Being moved to gas credit meter without consent

caribbeanPete

Now I know these are usually the other way around people are asking for their rights at being moved to a pre-payment meter but having been on a prepayment meter from when we first moved into our flat we have found it has been very helpful in managing budgets etc.

last weekend the gas meter had a fault and an engineer came out and had to replace the meter. A new meter was installed and the engineer told me to call EON on Monday and arrange the electric meter to be changed and the in the home display installed. 

I called on Monday and was informed the engineer installed a smart credit meter and the only way I could go back to prepayment would be have a full credit check done to convert my electric meter to credit and then to request a new appointment for both meters to be changed into prepayment ones.

Having complained to the EON customer service team this was the response I have received today:

“ I am emailing you due to a complaint you have registered with us I can see you have recently had an emergency call out and the engineer has installed a credit meter for your gas I am sorry but unfortunately due to a firmware we are unable to switch you to pay as you go. We are aware of the issue this is causing our customers and a working on a fix but at this moment in time we do not have a timescale as to when this would be implemented.

Having explained everything to you am I ok to close the complaint

Kind regards

Aisha

Eon Next”

Does anyone know what my rights are in this situation? 

Mobtr

I don’t think a gas smart meter would work without the electricity being smart due to needing a comms hub which is on top of the electric meter. Old style prepayment meters are no longer being installed so it could be you’re a bit stuck. The only way would be to have the electric meter changed to a smart then providing both meters can be commissioned they should be able to remotely change you to PAYG. 

Smart meters need to be commissioned  in order to work as PAYG, if they aren’t, they will just be in credit mode & unfortunately there’s nothing you can do. 

Kim_13

caribbeanPete said:

Now I know these are usually the other way around people are asking for their rights at being moved to a pre-payment meter but having been on a prepayment meter from when we first moved into our flat we have found it has been very helpful in managing budgets etc.

last weekend the gas meter had a fault and an engineer came out and had to replace the meter. A new meter was installed and the engineer told me to call EON on Monday and arrange the electric meter to be changed and the in the home display installed. 

I called on Monday and was informed the engineer installed a smart credit meter and the only way I could go back to prepayment would be have a full credit check done to convert my electric meter to credit and then to request a new appointment for both meters to be changed into prepayment ones.

Having complained to the EON customer service team this was the response I have received today:

“ I am emailing you due to a complaint you have registered with us I can see you have recently had an emergency call out and the engineer has installed a credit meter for your gas I am sorry but unfortunately due to a firmware we are unable to switch you to pay as you go. We are aware of the issue this is causing our customers and a working on a fix but at this moment in time we do not have a timescale as to when this would be implemented.

Having explained everything to you am I ok to close the complaint

Kind regards

Aisha

Eon Next”

Does anyone know what my rights are in this situation? 

I would tell them that they're not OK to close the complaint - given the price cap rates published for April, their changing you to credit is going to financially cost you, as prepay is going to become the cheapest way to pay. 

How is your IHD/their app/website? These make a huge difference to the ability to manage a budget. Our IHD is as much use as a chocolate teapot and nothing like the ones you see promoted, but thankfully Octopus's app and website are great.

caribbeanPete

Kim_13 said:

caribbeanPete said:

Now I know these are usually the other way around people are asking for their rights at being moved to a pre-payment meter but having been on a prepayment meter from when we first moved into our flat we have found it has been very helpful in managing budgets etc.

last weekend the gas meter had a fault and an engineer came out and had to replace the meter. A new meter was installed and the engineer told me to call EON on Monday and arrange the electric meter to be changed and the in the home display installed. 

I called on Monday and was informed the engineer installed a smart credit meter and the only way I could go back to prepayment would be have a full credit check done to convert my electric meter to credit and then to request a new appointment for both meters to be changed into prepayment ones.

Having complained to the EON customer service team this was the response I have received today:

“ I am emailing you due to a complaint you have registered with us I can see you have recently had an emergency call out and the engineer has installed a credit meter for your gas I am sorry but unfortunately due to a firmware we are unable to switch you to pay as you go. We are aware of the issue this is causing our customers and a working on a fix but at this moment in time we do not have a timescale as to when this would be implemented.

Having explained everything to you am I ok to close the complaint

Kind regards

Aisha

Eon Next”

Does anyone know what my rights are in this situation? 

I would tell them that they're not OK to close the complaint - given the price cap rates published for April, their changing you to credit is going to financially cost you, as prepay is going to become the cheapest way to pay. 

How is your IHD/their app/website? These make a huge difference to the ability to manage a budget. Our IHD is as much use as a chocolate teapot and nothing like the ones you see promoted, but thankfully Octopus's app and website are great.

I currently have nothing in the way of an ihd/app/website. That’s part of the issue, they are telling me I have to convert the electricity meter to a smart credit meter to even get one!

