Back billing EON

hayley6896

I joined EON in January 2020. I have submitted meter readings every 3 months as asked and paid my monthly direct debit. In September 2020 I was told my electricity meter must be faulty and they would send an engineer to look at this. I never had an engineers visit and continued to submit readings until January 2021 when I had a smart meter installed. Up until today I have been on in credit after my quarterly bills. Today I have received a bill for £1100 for back billing from January 2020 and was told I had a meter exchange they weren't aware of. A meter exchange was explained to me as me having a meter I did not tell them I have and they now say I haven't been paying the usage on. The representative on the phone said she was confused and couldn't understand. She said they aren't receiving a signal from my smart meter and haven't done since it was installed and have been estimating my bill since January 2021. However she kept referring to an off shore team and a system error at their end then lodged a complaint and said I need to wait 21 days to hear from the complaints department. Could anyone advise me on where I stand with this back billing. Thanks.

[Deleted User]

The first question is ‘has your meter been changed at anytime’? Presumably, when you switched to E.oN an agreed reading was used to close your old account and open your new E.oN account (check your past bills)?  Check and see what the meter serial number is on your bills: does it agree with the serial number shown on the actual meter?

There may indeed have been a meter exchange in the past; however, if the two suppliers have agreed to use this reading then the fault sits with E.oN. As far as Back Billing is concerned, I doubt that it will apply but if it did then the only write off would be from Jan to Mar 20. As you are paying by Direct Debit, this also reduces any Back Billing offset.

In sum, you need to seek more information from E.oN and check the suggestions above.

hayley6896

[Deleted User] said:

The first question is ‘has your meter been changed at anytime’? Presumably, when you switched to E.oN an agreed reading was used to close your old account and open your new E.oN account (check your past bills)?  Check and see what the meter serial number is on your bills: does it agree with the serial number shown on the actual meter?

There may indeed have been a meter exchange in the past; however, if the two suppliers have agreed to use this reading then the fault sits with E.oN. As far as Back Billing is concerned, I doubt that it will apply but if it did then the only write off would be from Jan to Mar 20. As you are paying by Direct Debit, this also reduces any Back Billing offset.

In sum, you need to seek more information from E.oN and check the suggestions above.

Thanks.
My meter wasn't changed between joining EON and having a smart meter fitted. 
My previous supplier gave EON meter readings when I switched.
Today I have received an itemised bill. Stating they are charging for electricity used during the night from January 2021 to now because the meter was faulty. However they didn't raise this concern with me until September 2020 and then didn't seek to resolve the issue. 
Could you please clarify what you mean by write off from January to March 2020. 
Thanks again.

hayley6896

hayley6896 said:

[Deleted User] said:

The first question is ‘has your meter been changed at anytime’? Presumably, when you switched to E.oN an agreed reading was used to close your old account and open your new E.oN account (check your past bills)?  Check and see what the meter serial number is on your bills: does it agree with the serial number shown on the actual meter?

There may indeed have been a meter exchange in the past; however, if the two suppliers have agreed to use this reading then the fault sits with E.oN. As far as Back Billing is concerned, I doubt that it will apply but if it did then the only write off would be from Jan to Mar 20. As you are paying by Direct Debit, this also reduces any Back Billing offset.

In sum, you need to seek more information from E.oN and check the suggestions above.

Thanks.
My meter wasn't changed between joining EON and having a smart meter fitted. 
My previous supplier gave EON meter readings when I switched.
Today I have received an itemised bill. Stating they are charging for electricity used during the night from January 2021 to now because the meter was faulty. However they didn't raise this concern with me until September 2020 and then didn't seek to resolve the issue. 
Could you please clarify what you mean by write off from January to March 2020. 
Thanks again.

Sorry. Thats charging for night usage from January 2020 to now.

[Deleted User]

BackBilling does not include the first 12 months looking backwards from today. So, for example, if a supplier agreed to apply the BackBilling rules as of today, they would write off charges BEFORE the 27th March 2020. However, the rules are designed to prevent bill shock so all payments made by DD are taken into account.  The best that you can hope for is a partial write off from January 2020 until a year back from the billing date (ie; to March 2020).

