than the bill
Air conditioning, 24 hrs continuous	About £4.84 to £6 a day	Far more expensive than a fan

Figures based on the Ofgem price cap for the 1st of July to the 30th of September and Energy Saving Trust guidance, checked on the 1st of August. Your own costs depend on your tariff and how powerful your fan is.

What can you do if you're not an EDF customer?

Plenty, as it turns out, because EDF is far from the only supplier offering help. If you're with a different company, the first thing to know is that every energy supplier in Great Britain runs a Priority Services Register, a free scheme that gives extra support to people in vulnerable circumstances, from advance warning of power cuts to help with reading meters and communicating. Signing up with your own supplier is the equivalent first step to the one EDF customers should take.

Beyond that, most of the big suppliers run their own hardship funds for customers struggling with bills. British Gas customers can look to the British Gas Energy Trust, which actually helps people across the country rather than just its own customers, while Octopus Energy runs its Octo Assist fund and E.ON Next has its own energy fund too. These are mostly geared towards energy debt and general hardship rather than cooling specifically, but they're a genuine source of help if the summer is stretching your finances.

If you're not sure where to start, Citizens Advice keeps an up-to-date list of the grants each supplier offers and can point you towards the right one for your situation. It's a free, impartial service, and having someone help you navigate the options can save a lot of time when you're already worn down by worry.

Staying cool for free while you're at it

Some of the most effective ways to keep a home cool cost nothing, and they're worth doing whether or not any support comes your way. Keeping curtains and blinds closed on sun-facing windows during the day stops your rooms heating up in the first place, then opening windows once the evening air turns cooler lets the heat escape. Its simple, but effective, and makes a striking difference to how a home holds temperature.

A few other habits help too, and none of them add to your electricity bill . Placing a bowl of ice or a frozen water bottle in front of a fan cools the air it pushes around, staying hydrated helps your body cope, and avoiding the oven during the hottest part of the day keeps you from adding heat to the house.

These support packages are on top of other existing support measures such as the warm home scheme; it's not an either/or scenario.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for EDF's Heatwave Relief Packs?

The packs are aimed at EDF customers in vulnerable circumstances who may struggle to keep their homes cool or afford to run cooling appliances. This includes older people, young children, disabled people, those with certain health conditions and households facing financial hardship. EDF identifies eligible customers through its support teams, referrals from trusted partners, and direct contact, rather than through a public application form.

What's inside an EDF Heatwave Relief Pack?

Each package is tailored to the household and worth up to £100. It can include energy-efficient fans, thermal blackout curtains, reflective window film, reusable hydration bottles and cooling towels, plus up to £20 of electricity credit or vouchers to cover the cost of running cooling appliances. Customers also receive practical advice on staying safe in hot weather.

How do I apply for an EDF Heatwave Relief Pack?

There is no open application form. EDF selects eligible customers through its own support teams, referrals from charities and community organisations, and direct engagement. If you think you qualify, the best step is to contact EDF and ask to be added to its Priority Services Register, which flags you for extra support.

How much does it cost to run a fan overnight?

Most household fans cost between about 5p and 21p to run for a full eight-hour night, based on the July to September price cap unit rate of 26.11p per kWh. A small 40W to 50W fan sits at the cheaper end, while a larger 100W fan costs more. Over a two-week heatwave, a typical fan adds only a couple of pounds to your bill.

What help is available if I'm not an EDF customer?

Most suppliers run their own hardship funds and vulnerability support, including British Gas, Octopus and E.ON Next. Every supplier also runs a Priority Services Register, a free scheme giving extra help to people in vulnerable circumstances. Citizens Advice can point you to the right grant for your situation.