EON Next, de-energised meter, missed payment markers!!

ladylooby

Hi all,

Please bear with, this a long and bumpy road.

In September 2023 I paid EON Next to de-energise a meter in my barn. We never used it, the barn is for storage, the previous owners had it installed as a builders supply meter. 

I paid for the de-energisation over the phone, with my card, and was told there was a nil balance on the account after this payment. A guy came out, job was done.

In April this year, I had a bill for £37. I rang, said the meter had been de-energised, so what was the bill for? Apparently there was a £37 bill on the account when we had it disconnected that we didn't pay, and it was that. The bill the woman I paid to have it de-energised never mentioned, and indeed confirmed a nil balance. I said that it was de-energised 19 months ago, which clearly falls under back billing so go away (nicely). I also pointed out that I had had no correspondence of them in the whole 19 months after the de-energisation.

About a week later, I had an alert from Experian to say EON Next had put missed payments on my credit reference account. I rang EON, asked why, when the debt fell under back billing, and was told it was for £287 from this year that I hadn't paid. I was obviously confused by this,explained about the de-energisation. I was told that the meter had been re-energised. At this point I asked for the details of the person who did it, as that involves trespass, breaking and entering a locked barn and was a police matter. I was asked if I wanted to complain. Obviously yes. It turns out it wasn't 'de-energised properly' at their end. Call me cynical but how did it take 19 months for the fault to appear?? 

After this point I received a letter for the £287 bill, asking me to pay it in 14 days before action would be tasked, this was dated and arrived AFTER the credit marker for that debt was added to Experian.

I have had 30 conflicting emails of who's fault it is, which team has to deal with it, and downright shockingly bad customer service. I've even had an email, six weeks in to say as they have no record of sending any bills, or default letters, it can't have possibly been put on my credit rating. It has, it has dropped my 974/1000 credit rating, with no missed payments to 600ish, and missed payments for debt I don't owe.

I escalated the complaint to the ceo@ email, and spoke to a lady, who basically said it was my fault for not paying the initial £37 debt. The debt I didn't know about, as the woman who took the payment to my account didn't mention, the woman who told me we had a nil balance.

They are sorting out my credit rating, allegedly but what can I do about this? They have affected my credit both personally and professionally as I am a Company Director and get credit checked all the time. I've had credit accounts reduced. They have also admitted that they have never even sent a bill,or default notice/option to pay letter before placing the missed payments on my account for a meter that I paid them to de-energise. It has been an extremely stressful seven weeks now, and I am fed up of their attitude of it's not their fault. It is. They admitted in an email the original debt was covered by back billing, they admitted the meter fault caused the rebilling and there was no payments due, they admitted they've never even sent a bill for any of this, or default letter, but it's my fault it went on my credit rating?

Any advice welcome, relevent laws, or who to talk to about this. She is ringing me back next week.

Thank you for reading if you got to the end.

QrizB

ladylooby said:

Any advice welcome, relevent laws, or who to talk to about this. She is ringing me back next week.

EON Next have a complaints process.

https://www.eonnext.com/unhappy

You should follow it.

If you don't get a satisfactory outcome after eight weeks, you can refer your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will look at the facts of the case, as presented by you and by EON Next, and will make a decision.

If you're still not satisfied, you can go to court (although in your car it would probably be EON Next going to court for the unpaid bills, with you defending).

MWT

Was the meter actually removed at the time it was 'de-energized'?

If it was not actually removed then they should still be billing you for the standing charge...

ladylooby

QrizB said:

ladylooby said:

Any advice welcome, relevent laws, or who to talk to about this. She is ringing me back next week.

EON Next have a complaints process.

https://www.eonnext.com/unhappy

You should follow it.

If you don't get a satisfactory outcome after eight weeks, you can refer your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will look at the facts of the case, as presented by you and by EON Next, and will make a decision.

If you're still not satisfied, you can go to court (although in your car it would probably be EON Next going to court for the unpaid bills, with you defending).

I have nothing to defend. The bills were generated by a fault at their end, and they have confirmed this many times. They have said that it's their fault, and there is no money owing. 

MWT said:

Was the meter actually removed at the time it was 'de-energized'?

If it was not actually removed then they should still be billing you for the standing charge...

Why would you think I have to pay a standing charge? The meter doesn't work, it has parts missing and is incapable of supplying electricity. The whole point of de-energisation was to get rid of standing charges for a meter we don't use, and it has for the past 19 months, until a 'fault' generated a bill. The meter doesn't work still, and we are not liable for any charges.

QrizB

ladylooby said:

QrizB said:

ladylooby said:

Any advice welcome, relevent laws, or who to talk to about this. She is ringing me back next week.

EON Next have a complaints process.

https://www.eonnext.com/unhappy

You should follow it.

If you don't get a satisfactory outcome after eight weeks, you can refer your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will look at the facts of the case, as presented by you and by EON Next, and will make a decision.

If you're still not satisfied, you can go to court (although in your car it would probably be EON Next going to court for the unpaid bills, with you defending).

I have nothing to defend. The bills were generated by a fault at their end, and they have confirmed this many times. They have said that it's their fault, and there is no money owing.

In which case, you've won and you don't need to do anything else.

What specifically were you looking for advice on?

MWT

ladylooby said:

MWT said:

Was the meter actually removed at the time it was 'de-energized'?

If it was not actually removed then they should still be billing you for the standing charge...

Why would you think I have to pay a standing charge? The meter doesn't work, it has parts missing and is incapable of supplying electricity. The whole point of de-energisation was to get rid of standing charges for a meter we don't use, and it has for the past 19 months, until a 'fault' generated a bill. The meter doesn't work still, and we are not liable for any charges.

... because you still have a meter and the grid is still attached to it, even if the main fuse has been pulled to prevent use.

If you want to be 100% sure that there will be no charges then get them to remove the meter.

De-energizing is a temporary and reversible step, meter removal is what comes next...