Eon DD price rise - Cheap Energy Club

RTF

Hi. Just had a monthly DD increase to our Eon dual fuel bill from £131 pm to £224 pm  - we have a small 3 bedroom house.  It's a killer.  This "sudden" increase has arisen since we had the smart meter installed just before lockdown, but then it didn't work nor take reading until just recently again.  Eon said this was a software issue their side, we must "wait" until it is "fixed".  We are classed as a medically vulnerable customer (due to Raynauds, MSK & cardio issues), but obvs no discount.  See attached last bill meter readings.   I used to keep a spreadsheet, but due to multiple health issues not been on top of things.  I think the cheap energy club option make sense for us, automatic switching every year.  Is this what everybody else does nowadays?  Thanks.

JJ_Egan

(I think the cheap energy club option make sense for us, automatic switching every year.  Is this what everybody else does nowadays?  Thanks.)

No at the ending of every contract i look at the market .

Current electric 2 year fix and different provider for gas again two year fix .

Look at actual prices and ignore estimates and estimated DD .

Plus meter readings monthly .

[Deleted User]

Looking at the photo of your statement, it would seem that the supplier is not receiving smart meter readings for electricity (NB: the ‘E’ for estimated after each reading). I would provide E.oN with your present smart meter reading and ask them to reissue the bill. It is impossible for anyone reading your post to know whether the increase in the monthly payment is justified without some more details about your tariff; credit/debit balance, annual consumption etc.

Robin9

Nothing to do with the CEC or any comparison sites. 

Your gas consumption where there are A (for actual) reads is saying you are quite a high user. That part of the bill alone is about £300

What is potentially more worrying is the Electric where the meter reads are E (for Estimated)  - that part of the bill is a  guess and could eventually be higher or lower.

Can you read your electricity meter please ?

niktheguru

As others have posted, your electricity readings are all estimated so your bill isn't accurate. Using the CEC autoswitching tool will not solve this and will potentially make it a nightmare for you.
You are currently on an expensive tariff for your electricity. You are paying quite a high unit rate of 17p!

You need to do the following:
1. Submit your latest electricity meter reading and ask for bill to be reissued
2. Calculate what your annual usage is for gas and electricity (either use the EAC on your new bill, or just take two readings a year apart and use these to calculate your usage)
3. Go to Which switch or citizens advice bureau switching tool or CEC and do a price comparison, then choose a tariff that suits your need (e.g. cheapest, or cheapest of big 6 (if thats your preference), and do a manual switch

Please AVOID using autoswitching tools like CEC and look after my bills. They are awful and just switch you to providers that will give them a commission. If you meter readings arent accurate and based on estimates they will potentially !!!!!! up billing and make life a misery!

RTF

Hi. 

Thanks for all the feedback, life is already quite a misery, just trying to pick ourselves up again after a train smash of a healthcare experience.

I took a manual electricity reading straight after receiving this last bill, and it came out slightly higher than the estimated figures. 

You are all correct. I need to do it myself: stick last two years usage and tarrif on a spreadsheet & price compare manually.

I was justy trying to save myself some time, particularly if CEC or other auto switches are a bit of a false economy.

I cannot fathom why my gas usage has gone up so much according to the meter readings.  We owe Eon about £600 arrears, as a result of the smart meters not sending in a meter reading for about 12 months.  In previous years our duel fuel costs averaged about £130 - £160 pm; £224 represents a sudden & significant cost hike since the meters were changed. 

I understand the difference between usage, tarriff, and DD payments. 

rp1974

As harsh as may be there isn't as far as I know any discount on the basis of having medical conditions of varying seriousness.
If you haven't heard of it try googling Priority Service Register which provides various degrees of help,advice etc for those classed as vulnerable.
Not 100% certain but doesn't the smart gas meter also require the smart electricity meter to be functioning as intended to be able to send gas readings,if that's why you ended up £600 in debt wont the explanation for the hiked DD be to recoup that along with ongoing usage?.
That should've been discussed with you though,not arbitrarily decided upon by Eon,might be an idea to speak to Citizens Advice or social work/healthcare or similar to clarify this a bit,as it's looking a little murky.

Robin9

The Gas Smart would have read 0000.00  when installed (say March 2020) - it read 02592 m3  in April 2021.  That's 29000 kWh in 13 months - on the higher side of average but not excessively so.

It looks like your initial 12 month fix ran out on 1st April - did you take out a new fix then ? (the unit rate rose of 2.735 to 3.104)

MWT

rp1974 said:

Not 100% certain but doesn't the smart gas meter also require the smart electricity meter to be functioning as intended to be able to send gas readings...

No, the part that sends the meter readings to the DCC and on to your supplier is the comms. hub, that just needs power from the electricity meter.

The gas meter passes its reading to something called the 'gas proxy' which is in the comms hub.

When the DCC requests the gas readings the comms. hub replies using the data the gas meter put into the gas proxy. This avoids needing to communicate directly with the gas meter when the DCC requests readings which reduces the drain on the battery in the gas meter.

RTF

Okay, so I did the spreadsheet, and my usage is as follows:

Electricity  5,761kw           £1,011.24

Gas           25,161kw/hrs     £822.18

Total                                  £1,833.42 annual or £152.79 pm

The DD payment of £224 pm currently set is to recover the £600 arrears that have arisen due to increased consumption and the smartmeter not working (and the Eon website refusing to take manual meter readings because I have a smart meter).

Looking on moneysupermarket.com there is only one supplier that is much cheaper which is Igloo at about £135 pm

And Sergei says the cheapest is PVO, Pure Planet & EDF is cheaper by less than £10 pm

Eon's own own best tariff option offer is "Fix Online v45" which in fact turns out to be comparibly the same price than we are currently on with them.  I don't get it.

JJ_Egan

(Looking on moneysupermarket.com there is only one supplier that is much cheaper which is Igloo at about £135 pm)

Is that actual cheaper unit costs ??