Eating bowls of oatmeal, doing star jumps and cuddling pets were among the recommendations on the now-deleted webpage.
In a statement sent to DailyExpertNews on Tuesday, an OVO Energy spokesperson said: “A link to a blog with energy-saving tips was recently sent to customers. We understand how difficult the situation will be for many of our customers this year.”
“We are working hard to find meaningful solutions as we approach this energy crisis, and we recognize that the content of this blog was poorly reviewed and useless. We are ashamed and sincerely apologize,” the spokesperson added.
Some UK businesses and households have seen their energy bills rise in recent months as suppliers grapple with a sharp rise in wholesale gas prices.
According to Bank of America, UK consumers will pay about £790 ($1,075) more this year to heat and light their homes. European wholesale gas prices are up 400% in the past year and electricity prices are up 300%, bank analysts said last week. The increases are the result of cold weather, nuclear power plant failures in France and reduced gas flow from Russia.
More than 4 million UK households are gripped by fuel poverty, according to National Energy Action – a figure the charity says could rise by 2 million in April when a cap on energy prices is expected to rise.
OVO Energy has withdrawn its advice after a wave of angry reactions from lawmakers and activists.
Following the apology, British lawmaker Darren Jones, chairman of Parliament’s business selection committee, tweeted: “Okay, I’m glad they apologised. I’m not sure who signed a marketing campaign telling people to wear a sweater.” and porridge should eat instead of turn on the heating if you can’t afford it.”
Halima Begum, head of the Runnymede Trust’s racial equality think tank, criticized the “offensive” and “inconsiderate” advice, especially regarding the exercise suggestion and its implications for people with disabilities.
Begum said half of the 7 million people living in poverty in the UK are disabled or live in a family with a person in a wheelchair. “And they have to star jump to maintain their basic right to heat?” she wrote on Twitter.
