FAO: Malc - Eon Representative

RammytheRam

Hi Malc

I wonder if you could offer me some advice.

I have lived in my home for the last 13 years happily paying my Heatwise Tariff without really understanding it. (my error!)

With the new price increases I've now rsearched more and don't think it's right for the property we live in.

We DO NOT have storage heaters, the house never has had. The central heating is gas but the water is heated by electric imersion heater system!

I've converted my garage to an office as I work from home so nearly all of our electricity useage is at the highest tariff during the working day.

It's a nightmare as we are looking at approx £2k a year electicity bill compared to about £450 gas.

Any suggestions??

Cheers

sheffield_lad

One quick question for you while you are waiting for Malc, how do you heat your office/converted garage?

If it is by electric this could easily be the issue/cause of the high electric bill.

RammytheRam

Hi Sheffield Lad

Office has no heating as such.

We've got some spot lights which provide the heat through the dark months but nothing during bright days and there are 4 computers running so theres some heat from there

It's warm enough at that to be honest

Thanks for answering :-)

chanz4

x4 pc's and spotlights...... my guess is the spot lights

RammytheRam

Hi Chanz4

The Spots are a bit of a pay off - without them I would need some form of heat.

The issue for me is that the Heatwise tariff is designed for houses with storage heaters - this house doesn't use them but it appears the original builder has 'half wired' it to use these heatwise meters - there must have been some sort of backhander going on at the time!

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi RammytheRam

Certainly sounds as though Heatwise isn't for you.

These meters were specifically designed for all electric properties with storage heaters. As you've gas central heating and no storage heaters, I doubt you're benefiting from this particular set up.

I would, though, sound one note of caution. You say the water is heated by electric immersion. Usually, with Heatwise, the meters are wired directly into the heating/water heating circuits at individual properties.

This is so customers can take advantage of 10 hours of cheaper off peak electricity for heating/water heating purposes.

You may, therefore, want to ask an independent approved electrician to check the wiring first. As you still have an electric immersion heater, I'd suggest making sure replacing the meter won't have an adverse impact on your water heating.

If all's good then, I suspect, you'll be better off with a conventional meter. This will give you access to more tariffs both with us and the other suppliers.

We're currently charging £51.06 to change meters.

Hope this is of interest RammytheRam. Give me a shout if you need any more info as always happy to help.

Malc

RammytheRam

Thanks Malc

I've had a look and there appears to be two 'in' wires.

One goes into the switch box and one disappears upstairs so it looks like that goes directly to the water heater.

I'll have to get someone in to have a look.

I'll update this thread as and when I've got some answers

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Thanks for letting me know RammytheRam. Definitely a good idea to ask an approved electrician to have a look.

Look forward to your update. Have a good weekend.

Malc

jh11

Hi all,

Apologies for replying but not helping the previous post, but im new to this and cannot find the new post button anyway??

So I am on urgent help and pretty much at a loss of what to do about my final eon bill.

Its a really long story so hope I don't bore you all and someone can help me, here goes...

I lived at my previous property from August 2012 to July 2013. This was the first time I have set up a new direct debit for electricity and was given a start meter reading of 32120. I called up eon and they advised me that I could sign up for a economy tariff and to set up a direct debit for £40 a month (even after looking at the previous tenants energy consumption). I continued to pay my direct debit until April when I received a bill saying I would need to up my payments to £168 per month. The immediately called eon and was advised that although it is a communal apartment block and regular eon representatives visit to take meter readings, on this occasion they have not been able to gain access to the meter as they do not have a meter key and all readings have been estimated due to this. So I was advised to pay £168 and contact estate agents to gain access and provide a meter reading. It then took my estate agents 2 months to get hold of the key for the box, I finally got a reading 24th June of 41296.

Cardew

jh11 wrote: »

Hi all,

Apologies for replying but not helping the previous post, but im new to this and cannot find the new post button anyway??

So I am on urgent help and pretty much at a loss of what to do about my final eon bill.

Its a really long story so hope I don't bore you all and someone can help me, here goes...

I lived at my previous property from August 2012 to July 2013. This was the first time I have set up a new direct debit for electricity and was given a start meter reading of 32120. I called up eon and they advised me that I could sign up for a economy tariff and to set up a direct debit for £40 a month (even after looking at the previous tenants energy consumption). I continued to pay my direct debit until April when I received a bill saying I would need to up my payments to £168 per month. The immediately called eon and was advised that although it is a communal apartment block and regular eon representatives visit to take meter readings, on this occasion they have not been able to gain access to the meter as they do not have a meter key and all readings have been estimated due to this. So I was advised to pay £168 and contact estate agents to gain access and provide a meter reading. It then took my estate agents 2 months to get hold of the key for the box, I finally got a reading 24th June of 41296.

