EON Energy and Backbilling

dahr

This forum looks like the perfect place to ask this question ... 
We've been paying our EON electric bill on direct debit. EONset up the direct debit 27 months ago. They seem to have used estimated readings at least as far back as 14th May 2019. They took an actual reading 2nd Mar 2020 but for some reason their record shows 'Not used for billing'. They say the account now stands at £1450 after I gave them a reading yesterday (they sent a man to read the meter last week but no sign of his reading in the system). 
I read an EON post here that said
"Back-billing applies in certain circumstances where we've failed to bill accurately. Where we're at fault for a customer not receiving an accurate bill, we cannot charge for any unbilled energy used more than 12 months from the point the problem was fixed."
So I think that EON cannot force us to pay the amount owing before 12 months ago. In other words we should only pay for the last 12 months electricity.
Or maybe they can't charge for the unbilled electricity before 12 months ago.
Does that sound right?
Thanks
Andy

welshmoneylover

any reason why you didn’t read the meter yourself to check the accuracy of the bill?
eon has sent a bill , they don’t sound negligent to me

Robin9

@dahr   Did Eon send you emails asking for you to take readings.?   Have you been receiving bills OK  -  did the bottom line showing how much you were owing keep on growing.?

27 months ago takes you back to Dec 18/Jan 19 - is that when you became an Eon customer ?   If you were on a 12 month fix that would have run out Dec19/Jan 20 and since then you have probably been on a standard (ie expensive) tariff.

I think you need to take some responsibility here - you seem to have taken your eye off the ball with the result that confusion reigns.

Hasbeen

dahr said:

This forum looks like the perfect place to ask this question ... 
We've been paying our EON electric bill on direct debit. EONset up the direct debit 27 months ago. They seem to have used estimated readings at least as far back as 14th May 2019. They took an actual reading 2nd Mar 2020 but for some reason their record shows 'Not used for billing'. They say the account now stands at £1450 after I gave them a reading yesterday (they sent a man to read the meter last week but no sign of his reading in the system). 
I read an EON post here that said
"Back-billing applies in certain circumstances where we've failed to bill accurately. Where we're at fault for a customer not receiving an accurate bill, we cannot charge for any unbilled energy used more than 12 months from the point the problem was fixed."
So I think that EON cannot force us to pay the amount owing before 12 months ago. In other words we should only pay for the last 12 months electricity.
Or maybe they can't charge for the unbilled electricity before 12 months ago.
Does that sound right?
Thanks
Andy

You might think it is a perfect place to ask the question. But you might not like the truthful answers? 

But believe EON are not at fault here, rather:

You have relied on low estimated readings for 27 Months.  

You did not check these estimates against your meters to check they were correct.

You did not submit recommended monthly readings to get accurate bills.

They have billed you regularly. Albeit estimates. So would think clutching at straws regards any back billing. But others may be able to figure an out for you?

You have used the energy, so you will have to pay for it.  

Ask them for a repayment plan/schedule if you can not afford to pay for the electricity you have used, in one go.

Sorry! Not what you wanted to hear. But you have to take responsibility for this and get control of your energy readings and payments.

I assume this is your first property and the first time dealing with energy bills?

You may be on an expensive tariff?

Now you know your actual yearly usage pop it into here to find a cheaper supplier once you have paid your debt.

Click on LINKY

Neil_Jones

dahr said:

This forum looks like the perfect place to ask this question ... 

Back billing only applies as a general rule if you give them readings (or they guess) and then don't do anything with any of them and you don't get a bill because they screwed up.  It does not apply if your bills are full of estimated readings because you didn't give any.

Also your direct debit is not your bill either, so if you now owe nearly £1500, that implies one of two things:  Either your direct debit is too low and has been for a while or the meter readings used are well below what you're actually using, and now there is an actual reading the system plays catch-up.  If you'd done your meter readings the problem either wouldn't exist or wouldn't be so bad.

dahr

Thanks for all the replies.
Here's a few replies the the questions: 
We moved in 27 months ago - I gave them readings, at that time. We went for a standard not fixed tariff.
I haven't relied on estimated readings for 27 months - THEY read the meter a year ago. 
As I understand it the company is responsible for reading the meter. Not me. See ofgem notes below.
It's really a basic question :  if they don't bill correctly a year ago can they chase the unbilled value from 12 months ago?
Again this is straight from EON on this forum : 
"Back-billing applies in certain circumstances where we've failed to bill accurately. Where we're at fault for a customer not receiving an accurate bill, we cannot charge for any unbilled energy used more than 12 months from the point the problem was fixed."
I understand your points about - we used it so we should pay - but EON is responsible for correct billing it seems - and the regulator is not happy with companies failing to keep THEIR eye on the ball and sending large bills because they haven't read the meter properly. Back billing does apply if I don't send meter readings as far as I can see.
Bottom line - does back-billing apply here? 