Forgive me for asking, did you not notice that you were not being billed for night use? Consumers are expected to review that statements that we receive.

hayley6896

[Deleted User] said:

BackBilling does not include the first 12 months looking backwards from today. So, for example, if a supplier agreed to apply the BackBilling rules as of today, they would write off charges BEFORE the 27th March 2020. However, the rules are designed to prevent bill shock so all payments made by DD are taken into account.  The best that you can hope for is a partial write off from January 2020 until a year back from the billing date (ie; to March 2020).

Forgive me for asking, did you not notice that you were not being billed for night use? Consumers are expected to review that statements that we receive.

Yes. I told them in late January 2020 that the night meter wasn't going round only a week or so into the contract with them. They said it was fine they were waiting for my previous supplier to hand over the meter and I should continue giving my meter readings. Then in September 2020 said it was faulty and my previous supplier hadn't handed the meter over to them and to allow 30 days for that then submit a meter reading which I did in November 2020 and they would send an engineer. They never sent an engineer but I kept supplying meter readings even though the number still wasn't moving. 
I've been monitoring my smart meter for the last couple of days and the night rate isn't moving on that either. 
Thanks 

[Deleted User]

I am struggling to understand your exact situation? When was the meter changed to a smart meter? Are you saying that the night rate on the old meter and now the smart meter has not advanced? It is unlikely that two meters would have the same fault. What tariff are you on, and what devices in your home make use of the night tariff; eg, storage heaters; hot water re-heating? How was your DD payment calculated: ie, how many day kWhs/year and how many night kWhs/year (peak/offpeak)?

It is often the case that, over time, consumers who were on an E7 tariff change to a single rate tariff when things such as storage heaters are removed. For example, I have SMETS2 meters which have 4 block registers. I was on a peak/offpeak tariff and two registers recorded my usage. When I switched to a single rate tariff, the supplier reverted to one register (R1) and R2 remained at its last reading. Clearly, replacing an old meter with a new one means that the registers will read zero.

hayley6896

[Deleted User] said:

I am struggling to understand your exact situation? When was the meter changed to a smart meter? Are you saying that the night rate on the old meter and now the smart meter has not advanced? It is unlikely that two meters would have the same fault. What tariff are you on, and what devices in your home make use of the night tariff; eg, storage heaters; hot water re-heating? How was your DD payment calculated: ie, how many day kWhs/year and how many night kWhs/year (peak/offpeak)?

It is often the case that, over time, consumers who were on an E7 tariff change to a single rate tariff when things such as storage heaters are removed. For example, I have SMETS2 meters which have 4 block registers. I was on a peak/offpeak tariff and two registers recorded my usage. When I switched to a single rate tariff, the supplier reverted to one register (R1) and R2 remained at its last reading. Clearly, replacing an old meter with a new one means that the registers will read zero.

My meter was changed in January 2020 to a smart meter. The night rate on the old meter didn't move and hasn't moved on the new meter since it was fitted. I'm currently on a tariff that offers electricity cheaper at the night rate. I questioned the tariff some time ago because of the meter not moving. Each time I submitted meter readings I was told that it was fine that it didn't move. I don't have storage heaters. The only things being used at night would be fridge freezer and any devices on standby. The TV is usually on until 2am. My DD payments were calculated on actual usage from my previous supplier over 12 months. My smart meter day rate reading is advancing during the night. 
Thanks 

[Deleted User]

What makes you think that you are on a dual rate tariff? If you are on a single rate tariff then only one register will increase. How much energy have you used since Jan 2020?

hayley6896

[Deleted User] said:

What makes you think that you are on a dual rate tariff? If you are on a single rate tariff then only one register will increase. How much energy have you used since Jan 2020?

My bill says I'm on a dual rate tariff. I used 4700 kwh in electricity and 10500 kwh in gas between joining in January 2020 and the meter being changed in January 2021. Based on the bill I received in early February 2021 just after my meter was changed. 
Thanks

[Deleted User]

 Are you sure that you on a dual rate tariff for electricity: it makes no sense whatsoever to be on an E7 type tariff when you have gas central heating? Which electricity tariff are you actually on? My guess is that your night register isn’t moving because all your units are being recorded as day only (or single register) which is correct for a single rate tariff. There is absolutely no way that a fridge and a few standby plugs left on overnight would result in a £1100 back bill. Your usage for the past 13 months looks to be pretty normal to me.