been on wrong tarriff since 2008 apparently can I do anything about it?

stoneme

I phoned eon today, my provider, to see what they could do for me because my electricity bill is always so high. Anyhow according to them I have been on economy 7 since 2008 because the previous owner was on economy 7 and it was just transferred over to us. We hardly use any electricity at night so apparently they should have flagged it up, especially as we are considered to be high users. Anyhow, they have moved us onto track and save and backdated my bill to january this year but can I do anything about the previous 3 years that we were paying for a higher rate which put our bills up by about £500 a year from what I can gather. Do you think I should ask pursue this or should I just be grateful at this stage that my bills will go down by approx £50 a month from now on? Thanks

ihateyes

accept it....

If you didnt register at the address, and the energy company didnt contact you for 3 years... they can only bill for the last 12mths... so i would assume exactly the same applys here as well.

HappyMJ

You must be an extremely high user. The difference between the standard tariff and the E7 day tariff is only a few pence per kWh. It's usually only about £1 maybe £2 per weeks difference if you use less than 20% usage at night.

Premier_2

stoneme wrote: »

...I have been on economy 7 since 2008

.....can I do anything about the previous 3 years that we were paying for a higher rate which put our bills up by about £500 a year from what I can gather. ...

Unlikely. Unless E.On are prepared to re-bill you based on the equivilent single rate.

I suggest you consult a comparison site and ensure the best deal going forward; Forget about the past.

You'll easily be able to see the difference for cost of E7 vs non-E7. Note that some suppliers may not allow you on a single rate supply whilst you have a dual rate meter, so if it is cost effective, ensure you consider any cost of replacing the meter (about £50 where charged)

On occassions, it can be cheaper on E7 than the equivilent non-E7 tariff no matter how much you use, but more typically the breakeven can be anywhere from about 20% upwards.

Remember 7/24 is almost 30% so it's not too difficult to use 20% overnight.

E7 day rates are also typically only about 10% higher than the equivilent single rates, but of course you get cheap overnight electricity (about 1/2 price). Even if you used no overnight electricity (unlikley) and you were very unfortunate, to have paid £500 more than you needed to would suggest over £5k annual electric bill :eek:
Looks like your best bet, if that is true, is to concentrate on reducing consumption - the easiest and most effective way to save money.

Premier_2

ihateyes wrote: »

accept it....

If you didnt register at the address, and the energy company didnt contact you for 3 years... they can only bill for the last 12mths... so i would assume exactly the same applys here as well.

Incorrect assumption. Two entirely different causes & effects.
The OP has presumably been regularly billed as they say "the bill is always so high"

stoneme

Thank you very much for your answers, a great help, thank you.

Airmike23

I think you're lucky eon backbilled to Jan on T+S at UR rates - they did not have to that - I think only because the operatror blundered and said you'd been on the wrong tariff for 3 years. That statement is inaccurate, you were not on the wrong tariff - there is no right tariff - unfortunately for you as a customer you were not on a tariff that best suited your usage, the advice above re E7 rates only really applies to Scottish Power and EDF, who are exceptionally competitively pricved for e7 when the night usage is v low, but generally if under 20% at night it wont benefit you to pay e7 rates with any power co. Might be an idea to ask eon to fix or cap your rate tho given potential incr looming.

Cardew

ihateyes wrote: »

accept it....

If you didnt register at the address, and the energy company didnt contact you for 3 years... they can only bill for the last 12mths... so i would assume exactly the same applys here as well.

That is completely wrong!

The billing code specifically states that the 12 month back-billing rule doesn't apply if you don't contact the supplier when you move in to a property.

If a property has been unoccupied for a period, how are the Utility company supposed to know it has been occupied? Engage a private detective to check the property out every few months;)

Ben84

Unless you requested at some point before this to be on a different tariff and the electric company failed to change it, you haven't been on the wrong tariff, just one that doesn't suit your typical usage.

You could try asking for a greater backdate, the worst they can say is no, but I honestly think you've been very fortunate that they offered to backdate the cost at all. I'd just start shopping around for the best electric prices in your area now to do something about the future costs.

stoneme

Thank you Ben84, I agree with your comments, I will leave it there and shop around for a better deal. Still it's a bit of a shame I have overpaid so much over the years, but then I have no-one to blame but myself. Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to answer.