Eon Next has a problem with £60 debit balance (May 2024)

Swipe

spot1034 said:

victor2 said:

Presumably you can switch to their standard tariff with no fee, then switch to another supplier without paying a penalty, if you're desperate to leave.

Assuming that they don't have software running in the background that will impose the fee if you leave before the anniversary of your fix has passed. I have no idea if they do this or not, but it just seems too easy to switch to another tariff within E.On Next without an exit fee and then leave them from there, and that very simple action alone just cancels the early exit fee from your original fix. I'd be interested to get the definitive word on this as I would be in that situation myself at present, though I'm not thinking of leaving them right now.

It depends on the tariff. They have confirmed that my fix has fees even for an internal switch, hence the pop up message when I tried to switch to their Pledge tariff. I doubt very much their system is monitoring previous tariff history if you did an internal switch that waives exit fees and then left for another supplier, especially if you gave it a couple of weeks so it wasn't obvious.

Lorian

I am in the same situation as swipe I can't move to another internal tariff or swap suppliers without paying the fees, even though it says £0 fees on my statement. I'll be changing as soon as I can without paying though I think it's 49 days before the tariff ends (so some day in August)

Also as far as the op post is concerned i have enough balance left to pay the next 2-3 months of bills and yet they are still putting my DD up by about 15% next month I can't be bothered arguing I will just use the online webpage (not the app) to reduce it by 10% as soon as they do.

Lorian

On the exit penalties it makes a lot of difference what terms you signed up for. My terms include fees to change supplier OR TARIFF. Thats what I signed up for because it was the only fixed rate available at the time so I and others signed up for peace of mind over winter fair enough.

If I was on a tariff with no fees for changing tariff I would have already moved to one of the newer lower fixed rates or have moved to the variable rate and then left with no fees.

It is what it is I'm not complaining just pointing out it really makes a difference what the terms were when you signed up. And what it says on your statement is not correct they know it's a bug

victor2

When I went onto the fix I had before Pledge V2, I was told by the CS rep there would not be a fee for switching to another tariff, only if I left Eon Next. I asked for proof of that, as the T&Cs just said £150 penalty for switching. He said they have the recording of the call to refer to. Shortly into the tariff I wanted to switch to the Pledge tariff and was told by another CS rep there would be a penalty. I asked her to listen to the previous call. She put me on hold for a very short time and came back saying I was right and she would credit the account with the same amount as the penalty that would automatically be applied. 
She did, and it effectively cost me nothing to switch within Eon Next.

kidkal

I omitted to say for context that I had only switched to Eon Next in March so I am locked with this deal for another 9 months.  So the £60 debit I've accrued was over the last two months and the direct debit set up was from their recommended amount they calculated in March in the first place.

I prefer not to switch to any fixed deal right now since the Ofgem price cap is on the way down and I don't want to extend to a deal any longer.

According to MSE blog: "Energy bill credit - how much is too much? ..." - It says that it would be usual to be "balanced" in May and can be at most 2 1/2 months down in November.

Thanks for all the observations and experiences with the supplier persuading you to put up the direct debit amount and refusing to put it back down.  I will be more vigilant of this in the future.

If I am able to alter the direct debit via the online dashboard page any way, then whatever they set, I will be able to change it back again? (I haven't tried it in case it triggers another call!)

kidkal

Sorry, I got it the wrong way around, just watched Martin's video!  If you are balanced in May, then you should be at most up to 2 1/2 months up in November.

FreeBear

kidkal said: If I am able to alter the direct debit via the online dashboard page any way, then whatever they set, I will be able to change it back again? (I haven't tried it in case it triggers another call!)

From memory, you'd only be able to reduce the DD by 10% of the amount they set. So if it is currently at £100, you should be able to drop it to £90, but even if you wait a month or two, you won't be able to go lower.

Eon wanted to increase my DD as we emerged from winter with a very small debit. I argued that it would be cleared within a month or two, and would accrue a decent credit in time for the next winter. Computer (or CS) said "no", so I switched to Octopus. Current DD is half of what Eon wanted, and I already have a small credit balance.

bristolleedsfan

kidkal said:

I prefer not to switch to any fixed deal right now since the Ofgem price cap is on the way down and I don't want to extend to a deal any longer.

Down for three months then currently predicted to increase in October by about 12%  remaining around that level from January 2025

bristolleedsfan

kidkal said:

I omitted to say for context that I had only switched to Eon Next in March so I am locked with this deal for another 9 months.  So the £60 debit I've accrued was over the last two months and the direct debit set up was from their recommended amount they calculated in March in the first place.

"Recommended amount they calculated in March in the first place"  Based on either usage figures you put in or average for property size depending on whether you ticked property size box or edited to put in own usage figures, possible neither correct for your actual usage.

MattMattMattUK

It does not matter what tariff you are on or when it ends, the Ofgem guidance to suppliers states that customers should not have a negative balance in any part of the cycle. This means that if a credit built up over the summer was inadequate to cover winter usage then the monthly Direct Debit must be increased to clear the debt as well as the next month's usage in it's entirety.