EON PAYG Alert Bug

AndyCF

This is more a FYI than anything else. I thought about putting it into an email and sending it as it would be highly unlikely that trying to explain it on the phone would result in any success.

Its not a big issue it is more a practical comment or two really:

The options online to send an alert if your balance drops below a certain value does not work correctly in regards to the IHD. The text one does function but the IHD does not, not properly anyway. Let me explain but its a tad complex:

If you set it at say £5 or £3 or any value you like then it does work correctly and the IHD displays the flashing triangle "low credit" warning once this limit (that you can adjust online) is reached. That's 100% correct.

However if you turn it off to not send an alert, and I have tried this with the balance both above and below the alert level and tried it at < 3 remaining and when there was > 10 remaining, the 'low credit' triangle remembers the wrong value and appears at its last set value.

I even tried adjusting it and waiting 24 hours then adjusting it again. Points imo towards a firmware update needed for the IHD perhaps. Its possible later ones behave correctly.

Can't get more specifics at this moment as the system is down.

Please note this is -not- the same as the 'lower than 2 or 3 credit' alert setting that is on/off , this is the adjustable one instead.



A slightly different comment here, there was a teeny repayment on mine, (about £4 and some pence) and I paid it off as a lump online, however rather than pay the pence value as well as the pounds I left that so that it would simply 'eat' it over the next two days.

This resulted in a letter (costing you 60-80 pence) telling me that I owed 32pence! The three points here are:

1. Although its automated I think if the sum < £1 the system ought to not bother with a letter and email and/or text, it is likely there will be another contact method! Failing that or regardless there would be nothing to stop anyone (and its in the terms so no client could complain) simply collecting said pence over a few days!

2. The letter was actually dated a day after the 'pence' were gone, not just the day the sum (£4 odd) was paid! , this is likely just the way the system works though.

3. I realise that there is probably a good postal discount for EON with mass mailings but it can't even with said discount be cost effective to send a letter for such a sum.

AndyCF

For clarity: now the site is working again this is the 'Alert Settings' page on your account management. This ranges from "none" then "£3" upwards to "£100"

The "fuel balance alert" is the one at issue here, not the 'Disconnection warning' one which you get at < £2

I have purposely set it at £3 saved, waited a bit then set it at "none" to see what happens this time. In case it was fxed since I last checked. It does appear though to be more a IHD bug not a meter bug.

EDIT... Further clarification: If you set it to 3 , 4 , 5 , 10 (anything) it behaves properly. If you turn it "off" it sets an unknown alert value , its over 5 for sure, I suspect it is 10 or 20 actually but I cannot be sure. This is the issue, you cannot 'turn it off'

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

AndyCF wrote: »

This is more a FYI than anything else. I thought about putting it into an email and sending it as it would be highly unlikely that trying to explain it on the phone would result in any success.

Its not a big issue it is more a practical comment or two really:

The options online to send an alert if your balance drops below a certain value does not work correctly in regards to the IHD. The text one does function but the IHD does not, not properly anyway. Let me explain but its a tad complex:

If you set it at say £5 or £3 or any value you like then it does work correctly and the IHD displays the flashing triangle "low credit" warning once this limit (that you can adjust online) is reached. That's 100% correct.

However if you turn it off to not send an alert, and I have tried this with the balance both above and below the alert level and tried it at < 3 remaining and when there was > 10 remaining, the 'low credit' triangle remembers the wrong value and appears at its last set value.

I even tried adjusting it and waiting 24 hours then adjusting it again. Points imo towards a firmware update needed for the IHD perhaps. Its possible later ones behave correctly.

Can't get more specifics at this moment as the system is down.

Please note this is -not- the same as the 'lower than 2 or 3 credit' alert setting that is on/off , this is the adjustable one instead.



A slightly different comment here, there was a teeny repayment on mine, (about £4 and some pence) and I paid it off as a lump online, however rather than pay the pence value as well as the pounds I left that so that it would simply 'eat' it over the next two days.

This resulted in a letter (costing you 60-80 pence) telling me that I owed 32pence! The three points here are:

1. Although its automated I think if the sum < £1 the system ought to not bother with a letter and email and/or text, it is likely there will be another contact method! Failing that or regardless there would be nothing to stop anyone (and its in the terms so no client could complain) simply collecting said pence over a few days!

