Eon electric meter nightmare

muddlingmywaythrough

We are on prepayment meters for our gas and electric with Eon (I know plenty will say go to DD but i prefer seeing what our balance is at a glance). Back in January of this year we had a power cut in the local area for about 30 secs and the display on our electric meter went blank. I eventually got through to Eon who told me 'press this button, hold that button etc etc and it should work'. Well it didn't so they said the meter was broken and needed replacing. They told me at the time they couldn't do it immediately due to merging with npower but to ring back in April when the merge had completed to arrange for a new meter to be installed. They said any money we put on the meter will be registered even if we can't see it on the display.

Since April I have rung/email numerous times and been told they will contact me with a date for an engineer to visit. They never did. Then last week an engineer turned up unannounced and said he was here to install a new GAS meter. I explained that the gas meter works fine it is the electric meter that needs replacing. He said he couldn't do that and left. I then complained to Eon who said they would send an engineer between 8-12 today. I've taken the day off work (unpaid) and surprise, surprise no one has turned up. I've emailed again, but had no reply. I've tried calling but gave up after being on hold for 90 mins. I've asked repeatedly what the balance on the account is as I have no idea and they still haven't told me (they advised I top up the key as normal as it will register the money). What on earth do I do, I'm at the end of my tether???

Mobtr

Ring 0345 0520000. Should get you through to the complaints team, raise a complaint with them, be sure you get the complaint reference number & a name & they should then, hopefully, get it sorted out for you 

pochase

You should also get  small compensation here, like £30.

stewie_griffin

Mobtr said:

Ring 0345 0520000. Should get you through to the complaints team, raise a complaint with them, be sure you get the complaint reference number & a name & they should then, hopefully, get it sorted out for you 

That’s the old customer service number for E.ON. The OP will now be with E.ON Next. That phone number will no doubt redirect but it won’t get them through to a complaints team.

muddlingmywaythrough

Mobtr said:

Ring 0345 0520000. Should get you through to the complaints team, raise a complaint with them, be sure you get the complaint reference number & a name & they should then, hopefully, get it sorted out for you 

Thanks for this but gave up on this number after 90 mins last time. Trying again now. I've already raised a complaint, they've emailed me once to say that they can't get through to my phone. They've got the correct number and I have no record of any missed calls. They asked when they could try again so I replied instantly and said I was available right now or all of the next day and still not heard anything (this was last week)

muddlingmywaythrough

I've finally got through to Eon and apparently they cancelled the engineer!!!!! When I asked the advisor why she said she doesn't know. She's escalated the complaint again and she's booked an engineer in for Friday morning, she will ask the complaints manager to call me after Friday to check that the problem has been resolved and if so they'll give me £30 compensation.

imeach

Hundreds or thousands, maybe tens of thousands of meters like this.
Some suppliers just don't seem interested in fixing them.
Which is even worse with the current energy costs and the fact that most people aren't topping up and the electric stays on

Did I say that out loud?

SAC2334

imeach said:

Hundreds or thousands, maybe tens of thousands of meters like this.
Some suppliers just don't seem interested in fixing them.
Which is even worse with the current energy costs and the fact that most people aren't topping up and the electric stays on

Did I say that out loud?

That was my experience too with blank screen electric prepay meters and credit meters also
. There must be tens of thousands of them , who knows ? the suppliers don t..
  I ve been to many who have not topped up for years and like it this way especially now at 27 p a kwh .
Credit meters who  paid a fixed  direct debit  were very happy with their blank screen meter and  used as much as they wanted and heated the property by electric rather than switching  gas heating on.
 If the prepayment meter  users are  not going to the paypoint to top up where it will at least register payment amounts to suppliers then the supplier has no idea at all what their true usage is .
They can claim the property is vacant and only can only be billed standing charges. 
The public have no idea how downright lax suppliers really are especially big suppliers like EDF/Scottish Power  allowing free usage of electricity and gas .British Gas were tighter but they were the only one IMO.