Eon direct debit frustration

Duckula

Last year due to an incorrect meter reading by a meter reader my bill from Eon was calculated at £2000 (for a one bedroom flat!).

This error caused me undue stress but the bill was recalculated in October and it turned out I had £500 in backpayments that then appeared on my account.

Despite this Eon didn't change my direct debit amount and for 3 months only charged me £65 for energy.

That is until this month when they are now taking off £216 and intend to do the same next month presumably until the balance is zero to fall in with their spring zero balance policy.

Why on earth didn't the direct debit change last year? I had no idea at the time about the spring zero balance policy and thought I had a good while to clear the debit. I simply can't afford to give them that much every month.

I have been in communication with them but they refuse to lower the direct debit.

Am I completely screwed here? It's amazingly frustrating to say the least.

What a confusing and unhelpful company.

ilovelacoste

usually they are staright onto uping any direct debit but looks like you slipped threw the net.
keep trying to get you directdebit lowered my mum had a similar problem yesterday and after a hell of a long time n the phone they finally came to a agreement.
If they wont help you out tell them to poke it and have a meter installed and pay the arears at your own speed

G51shopaholic

They CANNOT increase your DD payments if you have refused them permission to take this amount.

This breaches the DD rules. Phone them back up - quote DD Mandate rules regarding agreed amounts and tell them to get lost re taking £216. Tell them it will leave you in financial difficulty and you'll cancel the DD.

Stand your ground with them - I'm an Eon customer and their customer service is normally quite good.

Be firm - stay calm - tell them the amount YOUR happy to pay.

Good luck

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Duckula,

I hope you don't mind me popping on to this thread.

I'm not sure what you mean when you said you had £500 in back payments?

If we are at fault like you said, then we'll spread the payment over a period of time.

As you are not happy I would advise you to call our complaints team and get a complaint raised on your account.

let me know how you get on, or if you need any more advice.

Amy.

DirectDebacle

Duckula wrote: »

Last year due to an incorrect meter reading by a meter reader my bill from Eon was calculated at £2000 (for a one bedroom flat!).

This error caused me undue stress but the bill was recalculated in October and it turned out I had £500 in backpayments that then appeared on my account.

Despite this Eon didn't change my direct debit amount and for 3 months only charged me £65 for energy.

That is until this month when they are now taking off £216 and intend to do the same next month presumably until the balance is zero to fall in with their spring zero balance policy.

Why on earth didn't the direct debit change last year? I had no idea at the time about the spring zero balance policy and thought I had a good while to clear the debit. I simply can't afford to give them that much every month.

I have been in communication with them but they refuse to lower the direct debit.

Am I completely screwed here? It's amazingly frustrating to say the least.

What a confusing and unhelpful company.

There is a catalogue of errors on the part of E.On here in addition to the hardship some customers face in respect of their zero spring balance policy.

E.On recently announced a change to this policy in recognition of its unfairness and lack of adequate explanation. Unfortunately they haven't yet told anyone what the changes are or how they are applied except that up to 18 months will now be allowed for the zero balance to be reached.

Complain to E.On.

Copy your complaint to Consumer Focus ( read this thread Consumer Focus response to MSE posts on E.On 'Spring review' DD scheme and also this one E.ON press the re-set button )

All communication needs to be in writing (snailmail/email)

Request full details of how the DD payment has been arrived at for your tariff/usage and additionally what the debt is (due to their mis-management of your account) over what time period it accrued and how long they are going to allow you to repay.

Ask for a full explanation of how their DD scheme now works. It was changed on 16/1/2012 and announced on 7/2/2012.

See how you get on and come back here for assistance/advice. There are knowledgable posters who will be willing to help.

Or to draw it together copy your OP and any further questions to the E.On reset thread.

You are not screwed but it will require a reasonable amount of effort to reach a better solution.

Consumerist

Just to add to DirectDebacle's excellent advice. A formal (written) complaint will be essential if the problem is not resolved within 8 weeks, or if you get an unsatisfactory final response, after which you can refer the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman who can also award compensation.

Duckula

I've just been on the phone with someone from the Eon complaints line and they say they'll reduce my DD to £150 in April. They can't change it for the DD coming out tomorrow for some reason. Is this right, it hasn't come out yet I can't see why it couldn't be changed?

They suggested I could cancel the DD if I didn't want the money to come out...

The person on the line couldn't offer me an explanation for why my DD wasn't adjusted back in October instead of January. Eon reps? Anyone?

Consumerist

If your next DD is due 1 March then it is too late to change the amount now because the request for payment was sent to your bank several days ago.

Edit
I don't recommend cancelling the DD mandate because this will probably mean Eon will switch you to a more expensive tariff.

Duckula

Ah right. Serves me right for waiting until the last minute to sort it out...

I had actually sent an email to them on the 22nd but that has received no reply at all.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Duckula,

The agent was right, the reason why we cannot change the payment going out tomorrow, because we have to give the bank 10 working days to get the payment changed, the agent should of advised you of this I am sorry they didn't.

If you're still not happy about the payment going out tomorrow, you can call your bank to cancel the Direct Debit, then you'll have to give us a call to set it back up if you wish to.

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Amy

Duckula

Hi Amy.

Could you offer any answer as to why my direct debit wasn't adjusted for 3 months while my account stayed in debt?

I couldn't get a concrete answer for this in my phone call just that the account wasn't looked at by the system until January for some reason.