2. The letter was actually dated a day after the 'pence' were gone, not just the day the sum (£4 odd) was paid! , this is likely just the way the system works though.

3. I realise that there is probably a good postal discount for EON with mass mailings but it can't even with said discount be cost effective to send a letter for such a sum.

AndyCF wrote: »

For clarity: now the site is working again this is the 'Alert Settings' page on your account management. This ranges from "none" then "£3" upwards to "£100"

The "fuel balance alert" is the one at issue here, not the 'Disconnection warning' one which you get at < £2

I have purposely set it at £3 saved, waited a bit then set it at "none" to see what happens this time. In case it was fxed since I last checked. It does appear though to be more a IHD bug not a meter bug.

EDIT... Further clarification: If you set it to 3 , 4 , 5 , 10 (anything) it behaves properly. If you turn it "off" it sets an unknown alert value , its over 5 for sure, I suspect it is 10 or 20 actually but I cannot be sure. This is the issue, you cannot 'turn it off'

Hello AndyCF and many thanks for your feedback.

We're aware there are currently issues with alerts for some customers using our Smart PAYG meters. We're in touch with our IT people as they work towards a fix. I don't have a date for this fix yet and will send your comments to them so they're up to speed with the impact this is having.

On the letter, as you say, these are sent automatically once the debt on a prepayment meter has changed outside of the normal collection route. Many thanks for your payment. As this changed the debt, the letter will have been triggered regardless of the amount owing. A letter would also have been sent if you had cleared the entire amount to let you know of the change in case you wanted to adjust the amount you top up.

Sorry for the IT issues AndyCF and thanks again for the feedback. This is always useful.

Malc

AndyCF

Hi Malc,

You're very welcome.

I'm sorry if the initial post was confusing. The second post should hopefully of clarified it. Summary simply being if you turn the adjustable level alert off, it does not turn off but I'm not able to determine what value it has set itself at.

Good to know you're aware of it. Its not really a huge issue but can be fractionally annoying I must admit as it can catch your eye!

The letter I understand, I'd paid it aside from the odd pence simply as I prefer to deal in whole pounds when using a card, the idea being the x pence per day would eat the few pence remaining.

I would say regarding the letter triggering: this again might be an I.T thing but logic here would suggest that if a client is owing < £1 it can either be collected via PAYG debt automatically or simply adjusted from a credit bill perhaps. All I want to suggest here is the possibility the system looks at the sum due, and if its < £1 it does not trigger a letter, seems a bit pointless somehow not to mention not economical. I'd say this even if the client does not have an alternative method of contact simply as with such a small sum it can be taken at 14p/daily I think without prior notice ? I could be wrong!

Realise hands=tied but the 'logic' in < £1 due = no letter does make good business sense too!

EDIT... Left some positive comments in the 'feedback' topic too about something else. Took a while but we got there!

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

AndyCF wrote: »

Hi Malc,

You're very welcome.

I'm sorry if the initial post was confusing. The second post should hopefully of clarified it. Summary simply being if you turn the adjustable level alert off, it does not turn off but I'm not able to determine what value it has set itself at.

Good to know you're aware of it. Its not really a huge issue but can be fractionally annoying I must admit as it can catch your eye!

The letter I understand, I'd paid it aside from the odd pence simply as I prefer to deal in whole pounds when using a card, the idea being the x pence per day would eat the few pence remaining.

I would say regarding the letter triggering: this again might be an I.T thing but logic here would suggest that if a client is owing < £1 it can either be collected via PAYG debt automatically or simply adjusted from a credit bill perhaps. All I want to suggest here is the possibility the system looks at the sum due, and if its < £1 it does not trigger a letter, seems a bit pointless somehow not to mention not economical. I'd say this even if the client does not have an alternative method of contact simply as with such a small sum it can be taken at 14p/daily I think without prior notice ? I could be wrong!

Realise hands=tied but the 'logic' in < £1 due = no letter does make good business sense too!

EDIT... Left some positive comments in the 'feedback' topic too about something else. Took a while but we got there!

Thanks again for the feedback AndyCF. As above, I've passed this on.

I've also seen the positive comments you've left on our Feedback thread. Thanks for these too. Glad this has been sorted.

Have a good weekend.

Malc