Eon Exit Fee ?

georgemp

Recently (3 weeks ago) switched to Eon from Southern, as Southern put prices up and were no longer the cheapest in my area.
Letter in the post yesterday telling me Eon were putting their prices up making them more expensive than Southern would have been!

Not happy about this, as I view it as a sneaky ploy to grab customers from other suppliers before hiking prices once they've hit their new customer target.

So, out of principal I have just switched again, this time to EDF. According to the comparison tool, I'll save £75 a year, so not all bad.

However - just phoned Eon to tell them I'm leaving and they're whacking me with a £30 early exit fee. Looking back I can see it is in the t&c but is this fair and legal, after they hiked the charges within weeks of me switching?

Anyone else had this problem? What's to be done?

TIA,
George.

MillicentBystander

I'm assuming they didn't tell you about the OTHER exit fee they charge?

georgemp

What's that then? !!!!ing about for weeks so you end up getting two bills- one from each supplier?

macman

If you are on a variable tariff then they can raise prices at any time within the minimum contract term.

Premier_2

georgemp wrote: »

What's that then? !!!!ing about for weeks so you end up getting two bills- one from each supplier?

There is no other exit fee.

The poster is onto one about the fact Eon do not give discounts on the final bill. You'll see that re-confirmned in the letter you got yesterday (just under the pricing info)

As you've only been with Eon 3 weeks, so perhaps a couple of months by the time the new switch takes place, I doubt you'd have lost much discount anyway.

dogshome

Hi georgemp - If the letter you recieved yesterday was the first advice you had from Eon of price increases, then you have 10 days from it's reciept to advise Eon that you reject the offered contract with higher prices, and that you intend to Switch.
Eon then have to hold your old prices till the switch is completed

By advising Eon you have started a Switch to EDF, (Who's prices by the way are going up on March 2nd ), you have jumped the gun a bit - So try to recover the situation today by Emailing Eon with your rejection of the new prices and telling them you intend to Switch

The 'Penalty' charge is a grey area, some suppliers will attempt to charge it when a customer Switches because of Price Rises, others don't.
Look at the T&C's - Whilst these will state that the the penalty won't be charged if you move house, but will be charged if you Switch, there is usually another wriggle says something like "The penalty fee may also be charged in other circumstances" and it is on the basis of this that the suppliers who do attempt to charge, charge

Do not accept this - With the Price Rises E.on have torn up your old contract in it's entireity and offerd you a new one - They cannot impose a Penalty Fee where it Eon who have renaged on the original contract, not you.

MillicentBystander

Premier wrote: »

There is no other exit fee.

The poster is onto one about the fact Eon do not give discounts on the final bill. You'll see that re-confirmned in the letter you got yesterday (just under the prcing info)

'Onto one?' How? As Eon rely on huge discounts off their 'base' prices to remain competitive on the switching tariffs and these discounts can run to as much as 26%, and this discount is not given on the final bill (which if you are unlucky could run to a whole quarter of winter usage) then no matter that Eon don't call it an exit fee, that fact is it is! Worse than that, it's a NEVER ENDING exit fee! I think this thread yet again confirms my theory of the other day - that the vast majority of Eon punters don't know about this sneaky additional exit fee.

One cursory look at MSE's recommended switching site, energyhelpline, will reveal that nowhere on there is this IMPORTANT fact mentioned.

