Eon Dispute Advice

CrossGrandma

Hi,

We recently bought a barn conversion from a developer (June 2013).We didn't live in the property properly until August so couldn't have used much energy in the interim.

As the property hadn't been lived in previously, there was no information on which utility company was providing the service (just electricity) until a letter popped through the door early August. It wasn't addressed to us and didn't have much of the right info on it. None the less, it gave us a clue that Eon was the provider.

So, we contacted them straight away. There was no previous reading on the account. They agreed to set up a new account and we provided a reading. We agreed to provide another reading in a week in order to establish usage. They would then bill us on that basis from the date we took over the account - 6th August agreed.

The calculated usage was between 7 and 10 units per day. We received a bill in accordance for £18 and were told they would contact us to ensure we were on the correct plan moving forward.

Then, a bill landed on our doorstep a couple of weeks later in the amount of £840. Big shock!

I rang straight away and the operative confirmed that it was a mistake and to ignore it. She took another reading and said it would be rebilled. I relaxed. Too good to be true... you bet.

We then get another bill for over £900.
I rang straight away. I was told that they now had a reading for when the property actually came in to our ownership in June and we were liable for having used an average of 75 units per day. Huge difference to our actual usage.

I've now been through the Eon Impartial review process. (A salaried team employed directly by Eon).
They state that the bill is mine.
They agree that "the start reading is suspicious"
They agree that it doesn't ring true that we could be using 75 units per day in electricity.
They offer £50 off the bill.

Now being passed to Ombudsman.

Any advice in how to address this would be greatly appreciated.
I'm somewhere between furious and really anxious. Its taken up a great deal of time and is distressing.

macman

Did you not take an opening reading on day one after purchase? If so, can you verify it? You are liable from then, and standing charges would accrue even with no usage.
The developer should have easily been able to tell you who was the supplier. If not, it's very easy to find out (Google 'who is my electricity supplier?')

CrossGrandma

Hi, Unfortunately, we didn't take a reading ... if only we had!
We were not actually in the property much at all until August.
Appliances hadn't been fitted, no phone line or TV and no heating on.

We've sent photographic proof of our readings since.

I'm not sure how it would be possible to use 75 units a day - which is what they are suggesting the usage was.

macman

With heating and hot water on, very easily.

CrossGrandma

No heating and no hot water on.
Heatwave in fact... but no aircon either.
No appliances - and when eventually fitted, all A rated.
Only two of us and the dog in residence.
AND we've tracked our usage since at between 7 units to maximum of 18 per day when we switched everything up and on.

matelodave

It's really not E-on's fault that you failed to read the meter or even tried very hard to find out who your supplier was when you took over the property.

They don't know what the usage might have been and you have no idea who might have used it. It might have been the developer/builder whilst the work was being carried out but without a reading who knows when the power was being consumed. All you can really do is ask the developer when the meter was installed and if he'd read the meter when he finished work. E-on will want paying for the energy that's been used and without any proof of who used it you are likely to have a fight on your hands unless the developer is prepared to pay something towards it.

macman

CrossGrandma wrote: »

No heating and no hot water on.
Heatwave in fact... but no aircon either.
No appliances - and when eventually fitted, all A rated.
Only two of us and the dog in residence.
AND we've tracked our usage since at between 7 units to maximum of 18 per day when we switched everything up and on.

As above. The developers may have had lights, infra-red heaters and power tools going all day. Because you didn't bother to take an opening reading or register for several months, they may be trying to bill you for some of their usage, since it''s now impossible to ascertain the actual reading at the date of handover. Not the supplier's fault.
Did the developers or agent not do an agreed reading at the date of handover? That's normal practice.

CrossGrandma

Hi, Thanks.
I fully appreciate that we should have taken a reading day one. Had we been at the property, we would have done so.
The developers did not have access to the power supply after we completed the purchase.
Eon said there was not any history on the account at all.
Today, they advised that they did have a reading on 12th June but it was only 4 digits so must have been incorrect. They further advised that the start reading was only obtained from the developer on Sept 11th - some time after they had already agreed how to handle the new account and bill us. They have now decided not to honour this.
They've admitted that the start reading they now have is "suspicious" and that the bill is not in proportion with our usage.