This is from ofgem website  /who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-back-billing-guide-your-rights (I can't post links yet)

"You cannot be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you have not been correctly billed by a supplier."

From ofgem website
/ofgem-bans-suppliers-backbilling-customers-beyond-12-months
"Ofgem is banning suppliers from issuing customers with backbills for energy used more than 12 months ago (1).

Backbills can result from problems with a supplier’s billing system, or from suppliers estimating bills until they have an actual meter reading which may show that the customer’s consumption is higher than expected. Suppliers then send a ‘catch-up’ bill to recover the difference."

"Suppliers can still backbill customers past 12 months where the customer’s behaviour is obstructive, such as blocking physical access to a meter, or manifestly unreasonable, such as tampering with a meter or stealing energy. Consumers will not be at fault for failing to provide meter readings. "

I also note that, on the phone, the EON person told me it was my responsibility to read the meter every month not theirs.

Hasbeen

Did you read the post above yours? 

Perhaps the EON rep will see your thread reply and explain to you?

E.ON_Company_Representative

[Deleted User]

I don’t agree with the BackBilling Regulations as I believe that they are open to abuse. That said, an occasional look at the Supply Licence is worth it; particularly, the paragraph about the supplier obtaining a meter reading.

Condition 21B. Billing based on meter readings

21B.1 If a Customer provides a meter reading to the licensee that the licensee considers reasonably accurate, or if the Electricity Meter is read by the licensee, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to reflect the meter reading in the next Bill or statement of account sent to the Customer.

21B.2 If the licensee considers that a meter reading provided by a Customer is not reasonably accurate, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to contact the Customer to obtain a new meter reading from him.

21B.3 Paragraphs 21B.4 and 21B.5 apply from 31 December 2014.

21B.4 The licensee must take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading (including any meter reading transmitted electronically from a meter to the licensee or provided by the Customer and accepted by the licensee) for each of its Customers at least once every year.

This paragraph does not apply in relation to any Customer with a Prepayment Meter.

dahr

I've analysed my old bills and it looks like they did apply their reading a year ago.
So I think in this case they can back-bill. Ho hum

But this is not an easy area to understand and EON employees are good at making it difficult to work out, in my experience.

BUT - as i understand it - if they fail to read/bill correctly (and the consumer hasn't been obstructive/stealing/etc) then they can NOT retrospectively bill prior to 12 months. (So, for example. 12 months ago the bill said you owe them 100 but you actually owed 150 - then they can't charge the 50). It's not the consumers job to read meters!
Thanks for inputs!

E.ON_Company_Representative

dahr said:

This forum looks like the perfect place to ask this question ... 
We've been paying our EON electric bill on direct debit. EONset up the direct debit 27 months ago. They seem to have used estimated readings at least as far back as 14th May 2019. They took an actual reading 2nd Mar 2020 but for some reason their record shows 'Not used for billing'. They say the account now stands at £1450 after I gave them a reading yesterday (they sent a man to read the meter last week but no sign of his reading in the system). 
I read an EON post here that said
"Back-billing applies in certain circumstances where we've failed to bill accurately. Where we're at fault for a customer not receiving an accurate bill, we cannot charge for any unbilled energy used more than 12 months from the point the problem was fixed."
So I think that EON cannot force us to pay the amount owing before 12 months ago. In other words we should only pay for the last 12 months electricity.
Or maybe they can't charge for the unbilled electricity before 12 months ago.
Does that sound right?
Thanks
Andy

Hi Andy, hope you're well.

It sounds like you've done a fair bit of research into back-billing so that's good. It can get quite complicated in working out what is and isn't eligible. This is why we have a specialist team that will investigate this for you. If your account hasn't been billed to actual readings for more than 12 months it's quite likely that it's been automatically flagged and passed over.

Apologies if this sounds a little crass but you can't just not provide meter readings for 27 months, and then expect to only pay for the last 12 months worth of usage. If this was the case then everyone would do it. 

If you had been providing regular readings during this time but we didn't use them then this would likely need to be looked in to. You mention there was a reading taken 2nd March 2020 but not used in billing? It would depend on the reason why this wasn't used. For example if we had produced a bill just prior to this then the system wouldn't automatically rebill using that reading. It will likely have been used to help us estimate the reading for the following bill though. 

Similarly if we hadn't sent a bill at all for this 27 months then it would likely apply. However on every estimated bill we will advise that it's estimated and ask you to provide a meter reading. 

If you're in contact with us then you can ask for back-billing to be looked into, as I say often it's passed over automatically. Based on the information provided I don't think it will apply but without seeing the account I wouldn't be able to say definitively. If the balance is correct then we can look at organising for you to pay in instalments to make it as affordable as possible.

Thanks, Matt

niktheguru

Sounds like the OP is trying to chance their luck to get free energy. Here's a genuine question, if EON ask you if they can install smart meters in your property, will you be agreeing or refusing? That way this wont happen again! :-)