EONs Standing charges policy for 1 no energy, 2 low energy users

username0x

After sending EON no less then ten emails I have been unable to get their official company policy on the statement below which appears on their website:

"What if I don't use energy, or I'm a low user and don't want to pay a standing charge?

Whilst you have meters in your property, standing charges will be applied to your account. If you meet the eligibility criteria above and you contact us with readings to confirm you haven’t used any gas and/or electricity since the start date of your supply - we’re able to remove the standing charge from your account until you begin to use gas and/or electricity at the property.

If you have a gas and/or electricity meter that's not in use and you‘re not planning on using any energy for some time, or you’re a low user and you don’t need gas and/or electricity at your property then we can remove your fuse o meters"

Note that the above statement is regarding removal of standing charges under two categories

1: What if I don't use energy.

2: Or I'm a low user.

Trying to get EON to clarify how many units or KWh usage in total or per year is required to qualify for these two categories appears impossible. They will either copy and past you a reply saying one of the followings three standard response

1 please phone us to discuss this (is we don't want to put anything in writing)

2 Please provide us with more information (why? Why should I need to provide them with more information to clarify their company policy on standing charges for No energy and Low energy users?

3 Help us to locate your account (why, why do you need to locate my account to provide a statement about company policy?)

Well as I'm sure you can all guess the reason is because EONs policy on removing standing charges for No energy/Low energy users depends on what they can get away with hence their policy is deliberately vague and changes depending on who you talk to.

Mstty

Phone them and get a definitive answer, let us know how you get on.

GingerTim

It's pretty clear from reading that you have two options. Either:

a) the standing charge will be removed if you can demonstrate that you haven't used gas or electricity at all since EOn began supplying you

or

b) if you think you are a no energy/low energy user you can have the standing charge removed from your bill by having your meters removed (with all the potential expense of that removal, and the potential expense of reinstating them).

Alter_ego

Hard to imagine why a low user would want their meter removed

pochase

username0x said:
r I'm a low user.2: O

Trying to get EON to clarify how many units or KWh usage in total or per year is required to qualify for these two categories appears impossible. They will either copy and past you a reply saying one of the followings three standard response

I think the wording low energy user is misleading.

There is no limit what you can use while the standing charge is still removed.

1. they will remove the standing charge if you have never used a single KWh while they were your supplier
2. you can ask them to remove the meter(s), so you are unable to use energy, and they will no longer charge the standing charge.

username0x

I talked to one lady at EON and she told me that if you had used up to 3 units since the installation bof the meter you qualify as No energy being used and if you use up to 10 units per year you qualify as a low energy user. After being told this I was then told that the information I was given was not correct. Basically it looks like they make it up depending on what they think they can get off you.

Basically I have a redundant electricity meter in my property and no credit has been put on it for years and EON want to charge me a massive standing charge. No credit being put on the meter for years should qualify for low energy users after all how much lower then zero can you get?

rp1974

Might be asking the obvious,has this meter been redundant for years and if so have you taken any steps to have it removed?.
Have you used 3 units since installation or 10 units per year to qualify as either a non user or a low user or another different amount?.
As galling as it is if you have a functional meter it's likely you'll need to pay standing charges however unfair you consider that to be,I agree with you actually our old friends at OFGEM effectively ended no standing charge tariffs,another win for we consumers.

Mstty

username0x said:

I talked to one lady at EON and she told me that if you had used up to 3 units since the installation bof the meter you qualify as No energy being used and if you use up to 10 units per year you qualify as a low energy user. After being told this I was then told that the information I was given was not correct. Basically it looks like they make it up depending on what they think they can get off you.

Basically I have a redundant electricity meter in my property and no credit has been put on it for years and EON want to charge me a massive standing charge. No credit being put on the meter for years should qualify for low energy users after all how much lower then zero can you get?

So do you have two electricity meters or do you not use any mains electricity at all?

I now have images in my mind from "Better Call Saul" and a space blanket

username0x

rp1974 said:

Might be asking the obvious,has this meter been redundant for years and if so have you taken any steps to have it removed?.
Have you used 3 units since installation or 10 units per year to qualify as either a non user or a low user or another different amount?.
As galling as it is if you have a functional meter it's likely you'll need to pay standing charges however unfair you consider that to be,I agree with you actually our old friends at OFGEM effectively ended no standing charge tariffs,another win for we consumers.

The meter has not been used for years so yes it would qualify for under 10 units per year however as I explained I was later told that the information I was given over the phone regarding 10 units per year was incorrect. This is why I want their official statement on low energy users in writing.

GingerTim

Why not just have it removed if it hasn't been used for a decade? The standing charge then goes away.

Ectophile

It sounds like their policy complies with the law. If you have never used any electricity, then they have no right to charge you a standing charge. But if you ever used that metered supply, then you have to pay. The only way to avoid that is to have the supply disconnected.

The few units a year is because some meters "creep" a little even when nothing is being used.

You can't get out of the standing charge just by stopping using a supply.