Solar energy - Feed-in Tariff payment delays - your experiences?

pinnks · 8 January 2019 at 8:40PM

Indeed. I received an apologetic call from E.On today suggesting that the procedure is OK and wont be changed. I suggested they feed back that the tone of the letter is unacceptable as the householder has done nothing wrong. This was accepted and agreed to revisit the letters.

I also said the whole process is inefficient and expensive for them to run, not to mention killing their otherwise good customer reputation. My suggestion is to a calendar/booking system to their online FiT system. Either they could pre-populate a date or give you a window within which you can book or change. The development costs would be recouped in no time. The caller was not happy to feed this back but agreed when I said I would not resolve the complaint unless they did.

Watch this space - unless Malc knows better!

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 9 January 2019 at 1:28PM

pinnks wrote: »

Apologies before I start but this is a rant aimed at Malc and E.On.

As he knows well, I am generally happy as a customer for energy and FiT but what absolutely gets my goat is how E.On (mis)handles the requirement to periodically read FiT meters.

This has been a bugbear for the whole 5+ years since I got PV - turning up unannounced, sending a second different unannounced person, coming back for a subsequent reading within months of the first, not a couple of years and so on. But last week things reached new depths when I got a letter (at the same time as my FiT statement following the December reading by me, to add insult to injury) threatening to stop my FiT because I am not allowing entry to read the meters.

This is not only outrageous but untrue. We had a male of the species turn up unannounced (again) a few months ago when my wife was home alone. It was so long ago that we had forgotten about it until this letter arrived! My wife was not prepared to allow an unannounced stranger into the house when I was not home, not least because they need access to our attic, so quite invasive. The person understood her position and left suggesting we would be contacted to arrange a convenient time. We heard nothing more until this letter.

Suffice to say I have complained to EOn but they really need to change their procedures here. I have suggested on numerous occasions that they should contact householders to arrange a suitable time and not just allow some random person to turn up and seek entry. However, this seems to fall continually on deaf ears, so I thought a rant on here may trigger a more favourable response.

So Malc, over to you to ruffle some internal feathers - I cannot be the only person frustrated by your ridiculous approach to this issue!

One the positive side, E.On has until the threatened cut-off date in April to resolve my particular complaint :rotfl:

pinnks wrote: »

Indeed. I received an apologetic call from E.On today suggesting that the procedure is OK and wont be changed. I suggested they feed back that the tone of the letter is unacceptable as the householder has done nothing wrong. This was accepted and agreed to revisit the letters.

I also said the whole process is inefficient and expensive for them to run, not to mention killing their otherwise good customer reputation. My suggestion is to a calendar/booking system to their online FiT system. Either they could pre-populate a date or give you a window within which you can book or change. The development costs would be recouped in no time. The caller was not happy to feed this back but agreed when I said I would not resolve the complaint unless they did.

Watch this space - unless Malc knows better!

Hello pinnks and, I'm afraid, I don't know better.

I totally appreciate your point and, as Green Hornet says, this isn't a new issue as it's something I've reported back on several times before. This won't stop me doing so again and I intend to raise it with senior management on Friday.

As it stands, these types of visits are looked after by the Meter Operator for the region. They look to do as many calls in an area as possible on a set day. These include both FIT and import meters. Not all will be successful as there aren't any appointments and we know we'll need to re-schedule a fair few. Where we consistently fail to see a meter, we'll contact customers to ask them to arrange an appointment.

To be honest, I can't see these types of meter reading arrangements changing any time soon. As I said, this won't stop me from bringing it up again. On a more positive note, I've had some success in changing the tone and content of certain letters - not to do with FIT - and will ask for the tone of FIT letters to be softened. I do understand how the generic nature of these letters can be offensive to customers like yourself who consistently provide readings in an efficient manner.

I'm sorry I'm unable to offer anything more substantial pinnks and for the frustration this causes. Don't worry, I'll continue to ruffle feathers at every opportunity.

Malc

pinnks · 9 January 2019 at 10:37PM

Thanks Malc. I appreciate your pain when trying to change things in a large organisation.

I can also understand better now why the process is as it is - the meter operators will just see this as a failed reading attempt and not differentiate between import, where we owe you, and FiT where you have only a monitoring function. Perhaps this is the key message to get across to your seniors and the operators - you are not chasing or creating debt, you are only doing what the government requires you to do to ensure I am compliant with my readings and not defrauding the system.

