StepChange and OVO Energy announce £2m support package

Overall, the new partnership will see the energy supplier provide the charity up to £2m over the course of 2022. The move is designed to support people facing financial difficulty.

OVO will also double its current donations to StepChange from £200,000 to £400,000 per year. Additionally, it will licence its Payment Support platform and provide additional technical support to the organisations, in an effort to aid the charity’s aspiration to digitise and improve affordability processes and maximise efficiency. 

Alongside this, the business will set up a dedicated team to support vulnerable customers, providing energy advice, account health checks and sign-posting customers to appropriate specialist third parties.

Commenting on the news, OVO Energy’s founder Stephen Fitzpatrick, said: “Millions of households are already facing financial hardship and the near doubling of bills will push millions more over the edge. 

“All consumer debt charities are going to need more support over the next few years. This is a small start that will help StepChange get people the advice they need."

StepChange Debt Charity’s chief executive Phil Andrew, added: “We’re delighted and grateful for such practical support from OVO both for the StepChange service, and for energy customers experiencing price shocks and the risk of wider debt. We urge other energy providers to consider what they too can do.

“By working together, we will get more people to the advice they need. The year ahead is going to be a tough one for many. Working in partnership, we will be reaching and helping more people hit by the rising cost of living who find themselves sliding into problem debt.”