Kim_13

Then they surely have to give you some means of monitoring your usage - they would not like it if you couldn’t pay. How are they planning to read that meter? Can they read the gas meter remotely as it is, and if so, can they share the readings with you at a frequency of your choosing until their firmware update is ready and allows you to be switched to prepay? Or were they just planning to send a meter reader round and potentially land you with a catch up bill if the estimates they billed you with turned out to be too low? Reading a smart gas meter yourself by pressing ‘9’ (at least that is what it is on ours) to get a reading will not give the usage in kWh, so you cannot work out the usage yourself. The customer would be in a far better position if they had installed an unwanted credit electric meter rather than a gas one.

If you couldn’t pass a credit check, it’s essentially like being on pay on receipt of bill without any choice in the matter, and at a time when energy costs are much higher than they used to be.

QrizB

Kim_13 said:

Then they surely have to give you some means of monitoring your usage - they would not like it if you couldn’t pay. How are they planning to read that meter?

The meter can be read manually, like a conventional credit meter, even without any smart features or connectivity.

The meter won't be smart without a comms hub, and the comms hub is typically fitted as part of the electricity smart meter installation.

Similarly, your IHD connects to the comms hub and so there's no point having an IHD without one.

Ectophile

Mobtr said:

I don’t think a gas smart meter would work without the electricity being smart due to needing a comms hub which is on top of the electric meter. Old style prepayment meters are no longer being installed so it could be you’re a bit stuck. The only way would be to have the electric meter changed to a smart then providing both meters can be commissioned they should be able to remotely change you to PAYG. 

Smart meters need to be commissioned  in order to work as PAYG, if they aren’t, they will just be in credit mode & unfortunately there’s nothing you can do. 

I have a smart gas meter, and an old spinning disc electricity meter.  The comms hub doesn't actually have to sit on top of an electricity meter for it to work.

Mobtr

Ectophile said:

Mobtr said:

I don’t think a gas smart meter would work without the electricity being smart due to needing a comms hub which is on top of the electric meter. Old style prepayment meters are no longer being installed so it could be you’re a bit stuck. The only way would be to have the electric meter changed to a smart then providing both meters can be commissioned they should be able to remotely change you to PAYG. 

Smart meters need to be commissioned  in order to work as PAYG, if they aren’t, they will just be in credit mode & unfortunately there’s nothing you can do. 

I have a smart gas meter, and an old spinning disc electricity meter.  The comms hub doesn't actually have to sit on top of an electricity meter for it to work.

Not as long as there is a comms hub for the gas meter to connect to. Bit odd your supplier left you with a very old electric meter when they installed the smart gas meter 

MWT

Ectophile said:

Mobtr said:

I don’t think a gas smart meter would work without the electricity being smart due to needing a comms hub which is on top of the electric meter. Old style prepayment meters are no longer being installed so it could be you’re a bit stuck. The only way would be to have the electric meter changed to a smart then providing both meters can be commissioned they should be able to remotely change you to PAYG. 

Smart meters need to be commissioned  in order to work as PAYG, if they aren’t, they will just be in credit mode & unfortunately there’s nothing you can do. 

I have a smart gas meter, and an old spinning disc electricity meter.  The comms hub doesn't actually have to sit on top of an electricity meter for it to work.

Not a common installation method though.

The Comms hub just needs a power supply to function it doesn't use a direct connection to the electricity meter for data just power.

Ectophile

Mobtr said:

Ectophile said:

Mobtr said:

I don’t think a gas smart meter would work without the electricity being smart due to needing a comms hub which is on top of the electric meter. Old style prepayment meters are no longer being installed so it could be you’re a bit stuck. The only way would be to have the electric meter changed to a smart then providing both meters can be commissioned they should be able to remotely change you to PAYG. 

Smart meters need to be commissioned  in order to work as PAYG, if they aren’t, they will just be in credit mode & unfortunately there’s nothing you can do. 

I have a smart gas meter, and an old spinning disc electricity meter.  The comms hub doesn't actually have to sit on top of an electricity meter for it to work.

Not as long as there is a comms hub for the gas meter to connect to. Bit odd your supplier left you with a very old electric meter when they installed the smart gas meter 

I have separate suppliers for gas and electricity.

Mobtr

Ectophile said:

Mobtr said:

Ectophile said:

Mobtr said:

I don’t think a gas smart meter would work without the electricity being smart due to needing a comms hub which is on top of the electric meter. Old style prepayment meters are no longer being installed so it could be you’re a bit stuck. The only way would be to have the electric meter changed to a smart then providing both meters can be commissioned they should be able to remotely change you to PAYG. 

Smart meters need to be commissioned  in order to work as PAYG, if they aren’t, they will just be in credit mode & unfortunately there’s nothing you can do. 

I have a smart gas meter, and an old spinning disc electricity meter.  The comms hub doesn't actually have to sit on top of an electricity meter for it to work.

Not as long as there is a comms hub for the gas meter to connect to. Bit odd your supplier left you with a very old electric meter when they installed the smart gas meter 

I have separate suppliers for gas and electricity.

That’ll be why then ha ha