Best of luck. I can PM you a scan of the letter if that helps

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 10 January 2019 at 10:19AM

pinnks wrote: »

Thanks Malc. I appreciate your pain when trying to change things in a large organisation.

I can also understand better now why the process is as it is - the meter operators will just see this as a failed reading attempt and not differentiate between import, where we owe you, and FiT where you have only a monitoring function. Perhaps this is the key message to get across to your seniors and the operators - you are not chasing or creating debt, you are only doing what the government requires you to do to ensure I am compliant with my readings and not defrauding the system.

Best of luck. I can PM you a scan of the letter if that helps

Morning pinnks and many thanks for your understanding.

Thank you also for offering to PM a scan of the letter. MSE don't give company reps access to PMs. No worries as I know the letter concerned and have flagged it up.

Thanks again for your understanding and patience pinnks . Rest assured, I'll keep on raising this.

Malc

mre15 · 11 January 2019 at 12:15PM

E.ON Malc Can you please help with my FIT application.

I sent it in via email to the fit team almost 1 month ago and haven't heard anything, I email questions about what's happening and get no reply, I phone and get told someone will call me back and nothing.
Its not a very good start for a new customer.

Can you help.

Cheers

Mark

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 15 January 2019 at 2:16PM

mre15 wrote: »

E.ON Malc Can you please help with my FIT application.

I sent it in via email to the fit team almost 1 month ago and haven't heard anything, I email questions about what's happening and get no reply, I phone and get told someone will call me back and nothing.
Its not a very good start for a new customer.

Can you help.

Cheers

Mark

Hello Mark and I'm sorry you've still not heard from us about your FIT application. I agree, this isn't good enough.

It's time for this to be escalated into a formal complaint. A dedicated Complaints Manager within the FIT area will take ownership of the issue and find out why there's been a delay. They'll make sure your application is given the fullest consideration and let you know what to expect.

To start the ball rolling, please contact us again using the phone number Oscargrouch has posted above. Make it clear this is a complaint and you want it to go through our complaints process as outlined on our website.

Sorry again for the delay Mark.

Malc

mre15 · 15 January 2019 at 2:54PM

Hi Malc,

Thanks for the reply.
I did phone them again before I got your reply and they have told me that my application should be processed in the next week, apparently they are currently 5 weeks behind with email applications.
I will allow them this extra week and then do as you say.

Its a shame the customer experience isn't better, they never reply to emails or phone back like they promise.

Cheers

Mark.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 16 January 2019 at 1:06PM

mre15 wrote: »

Hi Malc,

Thanks for the reply.
I did phone them again before I got your reply and they have told me that my application should be processed in the next week, apparently they are currently 5 weeks behind with email applications.
I will allow them this extra week and then do as you say.

Its a shame the customer experience isn't better, they never reply to emails or phone back like they promise.

Cheers

Mark.

Thanks for letting me know Mark and sorry again you haven't had a better experience. It does sound like your application's now underway.

Many thanks, too, for your patience Mark.

Malc

mre15 · 22 January 2019 at 11:40AM

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Thanks for letting me know Mark and sorry again you haven't had a better experience. It does sound like your application's now underway.

Many thanks, too, for your patience Mark.

Malc

Hi Malc

Phoned them again today as still nothing heard, and I am sorry to say it seems to be a shambles of mis-information.

I am now told they are still only processing the 3rd December and it will be at least 3 weeks more until I hear anything.
I lodged a formal complaint, although even this proved difficult as I don't have an account to do it.

If I haven't heard anything in the next 2-3 days I am going to cancel my application and go elsewhere.

Mark.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 22 January 2019 at 2:40PM

mre15 wrote: »

Hi Malc

Phoned them again today as still nothing heard, and I am sorry to say it seems to be a shambles of mis-information.

I am now told they are still only processing the 3rd December and it will be at least 3 weeks more until I hear anything.
I lodged a formal complaint, although even this proved difficult as I don't have an account to do it.

If I haven't heard anything in the next 2-3 days I am going to cancel my application and go elsewhere.

Mark.

Totally understandable Mark. It's being going on far too long and you've been really patient.

I did raise the overall issue of FIT applications with management and we're looking to improve these turn-around times in the future once we've cleared the current backlog. Of little use to you now I know.

Thank you for raising a complaint as I suggested and sorry for the delays you've experienced.

Malc

Solar energy - Feed-in Tariff payment delays - your experiences?

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