Eon - Massive unexpected bill

nitram78

I wonder if anyone can offer some advice?

I moved into a brand new house last June (rated as A standard, with a score of 94 from 99), that came with British Gas pre-setup. An eon chap knocked on door in August last year and took previous bills from British Gas and also copies of bills from last house (not too different a house/size etc and only 1000 yards from current house), so all in all a rounded overview for some average figures for the area etc.

I was happy and moved over to Eon, Age UK deal, which was offered and setting up a £65 a month DD for gas/electric. The first bill came in at £32 (British gas made up other portion for this period) and then the September to December period was £197 from Eon for Gas/Electric (Dual). That was about as expected.

Yesterday I got a phone call from Eon saying that my account was in arrears (the DD has been going out) by a large amount due to the January to March bill being £697.00. Naturally i fell off my seat as I know usage is no different than the previous period and if anything I have become so aware of industry events that lights get turned off, heating is lower than normal. I refused to pay the bill until I have chance to investigate and I was not prepared to discuss whilst at work.

I called Eon back later, 4 times, and not 1 person could give me a straight answer to this sudden increase. I have paid the outstanding debt off via debit card as I hate owing money to anyone, but the bill seems rather high. I was also forced to upgrade my DD to £100 a month, which i know is way too high for usage.

I've since read that Eon do something around this time of year and people get large bills to clear accounts down. I now feel i been subjected to the same "trick".

I have spoken to neighbours and granted industry rates and colder night have factored in (and I did too) however everyone else has got bills for same period around the £200 mark (a level I was expecting myself).

I'm really frustrated and feel like shopping around again, even if I do get a small exit penalty charge.

Many Thanks for any advice offered.

Andy_WSM

nitram78 wrote: »

Many Thanks for any advice offered.

I don't think anyone can get a clear picture of what has happened until you post actual consumption figures. Energy consumption is measured in KW/h not pounds & pence.

What were your opening readings, previous bill readings, current readings?

spiro

Also was the latest bill based on Actual readings for start and end?
If the start readings was an estimate and the end reading an actual this is a 'catchup bill'.
If the start reading was an actual and the end an estimate then check the estimate, they may have got it wrong.
If they are both actual then you have used that much fuel and the DD may have been set too low for your usage pattern.

nitram78

Apologises, never done this before. Hopefully this is helpful?


Gas Reading:
28 Mar 12: Customer - 2257
19 Mar 12: Meter Reader - 2203
12 Dec 11: Meter Reader - 1042
21 Sep 11: Customer - 447
Electric Reading:
28 Mar 12: Customer - 3696
19 Mar 12: Meter Reader - 3602
12 Dec 11: Meter Reader - 2492
21 Sep 11: Customer - 1588

Bills Generated:
13 Dec 11 :
6,659 kWh of gas
Gas first units used 653kWh at 8.015p each
Gas next units used 6,006kWh at 3.637p each

20 Mar 12 :
2,046 kWh of electricity
Up to 13 Sep 11
Normal 11 kilowatt-hours (kWh) used
Normal first units used 2kWh at 17.99p each
Normal next units used 9kWh at 12.27p each

Up to 27 Feb 12
Normal 1,808 kilowatt-hours (kWh) used
Normal first units used 412kWh at 19.91p each
Normal next units used 1,396kWh at 14.0p each

After price change on 27 Feb 12
Normal 227 kilowatt-hours (kWh) used
Normal first units used 54kWh at 18.95p each
Normal next units used 173kWh at 13.08p each

12,961 kWh of gas
Gas first units used 720kWh at 8.015p each
Gas next units used 12,241kWh at 3.637p each

PHILIP1193

Its the gas that has caused that huge jump and cost.

Have you tried reading your meter your self to ensure it wasn't a miss read by some meter reading numpty? Or estimated by a computer?

nitram78

Hi Philip,

Yup, I suspected the gas element myself. In the breakdown of metering readings given above, 2 of the entries are "customer" supplied entries. They seem inline with other figures, but I can't understand why the gas metering in spinning at the rate it is doing.

To further add to insult. Just had a knock on the door. Water supplier (Severn Trent) have just informed me that no meter has ever been fitted to the supply. This follows 9 months work on my part to ask why they have not sent me a bill. *bangs head on desk*.

macman

I'm afraid that you've been probably been scammed by the oldest cold caller trick in the book. They see your old bills and then promise you lower direct debits, you sign up, they get their commission. By bye.
Then a few months later your meter is read and you are in arrears because the DD was set too low to cover your actual consumption.
Don't ever sign up at the door, do your own research on a comp site, then switch via a cashback site and keep the commission for yourself.
However the above does not explain the hugely larger winter quarter bill if it does not cover any arrears from before January.
Is the gas meter metric or imperial, and if so is the correct conversion being used to convert to kWh's? If your meter is metric but you are being billed as imperial, then that would increasee your chargeable kWh's by a factor or 2.83.
Can you compare the kWh usage from this bill to a similar period in the previous year?

molerat

nitram78 wrote: »

I was also forced to upgrade my DD to £100 a month, which i know is way too high for usage.

On the figures provided I think you will find you are using above that. You need to take daily or at least weekly reads. Check the temperatures in rooms and adjust down as necessary. Review what times you have the heating on etc. As above, check your meter is in cu m (which it should be on a new build) and the bill is the same (divide billed kWh by units, around 11 is metric, around 32 is imperial)

jalexa

nitram78 wrote: »

i fell off my seat as I know usage is no different than the previous period

Well, even if you have been duped to reduce your DD thereby resulting in a debit balace it does not automatically mean you energy costs are significantly different to what they were previously. That said the meter is proof-positive of consumption - and the meter does not know you have switched:). Check that the bill is correctly stated and calculated for your actual consumption.

mrsIAm

Hi nitram
Exactley the same thing happened to us, we got a bill for over £600 & we kept phoning EON up & they said it was right but we told them that there was no way on earth that we had run up a bill for that much as we are out at work or school all day, anyway after many phone calls the told us that they had changed our tarriff without informing us & thats why it was expensive.

We have informed the ombudsmen and they are dealing with it at the moment. I think its terrible that EON can just change your tarriff without informing people then give you a massive bill.

I would check your tarrif with incase they have done to you what they did to us.

Good Luck

macman

But a change in tariff would not account for a 300% increase (if that's what it is-we await the figures).