Welcome to the forum.

To start a new topic you click 'new thread'.

What do you mean by 'set up an economy tariff'? It doesn't appear to be an Economy 7 tariff as you only refer to one meter reading(Economy 7 has 2 readings)

From August?? 2012 to 24 June 2103 you have used 9,176kWh which isn't excessive for 10 months over a very cold winter.

£40 a month is a stupidly low DD for an all electric property. The average bill even if you have much cheaper gas for heating and hot water is about £110 a month. Electric heating and hot water costs far more.

Of course much will depend on the size of your property, it's insulation properties and your 'lifestyle' i.e. how long in the flat, room temp, baths or showers etc.

The cost of that 9,176kWh depending on tariff will be around £1,100 so that is obviously why your DD has increased so much.

Your bills from E-on would have indicated that they were based on Estimated meter readings and you should have contacted E-on with the actual readings; albeit I appreciate as a new occupant you were not aware of the correct procedure.

It is not clear what you want E-on to do regarding the increased DD. You have used the electricity so need to pay for it. You may be able to get E-on to agree you pay back your arrears over a longer period, thus reducing your DD.

jh11

and a final meter reading of 41646 July 24th on my move out date. I was thenhit initially with £300 + bill for outstanding charges and when enquiring, thiswas actually upped to £700 + I then paid £200 towards this cost in August2013 and now still have a bill of £500+ that no-one is willing to reduceor explain how it could be so high?



My problem is, everytime I speak to eon, I get a different story or promisedsomething will happen - like being rebilled and when I call 2 weeks later,nothing has changed.



I called initially in June and was told I need to go back to the estateagents as the last time eon came to check the meter they got a reading of34000+ which means my initial supposed estate agent reading of 32120 is lowerthan what they had took themselves in June 2012 (2 months before I moved intothe property). When going back to the estate agents and telling them this, theyobviously made up a meter reading of 35469 as now I am told that this cannot berebilled as the meter reading as eon have spoken to the estate agents and theystick to their 32120 reading = me = no man's land!!! I was also told todaythat when looking back to the meter reading in June that eon took themselves,the reading was actually 31000+ (lower and correct - although that was not whatI was told)????



Also when calling in July again eon told me that they want me to take meterreadings for a month every week and they will back date and rebill my energybased on my actual usage (this has never happened and eon refuse to do this).



So i'm stuck with meter reading opening of 32120 and my only actual meterreading on move out of 41646. So yesterday I was told that my cost ofelectricity from Aug to Jul based on those readings is £1,114 and I have paid40 a month for 8 months a payment of 168 and 200 = 688. Then was toldtoday actually the total cost is 1272.31 - 688 something paid = 557.45 topay.



Now this amount to using over 100 a month of electricity in a small (box) 2bedroom apartment with 2 adults that both work full time and only had theheating on between months of dec-beginning of feb.



I astonished it could be so high, mainly because prior to this we lived in amuch larger apartment and were only paying 40 a month and only had 100 bill topay on move out and we were also living here for a year?



I am also not impressed with:



1. the initial scheduling of 40 a month direct debit suggested to mebased on previous tenants consumption.



2. no fore warning just a bill increase in May from 40- 168 (how didthey even estimate this if no-one took any meter readings)?



3. I received letters that someone would be coming to check the meter and nopoint did I receive a letter saying they are unable to gain access to themeter.



4. the estate agents meter reading...god knows where they got this from ifit took them 2 months to find out how to get into the box.



5. someone is lieing either the lady at eon that told me the last meterreading they took was actually higher then 32120 (although she really has noreason to) or the gentleman from eon that I spoke to today that said a debtcollector took the reading and it was correct and in fact lower than 32120?



6. the estate agents taking 2 month's to find a key for the box resulting ineven more estimated readings between end of April to end of June.



7. my final bill being 350 then on enquiring, it jumping to700!!!!!!!!??????



8. the lack of concern or help from eon to resolve this issue...I have spenthours and hours and hours on the phone to them calling them up to resolve theissue when they continually tell me it has been updated and then not bother toget back to me and then when I call up 2 weeks later - the same bill ispresent.



9. eon refusing to amend any meter readings unless I have proof, when I donot see any proof they have apart from listening to the estate agents TAHTDIDNT EVEN HAVE A KEY FOR THE ELCTRICITY BOX!!!!!


SO THERE YOU HAVE IT....I JUST HOPE SOMEONE CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS ALLFOR ME, AS CURRENTLY, I AM LOOSING THE WILL TO LIVE!!!!!!


Thanks guys & ladies...