Eon Prepayment meter - Want to switch to a credit meter - help!

dave_behave

Hi everyone

I've recently moved into my first property (have not had an electricity supply before as i was at home with parents). The property has an Eon prepayment meter which i have used for my first month while i settle in, but i now wish to change to a credit meter. Looking at the deals there are a number of providers who can offer similar deals to me so i am quite open to who i go with.

Now onto the problem - the £50 charge that Eon want me to pay to remove their meter.

Do i have any other option? I want a credit meter so i can pay by direct debit. If eon did this for free i would happily stay with them and take one of their products. I have spoken to them and this is not an option - it's £50 and they won't budge.

Is there anyway i can move to another supplier who won't charge me, or will i need to pay the £50 to replace the prepayment meter with a credit meter before i can switch?

Business/common sense would be eon changing the meter (waiving the £50) and then having me as a customer who will be paying them approx £50 per month for my electric - unfortunately i understand that its just not that simple!!!!

Any help would be appreciated as i'm all confused!

Thanks

robchap_2

yes just look around alot of companys will change the meter for free and it is not eon's meter they just charge you to change it to another one (i think they have to pay the company that own the meter to change it i might be wrong about that part)
but most companys offset that bill

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi dave_behave,

Not sure I can give any good news, but I thought I’d clarify our prepayment process.

The £50 for the meter exchange is standard for all non-essential meter exchanges, not just prepayment to credit as in this scenario.

If you have bought this new property then aside from the £50 charge we would ask you to agree to payment by Direct Debit and agree to a basic credit check (passing the check is necessary) before the exchange would be agreed.

In renting scenarios the above applies but we will only look at changing the meter if the property has been rented for 12 months and the prepayment meter wasn’t fitted for a debt held by the person requesting the exchange.

The exception to this would be if the person in question has previously held an account with E.ON for more than 12 months and has a good payment history. In home move circumstances we may waive the cost of the exchange.

Hope this information helps.

Brian

dave_behave

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Brian wrote: »

Hi dave_behave,

Not sure I can give any good news, but I thought I’d clarify our prepayment process.

The £50 for the meter exchange is standard for all non-essential meter exchanges, not just prepayment to credit as in this scenario.

If you have bought this new property then aside from the £50 charge we would ask you to agree to payment by Direct Debit and agree to a basic credit check (passing the check is necessary) before the exchange would be agreed.

In renting scenarios the above applies but we will only look at changing the meter if the property has been rented for 12 months and the prepayment meter wasn’t fitted for a debt held by the person requesting the exchange.

The exception to this would be if the person in question has previously held an account with E.ON for more than 12 months and has a good payment history. In home move circumstances we may waive the cost of the exchange.

Hope this information helps.

Brian

Thanks for the response Brian - just a shame that it's not good news.

The way i look at it is that now i will go to another company who offer a cheaper product to me as i have no reason to stay with Eon and pay more.

If you'd have been able to understand the circumstances and waive the cost of changing the meter for me (as a brand new customer, first time buyer etc) i'd have happily stayed with you and paid a little more each year because i'd have felt valued as a customer of yours. Unfortunately i just feel like eon have cashed in on me when i never chose to be a customer of yours - i simply purchased a property with a meter of yours already installed.

As i've mentioned - i'll now pay the £50 and instantly switch to another company. You lose on my income going forward, i lose my £50 now... the only winners are my new providers.

I was even more disappointed to hear that British Gas (your biggest competitor?) don't charge to change meters.

All leaves a bitter taste in the mouth - it's a case of principles, not just fifty quid.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi dave_behave,

Thanks for your comments on our current prepayment meter exchanging policy and I’m sorry that you are disappointed with this situation.

It’s worth being aware that you don’t need to change the meter with us. If you arrange to move energy supplier the gaining supplier can change the meter for you once the transfer is complete. This just means that for the time it takes to transfer (usually 6-8 weeks) and the time you are supplied by E.ON you will have to manage with the prepayment meter.

I do understand how you feel, and I understand that this policy won’t suit all off our customers however this is, at present how the policy stands. Thank you for your thoughts on this matter, I will make note of these and use them as feedback.

Brian

MartinPC_2

Hi,

I have been renting this house for a number of years, a few years ago I fell in to arrears with my Eon electricity account, a third party debt collector called, I couldn't then pay the arrears thus, other than court, I was 'forced' to opt for a prepayment meter and the debt collector, I asked, informed me that there would be no charges for installation nor removing it at a later date.

IMy electricity account arrears have long since been cleared and, with my tenancy now coming to an end, I am moving out in a few weeks from now (I do begrudge paying the £50 charge however having been previously informed that there would be no removal charge) and my landlord has requested that I have the prepayment meter removed at, or around, the end of my tenancy.

Can Eon have any problem with this? My electricity account arrears are cleared, I am moving out so will no longer be the supplied customer, my landlord is prepared to document this in writing to Eon if required to do so, I haven't contacted Eon yet but is there any logical reason why they might refuse me the removal of this prepayment meter?

