Eon energy reviews: Give your feedback

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lyndylu wrote: »

I switched to EON as part of the MSE Cheap Energy Club last December. I used actual usage figures from the previous year and was quoted £111 per month for gas and electricity.

EON have now emailed me to tell me my monthly DD will go up to £160 per month. I realise that usage over the winter may have been a bit higher than last year but not by nearly 50%. I am now paying more than I was with my previous supplier.

I have been with EON for 4 months (since December 2014) during the coldest months of the year, and my account is in credit so I don't understand why my payments need to rise given that usage should decrease significantly over the next few months.

I note that on the EON website it states that DD payments won't increase unless I agree to the change. I would be interested to know if this is correct as the EON email suggests that my DD payments will increase irrespective of whether I consent or not.

I am never quite sure what sort of answer posters expect to this type of question. Rather than post out of a sense of frustration at what is nothing more than a computer algorithm, which is only as good as the person who programmed it, why not ring E.oN up with a revised projection for the year. In my experience, CS will normally do a quick re-calculation which looks at the total bill for the year less credits made divided by the months remaining up to the next Annual Review when there should be a zero balance.

lyndylu

"I am never quite sure what sort of answer posters expect to this type of question"

It' s a fairly straightforward question, do I need to consent to payment increases or not, and I'd prefer to get the answer this way than ringing EON and spending ages on hold.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi lyndylu.

That's certainly a significant jump. You say usage has gone up compared to previously. I suspect this has triggered the proposed increase. Thought it might help if I give you a bit of information about our Monthly Direct Debits.

They're based on current prices and usage. If either changes, the payments will need to be amended as well otherwise accounts will build up too much credit/debit. As you're on the MSE Collective Tariff, the unit rates won't have changed so it looks like we're saying the original amount won't cover the anticipated usage up until the annual review. These arrangements are spread over 12 months with the aim of achieving as near as possible to a zero balance by the time of the annual review. At this time, any credit over a fiver will automatically be refunded.

To make sure you're on track for a zero balance we review arrangements regularly. If necessary, we'll only put through a change at about the mid-term point and at the annual review. At the other times, we'll let you know if we think a change is needed but leave it up to you to make any alterations. As we've contacted you about a change, I suspect we're actually proposing a new figure. If you disagree, please contact us. We'll be happy to go through the calculation with you. We give customers 14 days from the date on the email/letter to do this before automatically putting changes through.

One thing that might help is an online tool called the 'Direct Debit Manager.' If you've registered with our website, you can take more control over payments through this facility. This includes altering the amount. Comes in handy should circumstances change. Provided the account is billed up to the latest meter readings, payments can be changed by up to 20 per cent up or down. By up to 5 per cent up or down without readings. Before putting the change through, we'll let you know by how much we anticipate the account will be in credit/debit by the time of the annual review if the new amount is confirmed but usage doesn't alter accordingly.

Hope this is of interest lyndylu. Let me know if you need any more information as happy to help.

Malc

shard312

I was unfortunate enough to have Eon as my energy supplier for 20 days until my supplier from my old house (British Gas) switched the electricity supply over. The bill they sent me for that 20 day period was £145, compared to British Gas's monthly estimate of £70, based on readings for this property and me previous energy readings from my old house.

I feel like I've dodged a bullet by keeping British Gas, if I'd have opened an account with Eon they would have wanted me to pay £200+ a month judging by their bill, an absolute joke.

lvf

shard312 wrote: »

I was unfortunate enough to have Eon as my energy supplier for 20 days until my supplier from my old house (British Gas) switched the electricity supply over. The bill they sent me for that 20 day period was £145, compared to British Gas's monthly estimate of £70, based on readings for this property and me previous energy readings from my old house.

I feel like I've dodged a bullet by keeping British Gas, if I'd have opened an account with Eon they would have wanted me to pay £200+ a month judging by their bill, an absolute joke.

Right, have you contacted E.ON to provide meter readings when you moved into the property, and provided BG with reads when you switched over? If you have, then check that these are the meter reads are the correct ones used on the bill, if not then contact E.ON to amend.

However if the correct meter reads do appear on the bill, then I regret to inform you that BG may have wildly under-estimated your consumption. Granted you have varying prices from supplier to supplier, but at the end of the day it is very unlikely that one supplier is going to charge £217.50 (pro rata of course) for the same electricity and/or gas as another company does for £70.

And that's what it is, the same energy, the same meter as you would get with any company.

Check your bills, and ensure you have been billed correctly. No point in paying for more energy than you have used.

shard312

lvf wrote: »

Right, have you contacted E.ON to provide meter readings when you moved into the property, and provided BG with reads when you switched over? If you have, then check that these are the meter reads are the correct ones used on the bill, if not then contact E.ON to amend.

