Eon direct debit issue

mstreet89

Hi, I’ve been a little complacent with my energy bills and not paid attention to them for quite a while. I’ve recently received an email stating I’m £460+ in debt which came as a shock. 

I’ve looked into this and noticed there’s been no payment to Eon since September 2022 and then they restarted again on October 2023. There was a direct debit set up in February 2022 when I first moved into the account and the last one stopped when the Government Energy Bills Support Scheme kicked in October 2022. 

Can anyone comment on this or offer me any help?

MultiFuelBurner

My first question is was this original setup or changed during the government help to be a variable direct debit. One where you only pay for what you use each month?

Not that it's an excuse but sometimes that setup once credit is used doesn't always start up again and debt accrues.

Either way straight or variable DD I would raise a complaint asking Eon what happened to your direct debit payment between the dates it stopped. You may be able to get a decent goodwill gesture out of them say £100 and then ask for the rest of the debt to be spread out over the next 12 months especially if it turns out to be their fault.

Scot_39

Ebss was paid for those paying over 67 on a fixed DD plan by reducing the DD by £67 for all 6 months by EOnNext.

So what was say £100 reduced to £33.

If DD level would go below £1 by this change  - this link says would be put on a payment holiday.

https://www.eonnext.com/energy-bill-support-scheme

Which sounds like what you had happen.

If they didn't refund the difference to your bank thrn that may have built up a bit of credit too.

You need to go back via your monthly statements and work out when any credit / refunds given and when exactly your account balance started going into debit.

They email me and I save them off / archive regularly - but can go back online account for year plus iirc.

There is a chance that for some reason they messed up and failed to restart your DD - like in Apr 23 after EBSS had ended.

I have had that happen - on parents accounts in distant past.

But EOn Next revised my DD amount in Apr and Jul with the new Ofgem caps - but not Oct.

Does the bill cover winter heating, so showing a debit because you weren't accumulating summer month credit to offset higher winter demand, edit "so might in fact return to a neutral balance at the end of summer" ?

Once you know when debt started - if thr DD came long time after - arguably EOn Next arguably at fault.

But they might arguably say you should have noticed earlier - was one large suppliers attitude (*) - sent in writing in response to complaint - when they failed to restart mums DD many years ago 0 despite having sent a seperate letter telling her the exact date and amount planned.

And arguably you should have the equivalent of the x months DD not taken in bank and not spent it elsewhere - so should be able to pay down debit with it - if do not want the DD increased.

Essentially sounds like you are likely to be being allowed 12m interest free credit via annualised DD to repay the debt  if there is no demand for instant payment.

If there is a demand for sum -  then try to demand it as in part EOn could be at fault..

Take it - and take on board the valuable life lesson to check your bills and bank accounts more regularly and thoroughly.

In insurance parlance it's a bit of knock for knock - with both at fault scenario. 
Expecting any ££s compensation as suggested above optimistic at best in my experience (*).