Charis opened the Let's Talk Energy Fund for 2025-26 on 14 October 2025. The scheme provides free energy-efficient appliances and advice to households who are struggling to pay their energy bills, and is described by Charis as an Ofgem approved scheme operated with financial contributions from UK energy suppliers1.
Subject to available funding, the fund makes up to two free appliances available to eligible households. Charis states that old cookers, fridges, freezers and washing machines are costly to run and expensive to replace, and that the appliances are intended to help stretch household budgets1.
"The Let's Talk Energy Fund provides free energy-efficient appliances and advice to households who are struggling to pay their energy bills."
Eligibility has two parts. Applicants must be in receipt of means tested benefits or have a gross annual household income below £20,328. They must also not already have the type of appliance they are applying for, or must have an existing appliance that is more than 8 years old or broken1.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income or benefits | In receipt of means tested benefits, or gross annual household income below £20,328 |
| Existing appliance | Does not already have that appliance type, or the existing one is more than 8 years old or broken |
| Appliances available | Up to two free appliances per eligible household, subject to available funding |
People can apply themselves and a professional referral is not needed. Charis says that households needing help to apply can ask a friend, family member or a support organisation1. The fund sits within the wider landscape of grants and schemes intended to reduce household energy costs, and is aimed at vulnerable and medically dependent households among others.
Why it matters for households
Replacing an old or broken appliance is a capital cost that arrives at the same time as the running cost of that appliance. A fridge, freezer, cooker or washing machine that is more than 8 years old is, on Charis's account, more expensive to run than a newer energy-efficient equivalent1. For a household already struggling with bills, the fund addresses both sides of that: it removes the purchase price and lowers the running cost.
For a home's energy independence, the practical effect is a smaller and more predictable electricity or gas demand from the appliances that run continuously, such as fridges and freezers. That reduces exposure to unit price changes on the portion of consumption the household cannot easily switch off or defer. The scheme does not change heating, insulation or the tariff a household is on, and it does not alter how a home is supplied.
The income threshold of £20,328 is a fixed figure set out by Charis1. It has not been reported whether this figure will be uprated during the 2025-26 period, and no closing date for applications has been reported.
What happens next
Charis has not published a closing date for the 2025-26 fund. Awards are subject to available funding, which means the number of appliances that can be provided in the period is not fixed in advance1. Applications can be made directly by households, without a referral.
Sources1 cited
- Let’s Talk Energy Fund now open | Charis, charisgrants.com