Eon Next - cannot have smart meter because accounts are not linked

Tried&Tested

Hi I have been struggling to get a few issues sorted with Eon Next for my mum who is disabled and lives in a block of flats. The electricity meters for the residents are held in a "machine room" with no access to residents. The gas meters are outside the entrance to the flats. As far as I know some residents have had smart meters installed by other suppliers. I have asked EON to get smart meters installed to make it easier and keep her account up to date.

She has gas and electricity with Eon Next but they are not linked as dual fuel. Eon say she cannot have a smart meter because they are not linked. I asked can they not just link them, and they say the system is not capable of doing that.

I asked how this has happened and Eon said “usually because there's been a slight difference in the address on the national database when switching so the accounts were not recognised as dual fuel which created separate accounts“.

Any help would be appreciated on how I can get this sorted so she can have a smart meter. EON are saying it can’t be done.

QrizB

She might be able to have a smart electricity meter but I suspect - with the meters being in quite different locations - a smart gas meter isn't going to work.

Can you ask for just an electricity smart meter?

Carrot007

Tried&Tested said:

She has gas and electricity with Eon Next but they are not linked as dual fuel. Eon say she cannot have a smart meter because they are not linked. I asked can they not just link them, and they say the system is not capable of doing that.

I asked how this has happened and Eon said “usually because there's been a slight difference in the address on the national database when switching so the accounts were not recognised as dual fuel which created separate accounts“.

Well they lie, but if you are using the phone you will only ever get morons anyway.

So first point is only to use the online chat where you MAY get someone with half a clue who will help.

If the systems needs teh same addres they can easily change one (it is not going to be instant). However I have aslo never heards for such an exact match. As long as they are same-ish should be fine. Get them to confrim the address's related to both.

Tried&Tested said:

The electricity meters for the residents are held in a "machine room" with no access to residents. The gas meters are outside the entrance to the flats.

No access is unacceptable. With the address's gained confirm that the meters are correct using sanity checks. If it very likely in a flat one or another is wrong. Especially given what they say. This should be done before getting them to change an address. Is her useage high. Sometimes if other people in flats have worked out they are not paying for it they will just up usage (aren;t some people nice), though of course if they don't know they may not be over using. So it will be stop using everything and go look at each meter. YEs especiually the electric. Turn of consumer uniut in flat and go look at it. Yes an appointment will be needed and probably them following you in, but it is reasonable and no health and safety is not a resonable excuse (well never is but scertainly not here).

Gerry1

INSIST on getting access to the meter room and then do the Meter Sanity Test.

It should be possible to get a smart meter for the electricity unless the meter room is seriously screened (e.g. if in a basement) but a smart gas meter probably won't be realistic if the flat is too far away to link to the smart electricity meter's communications equipment.

[Deleted User]

Only the supplier can update the National Database. I am sure that you can provide them with some form of evidence showing that the database is incorrect. In my experience, it takes no more than a couple of weeks and suppliers are well familiar with the process. 

I would agree that electricity to gas meter distance may be an issue as the gas meter has to be able to communicate with the comms hub that sits above the electricity meter. That said, a solution is being rolled out to address this issue which is known as ‘Alt HAN’. I suggest that once you have got the account issue resolved you talk to the supplier about this option.

Tried&Tested

QrizB said:

She might be able to have a smart electricity meter but I suspect - with the meters being in quite different locations - a smart gas meter isn't going to work.

Can you ask for just an electricity smart meter?

I could try but they said something on the lines of meters have to talk to each other so I assumed both had to be installed.

QrizB

Tried&Tested said:

QrizB said:

She might be able to have a smart electricity meter but I suspect - with the meters being in quite different locations - a smart gas meter isn't going to work.

Can you ask for just an electricity smart meter?

I could try but they said something on the lines of meters have to talk to each other so I assumed both had to be installed.

The gas meter has to talk to the electricity meter, but the electricity meter doesn't need a gas meter (else people without gas wouldn't be able to have smart meters).

Tried&Tested

Carrot007 said:

Tried&Tested said:

She has gas and electricity with Eon Next but they are not linked as dual fuel. Eon say she cannot have a smart meter because they are not linked. I asked can they not just link them, and they say the system is not capable of doing that.

I asked how this has happened and Eon said “usually because there's been a slight difference in the address on the national database when switching so the accounts were not recognised as dual fuel which created separate accounts“.

