EON - is it a requirement to use their budget app to pay a debit

Scot_39

mumtimes2 said:

So I checked my old bills and the tariff name is the same but the costs change. At the beginning of the tariff I was paying a seperate heat, day and night rate. Then in Feb 2021, all three rates are charged to the day rate, but the tariff name has remained the same. Every single bill since Feb 2021 assures me I am on the cheapest rate so I didn’t look too closely at each seperate rate.

That sounds like a non standard three rate tariff - in fact sounds a bit more like some legacy (maybe equivalent of say a SP White Meter Comfort type tariff) - and so one not likely to be supported anymore by EOn Next when it formed.

When EOn stopped supporting my RTS they offered me their closest suitable alternative - even then legacy - E10 but aqt much higher unit rates - or if did not accept - their default was single rate - with a deadline to accept E10 or be forced onto SR.  

This was years before the current RTS switch off - part of an internal EOn (well before EOn Next domestic subsiduary formed).

All part of an internal tariff simplification exercise.

It's also roughly around the time that EOn Next was formed - migration from EOn staerted cQ3 2020 - and customers were starting to migrate over to EOn Next and that including the former domestic customers of N Power.

Did you receive any communications at all around the time to that sort of effect ?

Of course ideally something like E7 (I suspect E10 by then not on offer) may have been better than flat rate.

mumtimes2

I don’t remember any communication about this, but I have done some further digging into my bills and have noted all sorts of strange goings on, I think it started with a meter reading giving them one single reading and I was charged almost double my usual unit rate, which based on previous bills wasn’t right. The second bill was the same and then the following month I was moved to Next Flex. I definitely didn’t get any comms about that.

mumtimes2

QrizB said:

Yes, I think a complaint is necessary regarding them switching you away from E7 without your request/consent.

Have you calculated how much extra this has cost you over the period?

You also need to get back onto E7 asap, if you haven't already.

I have requested to get back onto an E7 tariff. It is quite irritating because their bills kept saying my DD was fine and I was in the right tariff. The a huge bill comes in without warning. Felt a bit gaslit.

Scot_39

Next Flex is I think EOn Next's generic name for their 2 standard - single rate or E7 I believe - Ofgem capped variable tariffs.

My E10 legacy deal had a few names -over the years - without warning until a statement arrived - until it was brought in line - and to differentiate from single rate / E7 Next Flex - is now "Next Flex E10" (I believe that there is no Next Flex E7 equivalent name - but could be wrong).

The Flex bit I suspect basically a variable tariff rather than a fixed rate / term deal.

mumtimes2

EssexHebridean said:

 An you confirm the name of the tariff too - although my suspicion is that it may turn out to be a standard variable, and it’s that you’ d been switched from being charged on an E7 basis to being charged with the two registers added together. What actual meter readings do you have to refer to? 

I am now on Next Flex. My bill shows a day and night rate, both of which are the same. I have asked to go on an Exonomy 7 tariff now.

The issue is I didn’t know they had done this, from June 2019 to Fen 2021, I was on the Std SC Electricity DD Super Tariff. In Feb 2021, I was on the same tariff but off and on peak were charged the same. This continued until July 2023, when I was moved to Next Flex. At this point, a meter reader came and only took one reading and they charged me a massive rate for it. There was no day or night, this was the same for the next bill. In November 2023, the bill switched back to charging me day and night rate, but it was the same rate and it wa the rate you’d expect to pay for the day?

I have semi-regular meter readings to refer to. Our meter is wedged in behind a fixed cupboard and not easily accessible without moving furniture.

mumtimes2

QrizB said:

Sure, but you should be able to work out, roughly, how much extra it's cost you.

Just as an example:

If you were on E7 at 15p/kWh off-peak and 35p/kWh peak, and they switched you to 25p/kWh flat rate; and then you used 2000kWh at cheap rate and 1000kWh at day rate.

On the E7 tariff you'd have paid £300 for the 2000kWh of "night" plus £350 for 1000kWh of day, total £650.

On the flat rate tariff you'd have paid £750.

So the extra cost would have been £100.

This is very helpful thank you. I will go away and work it out.

Scot_39

mumtimes2 said:

I don’t remember any communication about this, but I have done some further digging into my bills and have noted all sorts of strange goings on, I think it started with a meter reading giving them one single reading and I was charged almost double my usual unit rate, which based on previous bills wasn’t right. The second bill was the same and then the following month I was moved to Next Flex. I definitely didn’t get any comms about that.

It was maybe more obvious a step change in my case as my old twin meter RTS set-up was being ripped out of my meter cabinet asa part of the change - it wasn't just a keep your meter and be billed differently.

2 meters were either replaced with one digital E10 meter - or one digital Single Rate meter - about 10 years ago.

And it predated smart metering - even smets1 iirc - which I moved onto about 2 years later - when they wanted to replace the particular brand of digital meter for E10 customers.

mumtimes2

Scot_39 said:

mumtimes2 said:

I don’t remember any communication about this, but I have done some further digging into my bills and have noted all sorts of strange goings on, I think it started with a meter reading giving them one single reading and I was charged almost double my usual unit rate, which based on previous bills wasn’t right. The second bill was the same and then the following month I was moved to Next Flex. I definitely didn’t get any comms about that.

It was maybe more obvious a step change in my case as my old twin meter RTS set-up was being ripped out of my meter cabinet asa part of the change - it wasn't just a keep your meter and be billed differently.

2 meters were either replaced with one digital E10 meter - or one digital Single Rate meter - about 10 years ago.

And it predated smart metering - even smets1 iirc - which I moved onto about 2 years later - when they wanted to replace the particular brand of digital meter for E10 customers.

I do remember my meter being changed to a digital one. It’s a quirky one though, most meter readers can’t read it and for a while I couldn’t submit my readings online because there wasn’t a facility for it. I even had to explain it to one of the customer service agents. I have about 4 readings. Two of them I recognise because they are roughly close to the ones on my bill, one I disregard, because I have no idea (heat perhaps?) and the last reading is a total of the first two.

QrizB

mumtimes2 said:

I do remember my meter being changed to a digital one. It’s a quirky one though, most meter readers can’t read it and for a while I couldn’t submit my readings online because there wasn’t a facility for it. I even had to explain it to one of the customer service agents. I have about 4 readings. Two of them I recognise because they are roughly close to the ones on my bill, one I disregard, because I have no idea (heat perhaps?) and the last reading is a total of the first two.

If you could share a photo of your meter (when it's convenient, not necessarily right now) it might help us understand what's going on.

A photo of your bill (with any personal info removed) from back when you were still on a multi-rate tariff might also help.

Chrysalis

Ok so a few thoughts from myself.

The smart meter I think is a separate issue technically, so try to avoid mentioning it in the same conversations and treat it as a separate request, complain if you need to, if they been stubborn on it, as not only is it useful for monitoring usage, it gives you more choice of tariffs.  The only potential issue here, is if you are seen as a problem customer, they might insist on a pre pay setup for a new meter.  

Next issue is if you were informed correctly of the tariff change, and how relevant that is to the current energy debt.

In terms of repayments, if the supplier thinks your proposed DD is below a sustainable level this might be why they treating it as a repayment of debt problem, which there is some reason to asking you for budgeting information.  Its basically an affordability check.
Also needs to be factored in if your bills are estimated or annual, and what expected winter usage is going to be, as all recent bills will be over the summer period.