E.ON Next ... so which tariff am I on? (a bird's nest - a fishing term)

dealyboy

Well this has been stewing for over a month now in a slow cooker (metaphor Dougal) ...

... I have been trying to find out what tariff I'm on and what I should be on and have my account corrected.

Currently ...
- the dashboard shows Next Online v9 fixed until 02/02/24 tariff 26.98 p/kWh 40.20 p/day
- the 02/02/23 'Changes to your tariff' dashboard message and e-mail received show Next Online v9 fixed until 02/02/24, day rate 28.36p per kWh, night rate 14.74p per kWh and Standing charge 40.29p per kWh (the pre Jan 1st 2023 economy 7 rates)
- my smart meter shows R1 28.35p R2 16.84p (the post Jan 1st 2023 economy 7 rates)
- one of the 'energy specialists' I have been communicating with insists (after consulting with her manager) that I'm on Next Flex and that my meter is Eco 7, and that Next Flex v9 doesn't exist (sic) and is the reason I can't get a statement.

This problem started on 29th Jan when my Next Online v9 fixed DD E7 tariff ended. I had expected to be moved to Next Flex variable DD E7 but the dashboard showed Next Flex 35.13 p/kWh and the 29/01/23 'Changes to your tariff' dashboard message and e-mail received showed Next Flex day rate 47.02p per kWh, night rate 17.30p per kWh and Standing charge 39.03p per kWh. I communicated with several energy specialists over the next 2 or 3 days, by e-mail and phone, trying to resolve the discrepancy, half understood the question, half didn't, half thought I was on an E7 tariff, half tried to renew my tariff to Next Flex E7 but informed me that the rate was changed to '2 readings 1 rate'.

I tried to complain/escalate by e-mail writing to 'unhappy' but received a reply from the same specialist who didn't understand the question, who stated she had escalated it (nothing happened). I phoned on 2nd Feb to try and find out what the complaint procedure is, the procedure in a statement is different to that described on the website, but of course this person wanted to solve the problem themselves. I insisted that I was trying to raise a complaint and after consulting with her manager and after a couple of attempts put me back to (renewed) Next Online v9 fixed, but I told her the original problem persisted (the dashboard showed single rate, the message showed E7 dual rate), she was confident E7 was correct.

On 15th Feb I tried to get a statement by taking a manual reading (two registers) entering the data on the dashboard, I didn't. I phoned but the specialists either said they couldn't because Kraken was down or generated a statement simply showing firstly the EBSS and DD transactions and then the AFP.

I waited until my statement due date 28th of a month. My meter was read, I have received the EBSS, but no statement.

Where do I go from here? Should I be worried that I'm on 4 different rates at the same time? How do I complain in writing, i.e. by e-mail? What do you think?

I have been meaning to transfer to EDF for their variable E7, but I can't when my current tariff is so confused.

jbuchanangb

I looked at my E.ON Next Dashboard and it shows Next Online v15 until 2/7/2023. 

I would think that you are on whatever tariff your dashboard says, and that you should leave well alone until they get round to generating a statement. Submit meter readings online at monthly intervals.

dealyboy

jbuchanangb said:

I looked at my E.ON Next Dashboard and it shows Next Online v15 until 2/7/2023. 

I would think that you are on whatever tariff your dashboard says, and that you should leave well alone until they get round to generating a statement. Submit meter readings online at monthly intervals.

Thanks @jbuchanangb ... I thought it was going to be a duck.

My dashboard showed the correct rates up until the end of January, i.e. Next Online v9 E7 DD fixed, day 28.36p night 16.84p SC 40.29p, consistent with my 28th Jan statement. Since then it has gone haywire as described.

I think the dashboard is obviously wrong, I am and have been an economy 7 user.

I would have thought I can defend continuing on the same pre Jan 29th tariff, above, as that is the latest 'change of tariff' dashboard message and e-mail received, albeit showing the pre January night rate. Note: I didn't receive a change of tariff e-mail for the night rate reduction 1st Oct 22, nor one for the increase 1st Jan 23.

I would have expected to be on Next Flex E7 DD variable and am probably willing to be put on that backdating to 29th Jan, in all fairness.

I have recently asked for the missing statement, by 'hi' e-mail and had a reply saying that a request for the system to generate one had been made. I have replied to the person because it hasn't arrived, it now being 5 days late. I'll give it another couple of days before another reminder.

My meter is a smart meter (SMETS 2) and was auto read on 28th Feb, this is not a problem.

I had thought of requesting most of my credit balance (£495) to be transferred (£40/month summer user) in my e-mail reminder, but I think this needs to be kept as simple as possible, implied by your good advice.

One question ... is your tariff E7 ?

jbuchanangb

I have been with E.ON Next for electricity since 2/10/21 when I was SOLR's from Symbio. I am not an E7 customer. I have never received any tariff change emails from them. But have had three different rates, not counting the EPG discount. I switched my gas to them from SSE on 7/4/22. Have had two rates, not counting the EPG discount. Apart from signing up for Next Online V15, I have never contacted them, and they have never contacted me. I prefer the hands-off approach. It seems to work. When I went onto V15 I set my monthly DD payment, and apart from having been reduced for EBSS, everything is still OK.

The forum never hears about the people for whom everything just ticks along smoothly!

dealyboy

Update: I managed to get a new bill yesterday by writing to 'unhappy@'.

Two things:
- they have reversed and rebilled for the period 04/04/22 (when my smart meter was commissioned) to 01/01/23 increasing the E7 night rate for the quarter 01/10/22 to 01/01/23 back to its original rate, i.e. the rate they increased on 01/01/23 for everybody on E7. This had been lowered to the Next Flex E7 night rate.
- they have applied a tariff of Next Flex 'two readings single rate' for the period from 29/01/23 onwards and changed the dashboard tariff to that effect despite the fact it had shown 'Next Online v9 fixed until 02/02/24' yesterday before the bill and the fact that I have received notification by e-mail of the Next Online v9 fixed E7 (renewal) tariff until 02/02/24.

Edit: My smart  meter has the Next Online v9 day and night rates.

Edit2: My first issue is wrong. I have re-examined the statement which reverses and rebills the period 04/04/22 to 29/01/23 and actually lowers the night rate for 01/01/23 to 29/01/23 to the EPG equivalent rate applying in Q4 2022, as follows:

Next Flex variable DD E7 Eastern

01/10/22 – 31/12/22 day 44.46p night 14.74p SC 39.03p

01/01/23 – to date … day 47.02p night 17.30p SC 39.03p

Next Online v9 fixed DD E7 Eastern

29/01/22 – 30/09/22 day 28.36p night 16.85p SC 40.29p

01/10/22 – 31/12/22 day 28.36p night 14.74p SC 40.29p

01/01/23 – 29/01/23 day 28.36p night 16.85p SC 40.29p ... becomes night 14.74p

This may be of interest to others on an E7 fix ... end of Edit2.

I have written to unhappy@ again.

Mstty

Eon Next v9 online was a 1 year tariff I believe released Feb 2022 so it should have expired last month.

dealyboy

Mstty said:

Eon Next v9 online was a 1 year tariff I believe released Feb 2022 so it should have expired last month.

Yes ... it was an E.ON Next energy specialist who put me back on it on 02/02/23.

I believe I should have been on Next Flex dual rate E7 (rather than Next Flex single rate) from 29th Jan but E.ON Next collectively either didn't understand the problem or didn't know how to fix it.

dealyboy

This issue has now been resolved by an excellent Customer Service Energy Specialist on the phone this morning.

I am now on Next Flex E7 and have been re-billed.

db.