Eon, locked in for first 12 months, all contact was ignored. A warning.

[Zamzara]

I moved into a new build flat in 2009. The supply defaulted to Eon on gas and electricity.

 

I checked the available deals and wanted to switch to another company as Eon were not the cheapest. However I could not do this directly as the other company could not switch me until Eon had arranged the account.

 

I tried to get in touch with Eon but they ignored all correspondence for almost exactly a year. I tried to telephone but they denied all knowledge of supplying me.

 

Then after about 54 weeks a bill turns up.

 

I complained that they could not bill me for over a year, and after calling me a liar and accusing me of not contacting them, they eventually agreed to knock off the extra two weeks.

 

I have been paying off the amount owed regularly at an agreed rate, but even so they are still sending heavy handed debt collection letters, which I am ignoring.

 

There is only now just over £50 owing and UDS (Eon) are threatening court action, even though I am still paying. They are complete muppets.

 

It has just occured to me that they might have deliberately locked me in for the year to keep the business by underhand means, and then got the account together and issued the bill after (very conveniently) a year as that is the most they could back-bill for.

 

I am now considering withholding the final £50 to cover the amount I could have saved (at least) by switching earlier. But I am worried whethe it is too late as I have been paying up until now, and whether that would stand up in court?

[cerberusalert]

See; http://cfe.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5406/~/back-billing-rules

[Zamzara]

Thanks, but the extra 2 weeks' billing issue was eventually resolved, as they obviously realised the case was unarguable.

 

What I'm now wondering is whether I gave in too easily over being locked in for a year, as I now suspoect this might have been deliberate.

[nottslad]

It wouldn't have been done deliberately, the problem with new builds is the way the builder's account is managed - converting the plot address to a postal address can be quite a nightmare - which is no excuse.

 

EON won't take court action for £50, however the account would be passed to an external DCA, but again for £50 the action that would occur is minimal - hope that helps a little

[E.ON Company Rep: Helena]

Hi Zamzara,

 

nottslad is spot on, new builds are set up in the first instance on a builders account, we would normally be notified when the property has been sold and change the address from plot to postal and bill the new owner.

 

It sounds like your account has already gone through the billing code calculation and this is the reason some money has been taken off.

 

Was there an actual payment arrangement set up on the account to cover the debit and the usage? if there is you shouldn't have received any debt collection letters at all.

 

Is there just £50 left to pay as you have now changed supplier?

 

If this is the case I wouldn't just withhold that £50 as the debt follow up will continue, you would be best to speak to E.ON and go through your concerns and see if you can come to a resolution.

 

Helena

[seen this before]

new build housing while the developer cuts a deal its not favorable and is horrendously expensive compared to other suppliers' in the case here at the time it was elf at the time three times the cheapest competitor in 2000. also there is the charges for the gas transporter again the developer does a deal for the pipework but its not in the householders interest resulting in obscure companies adding charges to your bill.

 

for more information on igt's

 

http://www.energylinx.co.uk/independent_gas_transporters.htm

Edited June 13, 2011 by seen this before
update

[Zamzara]

I'll probably just pay it, but it seems incredibly convenient that Eon were unable to get in touch until (what they thought) was exactly 365 since I moved in, and then they couldn't send a bill fast enough. They seemed very put out once informed that they had left it 2 weeks too late to bill for the full amount, as if they had calculated it down to the last minute. Very convenient that this would have maximised their takings.

[Surfer01]

A builder would have had the account initially and there should not have been any obstacle in the way to prevent you from transferring it away from EON, however EON have a nasty habit of making things difficult for people who want to do this by using underhand tactics to keep the customer locked into them. other supplier sdo similar so not just EON. As you are down to £50 there is nothing preventing you transferring to another supplier.

If they prevent you transferring, you can claim compensation for strees and the difference between what EON continue to charge you and what the new supplier woudl have charged you. They can only prevent a transfer if the account is in arrears, but if it is only £50, the monthly payment then I would not really call it arrears.

[seen this before]

its ironic that i transferred in 2000 to eastern electricity from the french elf and my bill were slashed,stayed through txu and powergen taken over to eon again french and the bills rocketed and transferred.capped at 2-3% in france rises around 30% in the uk.

 

[nottslad]

[quote=seen this before;3449413... taken over to eon again french and the bills rocketed and transferred.capped at 2-3% in france rises around 30% in the uk.

 

 

E.ON are a German owned company.

 

TXU was taken over by Powergen, and because of making significant losses the organisation was then taken over by E.ON. The French energy market is entirely different to the British one, with state investment in infrastructure and green energy generation, therefore keeping down wholesale and distribution costs, also France is more heavily reliant on nuclear, which in comparison to the energy mix in the UK is dirt cheap - we are still heavily reliable on fossil fuels e.g. Staythorpe powerstation which has recently opened near Newark, Nottinghamshire is powered by natural gas - clearly not sustainable given the cost of wholesale gas and the fact that natural gas reserves are running out fast!

 

Also with the quotes about price rises have you taken in to account inflation - the take over period in question (from TXU to Powergen to EON) is about 7 years

[seen this before]

the fact that these companies have fallen into foreign ownership has seen rises beyond all rhelms of inflation which is around a 4.5 percent high.typically fuel price rises around 15/30 percent.what we are seeing is increasing numbers on low incomes facing the prospect of having no running hot water and being unable to heat their homes and were once told we've never had it so good.many would argue with that statement.eon were the ones that told me on the phone pressures falling costs more to pump it.goodbye eon.

 

germany wants a nuclear exit by 2022.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/30/us-germany-nuclear-idUSTRE74Q2P120110530

 

so not the way forward with this power with britain having ten of these.