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

chika

I recently had a similar issue with EON. Me and a friend just moved into a rented property and the previous tenant had a prepayment meter fitted. Trying to get EON to change the meter was like trying to get blood out of a stone. We even had the landlord call up and offer to put it in her name. In the end we have just swapped suppliers. EON are cutting off their nose to spite their face a little here.

G1598

Some comapnys will say "Yeah we'll do it for free" if you explain the situation and if it will get you to swtich to them, basicly find one, switch, get your meter then look around for the cheapest deal you can find, switch again, free meter and cheaper fuel. win for you.

MartinPC_2

GI598,

It seems a case of who one talks to, talk to a telephone sales rep and either they don't know or will say what one wants to hear, much alike Eon's debt collector, to get one to sign on the dotted line. Once signed one subsequently, when actually trying to get something done, gets told a different story!

davidgmmafan

In fairness he may have given the right info at the time, but could he reasonably have known the policy would change three years later? Definately not!

If you feel really wronged complain, and take it all the way. Failry quickly it will cost them more in time and resources to deal with the complaint than to just waive the £50. This is especially th case if you threaten to go to the Ombudsmen. A threat is all it can be if you are on a tight timescale as the company have eight weeks to resovle the complaint (unless they send you a final response).

Its a bit like with the banks, even if you have them banged to rights most will knock back the initial complain knowing a certain percentage of people will give up. Once they realize you won't budge they'll look again at it.

BTW this post is just to help someone asking for help, not a decision on who i right, I can see the suppliers point of view, someone has to pay the cost (s), but there again if the lack of flexibility is losing them customers they are shooting themselves in the foot.

SwanJon

davidgmmafan wrote: »

If you feel really wronged complain, and take it all the way. Failry quickly it will cost them more in time and resources to deal with the complaint than to just waive the £50. This is especially th case if you threaten to go to the Ombudsmen. A threat is all it can be if you are on a tight timescale as the company have eight weeks to resovle the complaint (unless they send you a final response).

I think others have tried this, and the response from the ombudsman has been that it is a commercial decision. However, they may suggest some sort of good will gesture if they identify poor customer service.
They cannot force a supplier to offer credit to anyone.

http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/7-48-case_study_bulletins.php

MartinPC_2

Davidfmmafan

Eon's 'Malc' signiature reads:

"I am an official company representative of E.ON. MSE has given permission for me to post in response to queries about the company".

However I have, it seems, determined, that Eon's official company representatives are somewhat selective regarding which queries they opt to respond to or not.

My specific query is if Eon's sub-contracted debt collection agencies, indeed all individuals debt collectors countrywide, are fully briefed, indeed trained, regarding Eon's terms and conditions regarding prepayment meters or, more to the point, do they merely bullsh1t, indeed bully, Eon's customers on the doorstep in to accepting prepayment meters?

I believe we all know the answer to this but let's, please, establish if an Eon official company representative has the stomach to admit the truth or not!

mattcanary

Eon;s policy on this is totally inflexible and I woul recommend switching to another supplier out of protest

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

MartinPC wrote: »

Hi again Malc,

You say that in 2005 Eon's representive would have advised me of the situation as it was then.

Well that reprentative (debt collector) informed me that I could have the PPM removed once the arrears were cleared.

Can you clarify if, in 2005, that representative was telling me the truth and, in 2005, Eon had no such policy whereas they will not remove a PPM if the account holder has a history of arrears on their account?

Thanks
Martin

Hi Martin

Sorry for the delay replying; I wasn't in the office yesterday.

Any advice given you in 2005 would have been related to the guidelines we were operating under at that time.

Many of these guidelines, including those concerning prepayment meters, have changed since then.

Generally, individual agents had more scope in 2005 than now. We have had to tighten our policies due to the many problems we were having with unpaid accounts.

Unfortunately, as often happens, genuine cases tend to be caught up in the changed circumstances.

Malc

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

I would really love to move to EON but they don't seem to do a social tarif for under 60's (didn't last time I checked anyway).

Sorry for the delay replying wornoutmumoftwo; just noticed your post.

This is still the case. These tariffs are currently only available to people aged 60 and over.

Malc

davidgmmafan

What I cannot understand is this is, or will soon be, a change of occupier situation. This policy is even worse with regards to the OP. The first post on this thread says new person moved in but E.On want £50. Surely this is absurd? This person had nothing to do with the meter being installed. Potentially they have to pay £2-300 more if you take into account the fact they won't get DD discount and can't have the most competitive online tariffs.

The second case I can understand somewhat, as the account holder did incur the debt. Again though the landlord is moving in, given that he had NOTHING TO DO WITH the prepayment meter being installed, why should he have to pay the £50?

At least now E.On know they will be losing customers over this. Personally in both cases I'd still complain, if thier policy is daft then its only fair that it costs them money to defend it.