Eon gas meter switch problems

danielspencer

Hi,

Hope someone can help.

Eon changed my gas and electric prepay meters for credit meters in early December.

My online electricity account was updated the same day and have been able to transfer to a more competitive tarriff. However, I am still waiting for the same to happen for my gas. Basically, I have not had a gas bill from them as yet.

I have contacted Eon several times through the phone and online means. They keep telling me my new meter has to be updated on the national database??

Can this be true? It seems ridiculous. All I want is a gas bill so I can pay them. I can't even set up a regular direct debit without this transaction being completed.

Any help or advice as to where to go from here would be appreciated.

Thank you

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hello danielspencer and welcome to the Forums.

I'm sorry it's taking a long time to update your account following the meter exchange in December. To be honest, this isn't unusual. Depending on the circumstances, it can take several weeks before everything is sorted.

The meter operator for your area who did the exchange will have sent us the details via electronic messages. It can take a few days for the messages to come through depending on who the meter operator is. We then need to let a number of third parties know about the change. These include the energy distributors, meter readers and the national databases that record details of all the meters in the country. Usually, this is also done via a series of electronic messages.

I say usually because, if your gas comes through an Independent Gas Transporter (IGT), the updates are done manually. This adds to the time. The Christmas period will have also added to the delay.

Once all is through, you'll be able to set up a Direct Debit and use the online tools on our website. When you arranged for the meter exchange, did you pick a tariff from those available at the time? If you did, this will be the tariff you go on and it'll be back dated to the day the meters were exchanged.

Similarly with the billing. The technician would've sent us the closing readings from the old meter and the opening readings from the new meter. We'll base the billing on these. If this results in a debit balance, we'll be happy to look at spreading this over a more manageable period. If you go for a Monthly Direct Debit, we'll include the balance in the monthly payments. Alternatively, to stop a debit balance building, you can make payments to the account now. These will be offset against the bill once raised.

Sorry again for the delay and hope this helps explain.

Malc

System

@Malc - with only 4 years to go, and noting your comments, I have to ask how is the 'industry' with its Third-World back office procedures going to cope with 50M smart meter installs, and associated meter number changes? I foresee a period of total chaos, upset customers, billing issues and supplier fines.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hengus wrote: »

@Malc - with only 4 years to go, and noting your comments, I have to ask how is the 'industry' with its Third-World back office procedures going to cope with 50M smart meter installs, and associated meter number changes? I foresee a period of total chaos, upset customers, billing issues and supplier fines.

Understand where you're coming from Hengus. Not long to go now. I can't speak for other suppliers but we've invested heavily in our Smart project over a number of years and are continuing to do so. We've separate centres around the country that look after everything to do with the project and they're growing all the time.

Only time will tell, of course, but we're committed to achieving the targets we've been set. Our website is a great place to see our progress with the Smart roll-out.

Malc

System

I certainly dont understand where hes coming from Malc .These "anti smart "people are more and more like the "remoaners " all the time.Always looking for the negatives, and just like the pathetic remoaners they should be ridiculed. Absolutely no chaos whatsover Hengus. British Gas have now got over a million and a quarter smart customers .I ve spoke to a few today who ve had them in for years..They can t understand what the hell you are complaining about.They all work perfectly ! all billing is automatic and always spot on, no mess ups or prepayment meter installs through years of incorrect billing.I know your next line, what if they want to switch ?..They switch to Sainsburys mostly and keep smart. One big advantage to the brave supplier , like BG who installed smarts years before the foreign crowd started dipping their feet in the water is that they keep their core customers because they are happy with the billing and do not want to move on to the chaos of the Spanish and the German.s The two cheapest tariffs last year in my area were the BG collective 2017 and the Sainsburys Energy June 2017.

System

House_Martin wrote: »

I certainly dont understand where hes coming from Malc .These "anti smart "people are more and more like the "remoaners " all the time.Always looking for the negatives, and just like the pathetic remoaners they should be ridiculed. Absolutely no chaos whatsover Hengus. British Gas have now got over a million and a quarter smart customers .I ve spoke to a few today who ve had them in for years..They can t understand what the hell you are complaining about.They all work perfectly ! all billing is automatic and always spot on, no mess ups or prepayment meter installs through years of incorrect billing.I know your next line, what if they want to switch ?..They switch to Sainsburys mostly and keep smart. One big advantage to the brave supplier , like BG who installed smarts years before the foreign crowd started dipping their feet in the water is that they keep their core customers because they are happy with the billing and do not want to move on to the chaos of the Spanish and the German.s The two cheapest tariffs last year in my area were the BG collective 2017 and the Sainsburys Energy June 2017.

@House Martin. Clearly, changing your username hasn't changed your attitude to anyone who happens to disagree with you.

It might surprise you to know that the smart meter installed in my property is working well.

I am not, as you so frequently suggest, against smart meters. I am against the cackhanded and expensive way that they are being introduced with, as yet, no guarantee of project success.

Note, people who revert to personal abuse are usually on the losing side of the argument.