However if the correct meter reads do appear on the bill, then I regret to inform you that BG may have wildly under-estimated your consumption. Granted you have varying prices from supplier to supplier, but at the end of the day it is very unlikely that one supplier is going to charge £217.50 (pro rata of course) for the same electricity and/or gas as another company does for £70.

And that's what it is, the same energy, the same meter as you would get with any company.

Check your bills, and ensure you have been billed correctly. No point in paying for more energy than you have used.

I can't find the Eon bill the check exact numbers, but I'm fairly certain they were using an estimates based on previous readings, as I'm unable to get readings myself due to it being an apartment.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi shard312 and welcome to the Forums.

On the bill, were the opening and closing meter readings accurate or estimated? If estimates, we'll be happy to look at this again if you let us have actual readings. Although, as you've changed supplier, the closing readings will have been given us by your new supplier. This is part of the industry process to stop the same energy being charged twice. Depending on the difference, to change these, your new supplier will need to agree different readings as their billing will be affected. If we close to lower readings, they'll open to higher ones and vice versa.

If the readings are accurate then the energy will have been used. Is the property all electric and how is it heated? Electric heating tends to be more expensive than gas. What time of year were the 20 days? If winter, I suspect the usage was higher than at other times and this will have shown on the bill.

As you were only with us for 20 days, I assume you were on our standard tariff. This has no tie-ins or restrictions leaving customers free to change supplier at any time without penalty. There are other tariffs available with lower unit prices but they're all contracted products with various restrictions like cancellation fees for changing supplier. We're not allowed to put customers on to these tariffs without having a conversation with them first. In 20 days, I suspect it wasn't practical to sign up for lower standing charges for paying with a Monthly Direct Debit too.

Sorry for all the questions shard312. Just trying to build up a picture. As I say, if the bill was estimated, let us have readings and we'll be happy to look at the bill again.

Malc

shard312

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi shard312 and welcome to the Forums.

On the bill, were the opening and closing meter readings accurate or estimated? If estimates, we'll be happy to look at this again if you let us have actual readings. Although, as you've changed supplier, the closing readings will have been given us by your new supplier. This is part of the industry process to stop the same energy being charged twice. Depending on the difference, to change these, your new supplier will need to agree different readings as there billing will be affected. If we close to lower readings, they'll open to higher ones and vice versa.

If the readings are accurate then the energy will have been used. Is the property all electric and how is it heated? Electric heating tends to be more expensive than gas. What time of year were the 20 days? If winter, I suspect the usage was higher than at other times and this will have shown on the bill.

As you were only with us for 20 days, I assume you were on our standard tariff. This has no tie-ins or restrictions leaving customers free to change supplier at any time without penalty. There are other tariffs available with lower unit prices but they're all contracted products with various restrictions like cancellation fees for changing supplier. We're not allowed to put customers on to these tariffs without having a conversation with them first. In 20 days, I suspect it wasn't practical to sign up for lower standing charges for paying with a Monthly Direct Debit too.

Sorry for all the questions shard312. Just trying to build up a picture. As I say, if the bill was estimated, let us have readings and we'll be happy to look at the bill again.

Malc

Hi Malc,

The readings were estimates, and since I couldn't get a reading for British Gas they got estimates, from Eon. The apartment is all electric, but we found ourselves not having to really use the heating despite it being the start of February, as the apartment tends to be quite warm by itself, and we're roasting at the moment with the sunny spell over the last weekend.

As I stated, all Eon has is estimates as far as I'm aware, so the bill did not reflect actual usage.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi shard312 and thanks for replying.

Without meter readings we're a bit stumped. Is there any way you can turn up readings for when you moved in? Letting agent/landlord/estate agent etc? If there is, we can re-bill to these and work out closing readings based on the usage from then.

With the closing readings, provided the difference is above a certain threshold (250 kWh), what's known as an Agreed Reads Dispute (ARD) will need to be raised with your current supplier. This is where the two suppliers work out and agree change of supply readings. I suspect this may already have been done as you say British Gas used our estimates.

Our closing readings need to match the opening readings on your new account. So, as above, if we lower our bill your new supplier will increase theirs. You need to check that you don't lose out although, as you were on our standard tariff, I doubt it. Just be aware.

Hope this helps shard312.

Malc

MABLE

I have now been with E.ON for over 2 months now and out of the companies I have been with in the past I find E.ON the best. Their online facilities are really excellent and like the idea of being able to generate a bill on demand.

The switch went through very smoothly and I am very happy I made the change.