E.ON Next has announced a new energy support scheme which will give thousands of Brits up to £250 to help with energy bills.

The energy supplier said it had put aside £60million to fund its new "Winter Support Scheme". Those eligible for help will be offered a range of different support for bills this year. This includes free credit worth £250 - or more depending on your circumstances - and the chance to write off energy debt. E.ON Next says it 60,000 of its customers have been identified as eligible for support as part of the scheme.

These customers are currently being contacted directly, and the targeted support they can get will be discussed. Further support includes agreeing to future payment plans and installing smart meters. Overall, E.ON Next will be adding an extra £ 92 million worth of help with this year's support exceeding £ 440 million.

E.ON Next says the aim of the scheme was to "help customers to afford their energy bills this winter but to give people a fresh start by cancelling any debt and setting them on a path to affording their energy bills." Chris Norbury, CEO of E.ON UK, said: “This £92 million package is dedicated to offering direct assistance, such as through our targeted Winter Support Scheme, to help get people out of debt – and to keep them out of debt – by working with them to understand their needs and provide ways of helping them now and into the future."

The new support scheme follows a successful pilot in Coventry. The pilot scheme provided short-term relief for vulnerable customers through direct financial support and debt write-offs. It also provided these households with long-term solutions that "directly addressed the root cause of energy unaffordability."

As part of the scheme, customers were also offered insulation, efficient white goods, solar panels, and heat pumps - plus a battery and time-of-use tariff - to reduce their energy use and bills going forward. In addition to the new package of support for vulnerable customers this winter, the Warm Home Discount scheme for 2024/25 is open and underway. The scheme, run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), gives households claiming certain benefits a £150 discount on their electricity bills between October and March each year.

The supplier will contact E.ON Next customers and tell them when the discount will be applied to their energy account. Eligible prepay meter customers will be sent a top-up voucher.