Advice on E.ON Next Fund

thebygoner

My apologises if this has been asked on a previous post. I’m a long-term lurker, first-time poster 💜

I had a debt of £600 with E.ON Next after they took over my supply, but were sending me blank bills from November - April, which I kept raising. 

They told me my energy usage was ~£191pcm (1-bed, 1-person), so this was the direct debit setup, which I disputed based on my readings at the time. I applied for the E.ON Next Energy fund which agreed to cover the full amount of debt, but I had to make 3 direct debit payments first. 

My usage over the last 3 months has varied between £40-60 pcm based on the statements I’ve received, the rest is going towards paying off that debt. 

So I’m now in a position where I feel like I’ve been throwing money into a pit, because ultimately they were happy to have paid the £600 off anyway. But it’s near enough cleared. E.ON have also told me they’re unable to lower my direct debit even after the debit is cleared, until July 2023. 

So I have a few questions, I hope you all can help: 

1) will the Energy Fund pay the full £600 agreed onto my account or just pay what’s left of the debt? If so, could I withdraw this and get my money back? 

2) is it right I’m not able to change my direct debit amount once the debt is cleared? My usage will stay relatively the same as now, so I’m giving them an extra £120+ per month. 

QrizB

I don't think we've got any E.ON Next Energy fund experts on this bit of the board, sorry. You might find one over on "debt-free wannabe" if you ask that specific question there?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/debt-free-wannabe

Regarding your DD, once you've cleared the debt they should reduce it if you ask. If you end up with a large credit balance you can also ask for a refund.

Do you know your likely energy consumption for the year, in kWh? Are you on "Next Flex" their standard variable tariff?

As a guide, a typical small electric-only property will use around 4200kWh/yr at a cost of around £1200/yr, £100/month, but this does vary widely.