http://www.energyhelpline.com/ege16_energyhelpline_v2/fri/Domesticenergy/Domestic/ShowCustomerCurrentTariffs?Id=6731d3b8-3d4b-4d95-aa71-9e8700b4c120&SwitchId=0&PostCode=WV5+8AN&RegionCode=5&CurrentGasTariffId=320640&CurrentElectricityTariffId=320598&CompareGas=True&CompareElec=True&GasUsageUnknown=False&ElecUsageUnknown=False&GasProfileOrigin=UserInputKWh&ElecProfileOrigin=UserInputKWh&CurElecSpendPeriod=PerMonth&CurElecUse=3300&CurElecUsePeriod=PerYear&CurElecEconomy7=False&CurElecEconomy7Usage=0.55&CurGasSup=59&CurGasSupTariff=786&CurGasPayMthd=1&CurGasSpendPeriod=PerMonth&CurGasUse=16500&CurGasUsePeriod=PerYear&ComparisonType=GasAndElectricity&PrefRadioSelector=None&AllTariffs=AllTariffs&SortByPrice=ExpectedSaving&SecSortByPrice=ExpectedSaving&FuturePayMthd=1&ClientHasJavaScript=False&CurElecSup=59&CurElecSupTariff=786&CurElecPayMthd=1&SupplyType=DualGasAndElectricity&SimpleGasUsageLevel=Unknown&SimpleElecUsageLevel=Unknown&ShowAll=False&Skip=0&Page=0&SecShowAll=False&SecSkip=0&DisplayCurrentSupplierDetailsLink=False&CurrentTotalSpendPerAnum=1021.5844128000000000000000000&CurrentGasSpendPerAnum=580.56677280000000000000000000&CurrentElectricitySpendPerAnum=441.01764000000000000000000000&IsCustomerInputComplete=False&ProRataPreference=True&AgentId=1908

Premier_2

MillicentBystander wrote: »

'Onto one?' How? As Eon rely on huge discounts off their 'base' prices to remain competitive on the switching tariffs and these discounts can run to as much as 26%, and this discount is not given on the final bill (which if you are unlucky could run to a whole quarter of winter usage) then no matter that Eon don't call it an exit fee, that fact is it is! Worse than that, it's a NEVER ENDING exit fee! I think this thread yet again confirms my theory of the other day - that the vast majority of Eon punters don't know about this sneaky additional exit fee.

One cursory look at MSE's recommended switching site, energyhelpline, will reveal that nowhere on there is this IMPORTANT fact mentioned.

I'm not sure why you cut off the last part of my post? Didn't really fit your agenda though did it? :cool:

The comparison sites do not list all the terms & conditions. However as an MSE reader of this board you should be aware that Eon reps on here make no attempts to hide this term - they often state it.

MillicentBystander

Premier wrote: »

I'm not sure why you cut off the last part of my post? Didn't really fit your agenda though did it? :cool:

The comparison sites do not list all the terms & conditions. However as an MSE reader of this board you should be aware that Eon reps on here make no attempts to hide this term - they often state it.

When I started my reply I quoted your whole post, i'm assuming you added the next bit shortly after you posted the first bit? I have nothing to be frightened about with you and the Eon no discount rule because there's only one person who is on shaky ground here and it isn't me.

And you excusing the switching sites is frankly suspicious. They list frivolities like nectar points, discounts at Argos, energyu monitors, thermometers etc but not something that could cost the punter £100+? Do me a favour...

PS Like many on here, you are assuming that every potential Eon punter is an MSE'r. The vast majority will rely on the switching sites alone to give them the correct info in order to be able to make an informed decision. Clautching at straws.

KimYeovil

Premier wrote: »

There is no other exit fee.

Tempting as it is to knee-jerkingly contest whatever Millicent posts one should try to restrain the urge.

The typical (I'd estimate) £100 PENALTY that the OP faces is hardly not an exit fee. If you think £100 is chump change then bully for you. But that is easily the minimum an average and typical customer will face losing at this time of year.

(I get £100 from two and a half months service using four months (2 + 1.5 + .5) average use at this time of year and a 25% lost discount. At £75 per month average use that is a leaving penalty of £100.)

backfoot

dogshome wrote: »

Do not accept this - With the Price Rises E.on have torn up your old contract in it's entireity and offerd you a new one - They cannot impose a Penalty Fee where it Eon who have renaged on the original contract, not you.

I agree with your sentiment on this. How do you enforce it if they refuse?