EON Energy - Bill is for somebody else's electricty

Lucky_Duck_2

We moved into our new home a little while back and the electricity charges seemed rather too high so I checked the meter box and found that the serial number given on the bill and one installed don't match and that we have billed for three times the energy that we have been using!


However we are getting chased to pay the bill despite EoN being told almost a month ago of the problem and today's 20 minute long phone call which didn't really go anywhere the line was cut at 8pm.


I have just emailed a complaint to them but is there anything else I should do to so that this doesn't get escalated or incorrectly reported to CRAs?


Many thanks

CashStrapped

This is a common issue. Unfortunately it may have been going back years.

New builds are often all wrongly assigned ad if it is not sorted out immediately it is like trying to unpick a knot.

Old properties converted in to flats also have the same issue.

You might be paying someone else's bill, and that person is paying someone else's too.

You need to record as much evidence as you can, pictures etc but follow the in house complaints procedure. If there is no agreed resolution you can then take it to the ombudsman.

You have to make it a formal complaint. An email is good, some think a formal letter still carries more weight. At least with an email there is a paper trail and you can attach photos.

The Eon reps on here may be able to get involved. They are usually pretty active.

You may be in the position where you are obliged to pay the bill as your name is on the account. Any mess and refunds will be sorted out after. Withholding a bill payment may only affect you (credit report mark etc.). So unless you can resolve this quickly, you may have to pay it in the mean time.

You need to trace where your meter is and give them the correct reading. This is where it gets messy. Someone may have been paying that for years. So you need to ensure they are paying the correct meter too. But you need to prove which is your meter, rather that trying prove which meter is not yours.

If it is a small block, it may be worth checking if everyone is paying the correct meter. Again, this can get complicated and messy.

You need to identify if the meter is the correct one, or the bill reference is the correct one.

Do a meter test. Turn everything off in the flat, check for those meters with no recorded use. Then turn a kettle on. Check for the meter recording high use. Turn the kettle off. Check if the same meter has stopped. Repeat a few times to be sure.

Good luck

Lucky_Duck_2

Thanks


Its a smart meter so they can 'see' the correct meter reading but for some reason appeared to have convinced themselves that the issue had been sorted without doing anything.


There has been some kind of 'muck up' as the remote display for the smart meter I found in one of the kitchen cupboards has the wrong meter reference number on the packaging and it has never worked. Perhaps because the meter it is paired to is too far away.

CashStrapped

Does the meter number on the bill match the meter for your flat? That is the key thing.

Whether smart meter or not, an incorrectly assigned meter is an incorrectly assigned meter.

Lucky_Duck_2

The serial numbers do not match (I have given EoN the correct number)

It's a detached house so I am 99.9% sure I have identified my meter!

CashStrapped

Well that certainly narrows the search!

Is it a new build detached?

Lucky_Duck_2

Yes - New build.

We moved in back in late April 2016 but the first bill didn't arrive until January this year which is why the problem hadn't been spotted sooner.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Good morning Lucky Duck and thank you CashStrapped.

Already some excellent advice.

I'd like to say sorry first of all about the phone conversation that you had with us, we really should have started the ball rolling with resolving this, then escalating to the next complaint level.

It does sound like a crossed meter and even though you have a detached house, it can happen especially with new builds.

We do actually have a crossed meter department and they're the ones best placed to deal with it.

I know you've sent an email now, so this will be filtered to the correct people. As it's a complaint a complaint will be raised on the account and this will follow the escalation process if a resolution isn't reached.

There're will be some work to do on the account to get things right and then produce an accurate bill for you, do you have some accurate reads from when you moved in? And also some up to date reads? This will really help.

Therefore, it may take a little bit of time to be sorted out, but you've done the right thing.

If you do need any help from me, please just ask, it's no problem at all.

Thank you

Helena

Lesley_crosby

Don't rely on your Smart meters being reliable both my electric and Gas meters ( not EON) malfunctioned and I've come here today to get advice on getting an independent survey of.my property
I live in a newly built eco friendly bungalow by mself with less than average gas bills , less than average water bills but an electric bill double the size of an average 4 bedroomed house.
Living alone and being disabled air seldom use the cooker ? The washer is used twice a week and I have a wet room as opposed to a bath
An example of electricity usage dec15 I was using 5
9 kwh a day BUT Dec 16 I was using 20 kwhs per day despite the house being empty as I was in India and the only thing running was the fridge freezer
The Utility provider is not questioning circumstances neither is the energy ombudsman HELP

Lucky_Duck_2

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena wrote: »

Good morning Lucky Duck and thank you CashStrapped.

Already some excellent advice.

I'd like to say sorry first of all about the phone conversation that you had with us, we really should have started the ball rolling with resolving this, then escalating to the next complaint level.

It does sound like a crossed meter and even though you have a detached house, it can happen especially with new builds.

We do actually have a crossed meter department and they're the ones best placed to deal with it.

I know you've sent an email now, so this will be filtered to the correct people. As it's a complaint a complaint will be raised on the account and this will follow the escalation process if a resolution isn't reached.

There're will be some work to do on the account to get things right and then produce an accurate bill for you, do you have some accurate reads from when you moved in? And also some up to date reads? This will really help.

Therefore, it may take a little bit of time to be sorted out, but you've done the right thing.

If you do need any help from me, please just ask, it's no problem at all.

Thank you

Helena

Hi,

Many thanks for posting

The meter reads at handover were supplied and I discussed the current meter reading with your colleague when I first spotted the problem last month.

I did ask for an acknowledgement that my email has been received and was being attended to - how long should I wait for this before chasing?

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Lucky_Duck wrote: »

Hi,

Many thanks for posting

The meter reads at handover were supplied and I discussed the current meter reading with your colleague when I first spotted the problem last month.

I did ask for an acknowledgement that my email has been received and was being attended to - how long should I wait for this before chasing?

No problem, thank you for the reply.

It's good that you have the meter reads, this helps.

The email should be responded to within 3-5 working days.

As it is a new build, we rely on the builder or the customer to let us have the details of the customer that has moved in, it sounds like the account for the property has been stuck under the builders account and that's the reason for the delayed bill.

Also with new builds, they often start off with a plot number, then a house number and this is how these properties get mixed up meter details.

As I say, we have a crossed meter team and they need to get resolving this for you.

You've taken the right steps and a complaint will be raised.

Thanks again.

Helena