Vent: Eon Energy Raise Monthly Payment

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi Aginoth

Wow, the increased DD originally proposed is quite staggering.

As you say, I would have expected a fairly substantial increase given you're coming off an heavily discounted product and the new tariff will be subject to our price increase in September, but 79 per cent does seem a lot.

One possibility is there's not enough credit in the pot to cover the expected winter bills given your past usage. Has your usage changed significantly?

It's the usage and any debt on the account (not applicable in your case) that determine the level of monthly payments. As I said in a previous post, the aim is to achieve a zero balance by the time of the annual review in the spring.

If it looks as though the current credit plus the expected payments before the annual review will be insufficient, the arrangement will be re-calculated.

However, if the arrangement you've just agreed comes close to a zero balance in the spring, then all's well.

You're certainly doing the best thing in keeping a close eye on your account. Just let us know if too much credit/debit is building up, we can soon adjust the arrangement.

Malc

Lisey_Loo

Hi Malc

Can you give me an official complaints email address please?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi Lisey Loo

The best place to email complaints is our Directors Office. Full details are on our bills and website.

MSE don't really like me posting links to our website or email addresses but if you drop an email to the address in my Profile, I'll be happy to give you the full address as well as the link to our website.

Malc

Aginoth

Hi again Malc.

My energy usage has actually reduced 7.8% over the last 12 months for Electricity and is down 16.8% for Gas (in kW not £) through energy conservation efforts by me and my family at home. So when I came off of Save Online 2 and went to Save Online 8 an increase from £80 to £90 was sufficient to cover the next 12 months and the change in tariff against my reductions in usage.

Since then the 18% price hike has come in and it is at that point E.on decided to raise my DD from £90 to £161 (79% increase).

As I said it is the second exorbitant rise in my DD in under 2 months, and to be frank i'm not impressed.

I have agreed to £120 for the time being despite even that amount being an increase of 33.3% against the 18% price hike. I have no doubt that I will easily meet my spring bills with an excess credit still on the account, and I expect that I will need to actually have this reduced to a DD of £110 (22.2% increase)

There is something seriously wrong here with E.on's ability or willingness to correctly estimate future bills and the DD level required to meet them, I suspect corporate bods somewhere are laughing al the way to the bank with the interest E.on is earning on it's customers money. I am concerned for those customers, probably the majority, that don't keep as close a watch on their fuel and utility bills as I do, who will be adversely financially affected by this policy of imposing inflated DD rises on customers.

nomoneytoday

Since the prices have gone up, is there any way to reject the increase, whilst still in the 12 month contract?

I agreed a price last year and am happy to pay that price until this November. However, if i'm in the minimum term does that stop me switching, even though Eon have changed the rules?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi nomoneytoday

You can reject our price increase and change supplier provided you tell us your intentions before 13 September 2011.

We then need to receive the notice of transfer from your new supplier within 15 working days of you letting us know you're leaving.

In these circumstances you won't be affected by the new prices.

Sounds as though you may be on our Saveonline 3 tariff. This runs out on 1 November 2011 and carries a cancellation fee for breaking the terms of the contract before the end date.

Again, you won't be liable for this charge if you change supplier along the lines above.

Hope this helps nomoneytoday. Give me a shout if you need any more info as happy to help.

Malc

Aginoth

Me Again..

Guess What...

It's Christmas Eve and I have had, for the 3rd time in 5 months I have received a yet another stupid DD increase thrust upon me by E.on.

Well done E.on you've done it to me again...Merry Bloody Christmas to you too.

I have been in credit with them for 5 years but never by more than £100 by managing my own DD amounts.

Today received a notice of DD increase, from £120 to £255.

Thats a 112% increase in DD payment apparently.

I have been straight on the phone to them and told them the highest I will pay is £145, the E.on Rep I spoke too went away for 5 mins to do his own calculations and agrees with me. So what is wrong with the E.on automated billing system that it also cannot deliver sensible and realistic Direct Debit Estimates?

Now this I can understand my energy usage and keep close control of my bills, what about the elderly and vulnerable in society that can't? How many people are in financial hardship because of these ridiculous and substantial increases in Direct Debits R.on are making?

As I said before ...

Consider, E.on supply 26 million customers mostly in Europe, potentially they are holding billions in reserve through in credit accounts and earning a nice bit of interest on that money I bet.

If you receive a notice of DD increase don't meekly accept it, go through your old bills, work out your real usage and what you think you will use in the coming year...then tell the Energy Company what you will pay. Don't let the Utility companies profit from excessive DD payments.

As a CAB advisor I see people every week being forced into poverty through increasing living costs and falling or failing incomes; by actions such as these E.on are potentially just making a bad situation worse for all their customers.

oscardog

Aginoth - am totally with you on this one.

We were with Eon for 9 years and regularly fought pitched battles over the phone to keep the DD at a reasonable level. My logic of paying for what I actually used if it was over the DD seemed to never matter to Eon. They just wanted max cash up front.

We moved to Ovo two months ago and only then did Eon say we had been on the most expensive tariff for our entire 9 yrs with no advice to ever switch. Partly our fault I appreciate but proves Eon value cash over loyalty (not alone there!!).

We felt fleeced and the customer "service" punter was beyond rude when I was speaking to him. What was amusing was that he did tell me that no-one at Eon had the authority to alter a DD downwards LOL and that despite our house being oil fired, our central heating would cause a large spike in electricity usage over the winter - oh how I laughed at his understanding.

Best advice - leave Eon asap, we did.

Amanita_2

Aginoth wrote: »

Me Again..

Guess What...

It's Christmas Eve and I have had, for the 3rd time in 5 months I have received a yet another stupid DD increase thrust upon me by E.on.
.

Ouch! As you know I have the exact opposite problem with my 3rd attempted cut in 5 months. What they are proposing wouldn't have covered my bills in 2001 never mind coming close to the price of fuel in 2011.

Can you switch to standing order ( I was offered this option) which at least stops them raiding your bank account like this even at the cost of losing the ddm discount ( such as it is).

new_home_owner_3

its happened to us aswell we was paying 126 pound a month they then lowered it for 6 moths to 88 pound and now they have put it up to 222 pound they are a joke, when we was paying 126 pound we was slightly in credit, bit when they lowered it to 88 pound we owed about 150 over the 6 months so i havent got a clue how they have come up with 222 pound:eek: