E-on Direct Debit billing error

rollon65

On my third signing up with E-on. I am on a dual fuel tariff. Here is my issue:

On signing up to their Fix Online Exclusive v46, I received a "Thanks for agreeing to pay by Direct Debit" letter dated 05/09/2020, stating that E-on would debit from my account the sum of £50.08 on the 7th day of each month.

I have now been sent a correspondence telling me that in order to cover my usage by the end of my "contract" I need to increase my monthly direct debit amount to £189.00!

Having looked into this situation, I have found that when my account was set up a "mystery" sum of £35.00 was logged in it.

It now looks more than likely that when my direct debit was set up someone, (or "the system"!) allowed for this mystery amount to be a reoccurring payment, hence the direct debit was lacking right from the start!

I have no idea where the amount has come from. The previous times time that I was with E-on were 2018 and 2019. During 2020 I was with EDF.

I have spoken with E-on at length (1hr.) on their live "chat" service and was told "I cannot reduce the amount even by 1%", in respect of what this error has done to my outstanding bill  . . . and "We advised you at the start of your contract that we would review your direct debit payment every 6 months". I re-joined them in September 2020, so even that was a bit "adrift" (September to June = 9 months, by my reckoning!).

I can't accept any excuses involving delays "due to lockdown" as during that period - and even now, I am dealing with looking after an extremely "at risk" wife who is a cancer survivor and has bronchial asthma with bronchiolitis, which makes her a very serious target for the Covid virus and I have had to cope with our lives as best as I can.

In frustration I have used the "Energy Ombudsman" website and disappointingly established that they will get involved only if after 8 weeks I have received no satisfaction from E.on.

I have sent (via the Royal Mail "Signed for" service) printed copies of my documentation to the E-on complaints address and no doubt they are sitting in someone's "In-Tray" waiting for someone's attention - eventually.

To make matters worse, my present contract with E-on ends on 5 September which is looming close and if the situation is not resolved before that date I shall automatically be rolled over onto their (expensive!) Standard pricing format. This will of course involve me in additional expense that otherwise would not have been the case!

As folks in our 70's we cannot afford to lose in this situation - as a victim of the recession in the late 90's, my private pension lost a lot of its value and let's say that retirement is not as easy as I thought it was going to be.

If anyone has navigated any similar situation and is willing to offer me any assistance, I would be so very much obliged to you.  Thank you.

[Deleted User]

I can understand your frustration but there are a number of unanswered questions here.

Have you be giving E.oN regular meter readings or do you have a smart meter?

Why has it taken you so long to realise that you underpaying against the agreed amount?

I am not being judgmental but I think that what you are looking at is a catchup bill as you have been underpaying against the agreed amount. Rather than add to the pressure that you are already under by going down the complaints route, I suggest that you ask E.oN to agree a repayment plan. At the same time, you need to look at changing your contract to another E.oN fixed deal.

brewerdave

This may not be relevant but the last time I was with EON they sent one communication with an amount for gas and a second for electricity with a different amount .They actually took the total amount by DD. Have they perhaps "forgotten" to add the amount for the second utility?

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi rollon65, as you've mentioned it sounds like the Direct Debit was too low to begin with. Since your account opened you most likely haven't been covering for your on-going usage and a debt has built up.

It sounds like the new payment amount wants to get you caught up within just two payments (August and September). The Direct Debit system changes are always done in an attempt to have the balance at exactly £0 at your annual review. Meaning you've covered exactly for what you've used; no more no less.

If you're going to be renewing with us then it's no harm to have a bit of a debt balance at the annual review. This would allow you to get caught up then in the next 12 months payments, rather than just over 2 months.

If you decide to switch then you'll be asked for payment in full of any outstanding amount when the final bill comes through. However if you're not in a position to make this payment then you can pay in instalments.  

As Dolor mentioned please ensure we have up to date meter readings and any charges shown are accurate. 

I would recommend logging into your online account and double checking your Direct Debit amount to see if you can change it to a more manageable figure. 

If this doesn't then help then it will be a case of getting back in touch with us and we'll discuss the options as mentioned above.

Thanks, Matt

rollon65

Thank you so much for contributors input. I have to admit to "throwing my toys out of the pram" over this issue now. I have paid all of the monies that E-on say that I owe and have told them that "I'm outta there", being less than 49 days from the end of my contract. As intransigent as they are being, I don't want to deal with them any more so am off to Avro to see if I can do any better.

MWT

rollon65 said:

Thank you so much for contributors input. I have to admit to "throwing my toys out of the pram" over this issue now. I have paid all of the monies that E-on say that I owe and have told them that "I'm outta there", being less than 49 days from the end of my contract. As intransigent as they are being, I don't want to deal with them any more so am off to Avro to see if I can do any better.

Do please learn from this experience though and make sure your supplier gets meter readings from you each month and check the bill to make sure that your DD payment is covering your usage...