EON - what can i do????

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Sod being at zero in Spring, why feed them money over the summer ? Get to zero in October.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

minerals wrote: »

I got a letter from EON today, ive been with them for about 8 months.
The letter stated that my monthly direct debit will be going up from £158 per month to £240 per month!

I called them to ask what this was about and as my account was in the red by about £500 (still paying off an old bill from an old property) the 'estimate' if they charge me £240 a month i will have a zero balance by august - quite why it needs to be august i dont know

I explained that i had 2 young children, one 3 months old who has been ill since birth, so we have ahd the heating on more, along with very cold weather - but i felt there estimation was way off - as surely in a month when the weather gets better i wont have the heating on and the £158 per month i currently pay would be enough - here answer was we estimate ove the summer months my monthyl bills will be £105 - i dont see how as we wont have the heating on (which is probably the cause of all this)

I asked if they would keep it at £158 over the next 4 months or so - se how the balace is then, if there is still a large balance then i woiuld pay it off - the lady i spoke to said they could not 'accomodate' that.

something that really bugged me was the lady i spoke to said if you dont agree to the £240 per month and cancel your direct debit (something i didnt even mention) then the full balance would have to be paid within 14 days or they would start court proceedings.

I really cant afford £240 per month for a fuel bill, i am making high enough monthly payments, but i was spoken too like i was a real bill dodger.

So can they do this? what can i do? i can pay the £158 and not have the heating on as much which will bring it down, but apparently as i stands i will have to pay them £240 per month or pay them the full balance of £500 odd within 14 days, any advice?

Hi minerals

I'm sorry if our agent gave you the impression she thought you were a 'bill dodger.' Clearly, this is not the case as you are already paying a sizeable monthly amount.

The gist of the problem seems to stem from the debt remaining from your old property.

Our Direct Debit policy aims to achieve a zero balance on customer accounts by the annual review in the spring. This may be the August date you refer to although it is usually earlier than this.

Your ongoing consumption, as well as any debt on the account, will be taken into consideration when reviewing your payment arrangement.

Calculating your usage will be based on the most accurate info we have. Therefore, as space rider says, make sure you have been billed to accurate meter readings.

Payments need to cover ongoing usage. After this, any debt will be spread over a set period of time and included in the monthly amount.

Given your circumstances, I would have a word with our vulnerable customer team. Tell them about the illness to your youngest; it may be you are eligible to go on the Priority Services Register.

They may also be able to spread the debt over a longer period and this will lower the monthly payments.

Going forward, you may want to think about ways of reducing your usage so as to lower future monthly payments this way. We can help with this.

Have a word with our Energy Efficiency team. Give them a list of your appliances and they will be happy to advise of ways you may be able to reduce your energy usage.

Ask them for a copy of a booklet called '100 ways to save money by saving energy.' It's free and contains lots of good tips to help you cut back.

Have a look at our website (there is a link in my Personal Profile); particularly the interactive house, energy menu and Winter Advice Bureau. More good tips here.

You might also be interested in the 10:10 campaign. This is aimed at helping people reduce their energy consumption by 10 per cent by the end of 2010.

Hope this helps a little minerals. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

Malc