Thanks

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi MartinPC

I'm afraid it is very unlikely we will agree to take out your Prepayment Meter whilst the account is in your name. This is because it was installed as a result of a debt.

However, each case is reviewed individually and it is certainly worth asking the question.

A new tenant can apply for a change of meter. We won't usually consider these requests, though, until they have been at the property for at least 12 months and a credit check has been carried out.

If we do agree to a change, I can confirm there is currently a charge of £50 per meter to cover the work involved. These charges were introduced on 3 July 2008.

Sorry I can't offer any more encouraging advice Martin. Give me a shout if you need any more details as will be happy to help.

Malc

MartinPC_2

Hi Malc,

Thanks for your reply.

Actually there isn't going to be a new tenant as such, my landlord has told me he is to move in here himself to renovate the property and put it up for sale.

But, when I agreed to this PPM in 2005 there was no charge for removal and the debt collector, from a debt collection agency, under questioning, gave me the distinct impression that once the arrears were cleared I could revert back to a normal meter and without charge.

Had it been made clear to me, in 2005 and by the debt collector, that it could never be removed whilst the account remains in my name then I would never have agreed to have it installed in the first instance.

Would I be correct in my assumption that sub-contracted debt collection agencies are less than fully aware of Eon's terms & conditions pertinent to metering?

This puts me in a difficult situation, I had assured my landlord that it could easily be removed and without charge, under those terms he agreed for the meter to be installed and,now, it seems, I have to tell him that not only did the debt collector lie to me, to achieve his objective no doubt, but since that time Eon have introduced a £50 removal charge which I have never, previously, been informed of.

So if my landlord, as the forthcoming occupier, contacts Eon to confirm that I am moving out, and he is moving in, are Eon likely to agree to remove the PPM and, if not, for what logical reason?

Another questions, as I try to need to sweet talk my landlord regarding this, can he, once he is the occupier, instruct for the meter removal but Eon bill me for the £50?

Why should he be required to pay £50 when it is my debt that caused this situation, he is innocent and, I understand, all he wants is a regular supply of electricity and without a PPM?

Thanks again
Martin

SwanJon

MartinPC wrote: »

But, when I agreed to this PPM in 2005 there was no charge for removal and the debt collector, from a debt collection agency, under questioning, gave me the distinct impression that once the arrears were cleared I could revert back to a normal meter and without charge.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

These charges were introduced on 3 July 2008.

MartinPC wrote: »

Had it been made clear to me, in 2005 and by the debt collector, that it could never be removed whilst the account remains in my name then I would never have agreed to have it installed in the first instance.

MartinPC wrote: »

I fell in to arrears .... I couldn't then pay the arrears thus, other than court, I was 'forced' to opt for a prepayment meter and the debt collector, I asked, informed me that there would be no charges for installation nor removing it at a later date.

MartinPC wrote: »

Would I be correct in my assumption that sub-contracted debt collection agencies are less than fully aware of Eon's terms & conditions pertinent to metering?

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

These charges were introduced on 3 July 2008.

MartinPC wrote: »

This puts me in a difficult situation, I had assured my landlord that it could easily be removed and without charge, under those terms he agreed for the meter to be installed and,now, it seems, I have to tell him that not only did the debt collector lie to me, to achieve his objective no doubt, but since that time Eon have introduced a £50 removal charge which I have never, previously, been informed of.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

These charges were introduced on 3 July 2008.

I'm fairly sure that energy suppliers send out T&Cs each year. Are you saying that you haven't received this in the last 2 years?

MartinPC_2

SwanJon,

I haven't previously, been notified, either verbally or in writing, of an introduction of a £50 charge for the removal of a prepayment meter and, having just double checked, there is no mention of such a charge in Eon's terms and conditions nor is there any mention regarding their policies of installing/removing prepayment meters.

The only suggestion of any ahoc payment is, in small print, in clause 8 of their T&C's where it states "We may charge you our reasonable costs if you ask us or our agents to visit your premises unnecessarily".

This is very much open to misinterpretation, I would consider unnecessary to be in such a scenario whereas I report a fault but there is no fault, to remove a meter necessitates an agent to visit my premises thus the visit, by definition, has to be deemed as necessary, surely!

However, come and visit my premises, exchange the meter, charge me your reasonable cost, but having called Eon earlier this evening they are refusing to remove the meter.

I entered into an agreement with Eon in 2005, in 2008 they decided that the next occupier, not me, would become liable for a £50 charge, how can a next occupier be deemed to be in contract with Eon when he isn't a customer and they don't even know his identity?

Has the world gone mad?

SwanJon

As above, Eon view a change of meter from PP to be unnecessary, therefore as per their T&Cs they can charge reasonable costs.
The next tenant can sign with a new supplier and leave Eon. I'd advise them to read the T&Cs first....