Solar energy - Feed-in Tariff payment delays - your experiences?

Doc_N

margin wrote: »

If they can get away with 45 days now then what's to stop them getting away with 90 days next year, and so on ? Have we any recourse here ? Does anyone know of any limit on the delay they are able to inflict on us ?

They can do more or less as they please, it seems, except that behaviour like this damages their reputation with customers and makes some people (like me) far less likely to buy energy from them.

I find it amusing that they used to work on a 30 day maximum basis 18 months ago, and usually paid within a few days. They realised that 30 days was too long and promised to improve things.

So they improved it to 45 days - that's customer service for you!

The_Green_Hornet

margin wrote: »

If they can get away with 45 days now then what's to stop them getting away with 90 days next year, and so on ? Have we any recourse here ? Does anyone know of any limit on the delay they are able to inflict on us ?

If you are unhappy with the service you receive then there is nothing to stop you moving to a different FIT provider.

http://www.eonenergy.com/Terms+And+Conditions/Residential-Products-Terms-and-conditions/Feed-inTariffs.htm

See section 15 Ending this Agreement.

sly_dog_jonah

The_Green_Hornet wrote: »

If you are unhappy with the service you receive then there is nothing to stop you moving to a different FIT provider.

http://www.eonenergy.com/Terms+And+Conditions/Residential-Products-Terms-and-conditions/Feed-inTariffs.htm

See section 15 Ending this Agreement.

True, but you may not be able to find another provider willing to accept an application unless you are already a gas/electricity customer of theirs (or are able to switch to them).

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Common_Man wrote: »

Hello forum people. I have never commented on a forum before, so please be gentle with me.But I felt that I must inform others who might be considering registering with EON

27/07/2011 3.9KW ET solar panels Power One 3.6 inv installed
30/07/2011 FIT application sent to EON
01/08/2011 EON phoned for reading for 5 day rule
31/08/2011 Phoned EON told contract in post
23/09/2011 Phoned EON told will post another copy
29/09/2011 Phoned EON told will e-mail contract
07/10/2011 Phoned EON told will e-mail staight away
07/10/2011 1 hour later EON phoned to see if contract received
07/10/2011 3hours later contract finally received
08/10/2011 Returned contract to EON
04/11/2011 Phoned with first 3 monthly reading. Told will get payment in 30 days
20/11/2011 Phoned EON told every thing fine but payments running a little late due to volume of applications
03/02/2012 Phoned EON with second 3 monthly reading. Told everything was not fine as they still hadn't registered me with OFGEM
02/02/2012 EON phoned back to say now registered and will get payment for both quarters in 45 days
26/03/2012 Phoned EON told payments now take 60 days but mine will be 02/04/2012 pay run
02/04/2012 17-24 pm have heard nothing from EON

The saga continues

Hi Common Man

Sorry for the late reply; only just spotted your post.

I'm also really sorry you've been kept waiting for your FIT payments.

I am aware our FIT agents are struggling with a backlog at the moment. As per the email which margin quotes above, we're looking at moving from a manual to an automated system.

This will enable us to send payments by Direct Debit straight from our main system. This will speed up the process.

Have you received your payment yet? If not, I'll be happy to talk to the FIT guys and find out what's happening. Just drop an email to the address in my Profile if you would like me to do this (MSE don't allow company reps access to the PM tool).

Malc

Doc_N

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

I'm also really sorry you've been kept waiting for your FIT payments.

I am aware our FIT agents are struggling with a backlog at the moment. As per the email which margin quotes above, we're looking at moving from a manual to an automated system.

This will enable us to send payments by Direct Debit straight from our main system. This will speed up the process.

Malc

I've been getting my FIT payments from e.on for around 18 months now, and the delays have got worse and worse, which is why I started this thread - to expose the bad companies and give some positive publicity to the better ones.

It's just empty promise after empty promise from e.on, I'm afraid, as a result of which I'll be switching my gas and electricity from e.on (as well as the FIT payments) to a supplier that takes customer service more seriously.

Unless e.on gets its act together, the bad publicity on this thread may well lose it a lot of customers.

zeupater

Doc_N wrote: »

.... It's just empty promise after empty promise from e.on, I'm afraid, as a result of which I'll be switching my gas and electricity from e.on (as well as the FIT payments) to a supplier that takes customer service more seriously ....

Hi

... looks like that'll be Scottish Power then, but I hope that not too many move across at once as I don't want our payments delayed ...

Z;)

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi Doc N

I'm sorry you're unhappy with the experiences you've had with our FIT team.

The change I mentioned above is just one of the improvements we're looking at. Our new CEO, Tony Cocker, announced a complete review of our services when he took over towards the end of last year. The intention is to examine every aspect of our relationship with our customers. This is ongoing and includes FIT.

I fully take on board your dis-satisfaction with the delays you've experienced and will gladly feed this back. In the meantime, I am happy to help in any way I can if you can give me some specifics to talk to the FIT guys about.

Just drop an email to the address in my Profile if you would like me to look at your particular circumstances. I'll gladly do this.

Malc

zeupater

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi Doc N

I'm sorry you're unhappy with the experiences you've had with our FIT team.

The change I mentioned above is just one of the improvements we're looking at. Our new CEO, Tony Cocker, announced a complete review of our services when he took over towards the end of last year. The intention is to examine every aspect of our relationship with our customers. This is ongoing and includes FIT.

I fully take on board your dis-satisfaction with the delays you've experienced and will gladly feed this back. In the meantime, I am happy to help in any way I can if you can give me some specifics to talk to the FIT guys about.

Just drop an email to the address in my Profile if you would like me to look at your particular circumstances. I'll gladly do this.

Malc

Hi

The issue which needs to be taken on-board is that with the rapid growth in pv installations the situation is only going to deteriorate unless something is done ... it's not worth relying on the CEO instigating "a complete review of our services" or "looking at moving from a manual to an automated system" as it's so obvious that what's needed is action, not intent ....

In a situation where the current administration is manual and the identified solution is to automate (at some time in the future !) there is an obvious short-term issue which can only be addressed by additional resource on a temporary basis .... so when will the necessary resource be allocated ? - it would be extremely good to have a reply on this particular thread by the end of this month saying that 'the admin resource has been temporarily increased by x% whilst the long-term solution is being developed' ... that's what I would classify as a move to address customer satisfaction ...

HTH
Z

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi zeupater

Many thanks for your comments.

I've passed these and other related comments on this thread to the Section Head of FIT.

I'll keep chasing this and will be happy to post an update just as soon as I receive a response.

Malc

orrery

Doc_N wrote: »

Unless e.on gets its act together, the bad publicity on this thread may well lose it a lot of customers.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that e.on have showed up to face the music.

Unlike the deafening silence from EDF, who appear to be even worse.