System

Hang on Hengus ! lets drop the fraudulent false "personal abuse " rubbish. Where is the personal abuse ?We can do without that thanks.YOU have had it your own way on here for months now with a constant stream of diabtribe of negatives against smarts.
Today I v been to around 30 five year "must inspects on BG smart meters, along with my usual cyclic meter reading duties. They have started coming thick and fast nowadays revealing just how many there are around. I ve spoken to quite a few of them and not one has ever complained. They are all positive about then and do not want to change meters, or suppliers even for SMETS2 and are baffled when I tell them of this forums total bias. EVERY time a smart meter question pops up, up pops up the usual critics and you ve had it your own way for too long now. Its time , like the "remoaners " to quit I think and stick to what you actually know about.I am the only one on here with practical experience of them, you people are nothing more than hobbyiests.
I can see with my own eyes every day now that BG have a success with them.They all work brilliantly , and cheaply. We only have to have a look at them every 5 years or so. They are transforming the industry and the jewel in the crown will be smart prepayment success to drive down the costs of prepay meters.

SammenForLivet2

British Gas started early on smart meter installs, and so are in quite a good position, despite them only just trailing now SMETS2 meters. Plus, from what I hear they are targeting high risk customers with incentives for SMART installs, as this helps to mitigate the costs of changing a customer to pay as you go meters, as the debt path from Smart Credit to Smart Prepay is very much reduced.

What excited me most last week was seeing a SWALEC/SSE SMETS2 installed smart meter working on our end, reporting readings through MDUS to us, despite me not working for SSE. Had to double and triple check with the customer that the meter wasn't installed by us. Customer wasn't excited, but it's great to see a smart meter installed by another supplier working with us.

Malc, sorry to be a pain, but if you've any guides on reading your E.ON Smart Meters that would be great. They seem to be quite challenging to read manually - not as easy as clicking B or 9 on the keypad

And House Martin, I take it from what you mention you work for G4S. Bear in mind that some of the French, German and Spanish energy suppliers (albeit some have kept them in house more than BG) are some of your biggest customers

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

SammenForLivet2 wrote: »

British Gas started early on smart meter installs, and so are in quite a good position, despite them only just trailing now SMETS2 meters. Plus, from what I hear they are targeting high risk customers with incentives for SMART installs, as this helps to mitigate the costs of changing a customer to pay as you go meters, as the debt path from Smart Credit to Smart Prepay is very much reduced.

What excited me most last week was seeing a SWALEC/SSE SMETS2 installed smart meter working on our end, reporting readings through MDUS to us, despite me not working for SSE. Had to double and triple check with the customer that the meter wasn't installed by us. Customer wasn't excited, but it's great to see a smart meter installed by another supplier working with us.

Malc, sorry to be a pain, but if you've any guides on reading your E.ON Smart Meters that would be great. They seem to be quite challenging to read manually - not as easy as clicking B or 9 on the keypad

And House Martin, I take it from what you mention you work for G4S. Bear in mind that some of the French, German and Spanish energy suppliers (albeit some have kept them in house more than BG) are some of your biggest customers

Hello SammenForLivet2 and sorry you find reading our Smart Meters challenging.

We use several different makes of Smart Meter and instructions are left by the technician doing the installation. I don't have any guides as such but there's information on our website that might help including some videos.

We've separate teams dedicated to all things Smart and they'll also be happy to help. Contact details are on our website.

Malc

System

SammenForLivet2 wrote: »

British Gas started early on smart meter installs, and so are in quite a good position, despite them only just trailing now SMETS2 meters. Plus, from what I hear they are targeting high risk customers with incentives for SMART installs, as this helps to mitigate the costs of changing a customer to pay as you go meters, as the debt path from Smart Credit to Smart Prepay is very much reduced.

What excited me most last week was seeing a SWALEC/SSE SMETS2 installed smart meter working on our end, reporting readings through MDUS to us, despite me not working for SSE. Had to double and triple check with the customer that the meter wasn't installed by us. Customer wasn't excited, but it's great to see a smart meter installed by another supplier working with us.

That is good to hear; however, it doesn't allay my concerns about the industry that sits beneath the suppliers.

Malc commented: I'm sorry it's taking a long time to update your account following the meter exchange in December. To be honest, this isn't unusual. Depending on the circumstances, it can take several weeks before everything is sorted.


Given that the old (non smart) meters must have had a working life of say 20 years (mine have been in that long), then it follows that, based on an estimate of 53M domestic meters,, the annual meter churn rate was c 2.6M meter changes a year. Yet, Malc indicates that the industry is struggling to update its databases because of all the parties involved.

Given that suppliers have to install 50M new smart meters in the next 4 years (and the Big 6 are only required to install 1500 smart meters each this year (including SMETS1), then it follows that the industry could be looking at a figure of more than 12.5 to 15M meter changes each year until 2020. Project NEXUS is also now on life support with the management of it having been taken over by Ofgem.

Notwithstanding how good the suppliers' smart meter teams are, it follows that if the industry is struggling to cope with 2.5M meter changes a year, it is going to struggle a lot more with 6 times as many requests going through the system.

Comment?

Raxiel

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hello SammenForLivet2 and sorry you find reading our Smart Meters challenging.

We use several different makes of Smart Meter and instructions are left by the technician doing the installation. I don't have any guides as such but there's information on our website that might help including some videos.

We've separate teams dedicated to all things Smart and they'll also be happy to help. Contact details are on our website.

Malc

Malc, I had a Secure Liberty 100 smart (and matching gas) installed last December and the technician didn't leave me any paperwork for the meter, just a leaflet for the IHD. Should I have had one?

I had to figure out using this guide from Utilita to work out what button did what: http://www.utilita.co.uk/downloads/SMET-User-Guide-DUAL-FUEL.pdf