Well they lie, but if you are using the phone you will only ever get morons anyway.

So first point is only to use the online chat where you MAY get someone with half a clue who will help.

If the systems needs teh same addres they can easily change one (it is not going to be instant). However I have aslo never heards for such an exact match. As long as they are same-ish should be fine. Get them to confrim the address's related to both.

Tried&Tested said:

The electricity meters for the residents are held in a "machine room" with no access to residents. The gas meters are outside the entrance to the flats.

No access is unacceptable. With the address's gained confirm that the meters are correct using sanity checks. If it very likely in a flat one or another is wrong. Especially given what they say. This should be done before getting them to change an address. Is her useage high. Sometimes if other people in flats have worked out they are not paying for it they will just up usage (aren;t some people nice), though of course if they don't know they may not be over using. So it will be stop using everything and go look at each meter. YEs especiually the electric. Turn of consumer uniut in flat and go look at it. Yes an appointment will be needed and probably them following you in, but it is reasonable and no health and safety is not a resonable excuse (well never is but scertainly not here).

It was via online chat as I had spent days on hold trying to speak to someone. The first chat they said no to smart meters because she was on portfolio - whatever that means. The second chat was more helpful and explained the issue.

The access has been an issue since she moved there. It is a council managed building and a caretaker visits on random dates. The only way of getting electric meter readings in the past is to slip a note under the machine room door asking for a reading, then waiting for the day the caretaker comes and reads the note. Apparantly its in the agreement from the council that no one as acess to the machine room - all resdients seem to think this is the case. I have struggled to get his confirmed and speak to the council to about it as all comms with them is online now.

She did have the meters checked when she first moved in so I think they are correct but there's no harm in checking.

Gerry1

Tried&Tested said:

Carrot007 said:

Tried&Tested said:

She has gas and electricity with Eon Next but they are not linked as dual fuel. Eon say she cannot have a smart meter because they are not linked. I asked can they not just link them, and they say the system is not capable of doing that.

I asked how this has happened and Eon said “usually because there's been a slight difference in the address on the national database when switching so the accounts were not recognised as dual fuel which created separate accounts“.

Well they lie, but if you are using the phone you will only ever get morons anyway.

So first point is only to use the online chat where you MAY get someone with half a clue who will help.

If the systems needs teh same addres they can easily change one (it is not going to be instant). However I have aslo never heards for such an exact match. As long as they are same-ish should be fine. Get them to confrim the address's related to both.

Tried&Tested said:

The electricity meters for the residents are held in a "machine room" with no access to residents. The gas meters are outside the entrance to the flats.

No access is unacceptable. With the address's gained confirm that the meters are correct using sanity checks. If it very likely in a flat one or another is wrong. Especially given what they say. This should be done before getting them to change an address. Is her useage high. Sometimes if other people in flats have worked out they are not paying for it they will just up usage (aren;t some people nice), though of course if they don't know they may not be over using. So it will be stop using everything and go look at each meter. YEs especiually the electric. Turn of consumer uniut in flat and go look at it. Yes an appointment will be needed and probably them following you in, but it is reasonable and no health and safety is not a resonable excuse (well never is but scertainly not here).

She did have the meters checked when she first moved in so I think they are correct but there's no harm in checking.

That was probably only a check that the number on what is alleged to be her meter is the same as that shown on the bill.  It doesn't prove that it is the meter actually supplying her flat.  Always a good idea to try the Meter Sanity Test if the meter is not inside the property.  Even then there could be problems if there's a rogue landlord or the property has been subdivided without separate supplies being installed.  There have been several cases in the forum where meters have supplied a different flat.

Tried&Tested

OK, I have emailed Eon complaints department and they have basically said this "Unfortunately we are unable to merge the two accounts together for any customer. This is not an anomaly caused by the national database but instead something that relates to the setting up of a smart meter when it is across two separate accounts and the admin involved unfortunately we do not have the facility to install the meters as your are requesting".

I also asked about the electric only smart meter option and got "The option for an electric only install is not one that we are prepared to offer as this incurs long term costs for both yourself and the business".

Is there any point trying to pursue this now or would I be better going via another provider?

tomvilla21

You can try going to another provider. You won’t get any where with eon next as their system is unable to do it and raising a complaint will just be closed as a business decision as they are unable to do it so you’ll just wasting your time more than anything else