E.On DD Underpayment

Fenris

Hi all,

Just asking on behalf of my Mum about E.On.

In September 2015 I persuaded her to participate in the MSE Group Buy for her gas and electric. The initial DD was £74.50 p/m, which was fine. It chugged along nicely until late March 2016 when she got a letter saying the DD would be reduced to £35.00 p/m as they'd over-estimated what she would be using. As a pensioner she was well chuffed!

Then in September 2016 she got an "annual review" letter saying that she'd been undercharged and that her new DD would be for £90.00 p/m! Understandably she was quite shocked as she thought she was in credit, as per the bills she was getting. It turns out she'd mis-read the bills and what she thought was credit was, in fact, debit. I had a look and I have to admit it took me a while to notice it was debit as (as I'm sure most will know) the big figure at the bottom of the calculations does look more like a credit than a debit. (I have to wonder if these companies do that on purpose to confuse people, the elderly in particular; it's not like they make bills easy to read!)

As she didn't have £90.00 p/m I told her to cancel the DD and I'd contact E.On for her. In the meantime I changed providers for her. After several e-mails to E.On they said they wouldn't discuss Mum's billing with me unless she signed a form to allow it. It arrived and was sent back, but E.On have yet to answer my e-mails.

Now, I know I could have been keeping a closer eye on things, but we've both had a lot on this year, what with Mum's Sister dying and her Brother being a *insert expletive here* (which I've written about in another thread) so I've been dealing with all that, plus my own illnesses, so yes, I admit, I dropped the ball on this one.

Since the undercharging has caused a larger than expected expenditure, how should we go about getting this sorted? I'd just like a little advice before I contact E.On again so I know what I'm doing as I'm stumbling about in the dark at the moment! There's a lot of info for people who have been overcharged but very little for those undercharged.

Thanks in advance,
Fen.

System

The question that needs to be asked is whether your Mother has been providing E.oN with actual meter readings? If she has not, then the supplier can only assess usage based on past usage which is historic data held by the Data Collectors. Large changes in DD payments based on estimated bills should always be treated with caution and checked by providing the supplier with a meter reading. Cancelling the monthly DD was not a wise thing to do.

My advice:

1. Call E.oN and discuss the way ahead. Ask for the DD to be re-set to a more realistic level. I would also try and agree a repayment plan. ( Monthly DDs are only account credits: your Mother has no comeback against the supplier for using estimated readings)

2. If your Mother cannot read her meter, then talk to E.oN about getting a smart meter fitted.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Good morning Fenris,

I agree with Hengus, however, from what I understand, you've now changed supplier and we're no longer supplying the gas and electricity? If that's correct it may change things a little.

As there will now be a final bill on the way, we won't have the option to change the Direct Debit payment amount/ change to a smart meter etc.

We do need to have form filling out for you to be able to discuss the account on a permanent basis, but if you call us with your mother there, she can give permission for you to discuss on that one call.

As Hengus says, have we been billing to accurate meter reads? What do the bills say? Or have we changed the DD due to receving an accurate read after estimates?

I think you should now speak to us again, especially to ensure we've received the form and to ask how the balance has built up and what accurate reads we've been provided with, we can let you know that.

Let me know if you need me.

Thank you

Helena

System

@Helena. Missed the bit about changing suppliers. Put it down to 'old age' and a tiring day trying to fit a new sink!!

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hengus wrote: »

@Helena. Missed the bit about changing suppliers. Put it down to 'old age' and a tiring day trying to fit a new sink!!

Morning Hengus,

Not to worry, have a rest, fitting sinks isn't any fun at all (not that I've ever fitted one )

Helena

Fenris

Hi,

Thanks both for your responses.

I've just been looking at the bills and have noticed that Mum's been billed for cubic feet not cubic metres. So I checked the meter and it's an old imperial one! Surely this should have been changed long ago? When my Mum lived in West Norfolk her old imperial meter was automatically replaced; they just told her when it was going to happen and it happened!

I'm a little concerned now that there might be a fault with the meter, due to age, and she may have been overcharged.

As to the question of meter readings, I'm a little confused as the bills are every three months, but I think this is right:

16-12-15 Actual
26-03-16 Estimated
09-06-16 Actual
24-09-16 Estimated
Then there's this:
Electricity readings
Period Meter no. Previous Present Rate kilowatt hours
9 Jun 16 to 8 Oct 16 xxxxxxx 14209 A 14944 E Normal 735
8 Oct 16 to 6 Dec 16 xxxxxx 14944 E 15303 C Normal 359
Gas readings
Period Meter no. Previous Present Units used kilowatt hours
9 Jun 16 to 8 Oct 16 xxxxxx 6296 A 6395 E 99 hcf 3136
•99 units x2.83 (to get cubic metres) x1.02264 (conversion factor) x39.4 (calorific value) ÷ 3.6 (to get kilowatt hours) = 3136 kWh•
8 Oct 16 to 6 Dec 16 xxxxxx 6395 E 6443 C 48 hcf 1520
24-12-16 (last date of supply) Actual

So, yes, there's a couple of estimated bills, but by and large it's been actual readings.

I've posted the above so I can refer to it if needs be when I phone tomorrow. Just easier than trying to explain over the phone!

And no, sink fitting not the most fun; getting the plumbing just right in a "funny" space can leave you bald!

molerat

The actual usage does not seem too bad so I doubt a meter error, if you want it tested you will have to pay around £80 which you will get back if faulty.

The March review was done on an estimated read because you failed to respond to the read request before billing and that caused the reduced DD. Had you supplied a reading in response to that estimate this situation would not have occurred. What are the actual reads for Dec 15 to get a picture of annual use.

System

My state of confusion continues. Presumably, when the contract was set up it would have been based on kWhs/ year which, in turn, resulted in an annual projected cost and 12 monthly payments.

There are many gas meters of a great age still in situ. If the meter is cubic feet and the conversion is for cubic feet, then I am not sure why you think that it may not be working properly, nor am I sure why you think that there has been overcharging taking place.

if I was you, I would recalculate the usage/cost based on the tariff and 2 actual meter readings. There is a reading for Dec 15 which is a good starting point. Once I had worked out the cost then it is a simple sum to take any previous credit/debit balance plus all payments less the cost of energy used to calculate any amount due.