EON sent me an annual statement

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Hi ThedaBara

 

I'm sorry you're finding our tariffs confusing. What's best for one person might not be for another. Prices vary regionally and usage can also influence the end result. It depends, too, on whether you want to protect your prices for one year or two or have the option of variable prices. All the tariffs we've available are listed on our website. We've also a specialist team who'll be happy to go through all the options available. I'd pop your usage in kWh on to the independent comparison sites. They'll list all the options available both with us and with the other suppliers. The annual usage will be on the bills, your Annual Summary or, if you've registered with our website, your online account.

 

From the prices quoted, it looks like you don't have a Monthly Direct Debit. There are lower daily standing charges for paying this way. The 24.78p per day mentioned would go down to 15.64p per day. There's also discount of £5 per fuel per year if you register with our website for paperless billing.

 

Do you receive Warm Home Discount? This is a Government backed scheme to help customers who meet the qualifying conditions. Last year it was £140 so worth having a look. There's more information including a form to apply for the 2016/17 scheme at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/saving-energy/need-little-extra-help/warm-home-discount.

 

If you qualify for Warm Home Discount, you might also be eligible for help with energy saving stuff like loft and cavity wall insulation. This will be through another Government led scheme called the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Again, there are more details on our website as well as lots of other tips to help you save money by saving energy. Mostly on the 'Saving Energy' pages.

 

We've also a scheme called E.ON Rewards. This lets you earn up to 1500 points each year which can be exchanged for either Tesco Clubcard points or High Street Shopping Vouchers. It's a free scheme but you'll need to opt in to earn the points. You can do this online or over the phone.

 

Sorry again you find our tariffs confusing but hope this helps point you in the right direction. Let me know if you need any more information as happy to help.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

EON has sent me an annual statement… I wondered if anyone else has had one of these… they seem to be advising me to move to a fixed tariff which will apparently save me more than £425 per year!

They are saying my energy costs will be around £1500 per year… even though I have oil fired heating.

 

I could post it up on here if someone would advise me how to do it… (I have it on my desktop saved as a PDF)..

 

Many thanks, TB

 

Hi ThedaBara

 

I replied earlier this morning on another thread you had posted on with some information that might help here too. It's at the following link.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?424625-E.On-fined-record-%A312m-for-mis-selling%281-Viewing%29-nbsp

 

A couple of years ago we introduced an Annual Summary for our residential customers. These give an overview of your energy usage and tariff. They're sent separately to bills. As well as details of how much energy you're using, they also let you know if there are any other tariffs available with us that might save you money. There are similar messages on bills too. We're not allowed to switch you to a contracted product, like one of our Fixed Price deals, without your permission. These messages are to let you know about any possible alternatives. As I suggested in the thread at the link above and unclebulgaria67 mentions, I'd pop the usage in kWh on to one of the independent comparison sites. This will give details of the options available both with us and with the other suppliers.

 

There are no exit fees for moving from one E.ON tariff to another but they do sometimes apply when changing supplier if signed up to a contracted product. This is one reason why we're not allowed to automatically put customers on to these tariffs without talking to them first.

 

If you do decide to sign up to one of our Fixed Price deals, there's an online service to keep you up to date with any new versions of the tariff that we might release in the future. It's called Price Alerts and is an online service only. Customers who've registered their accounts with our website and opted in to Price Alerts automatically receive an email if a new version of the tariff becomes available. They can then either switch to the new version (no charge) or stay as they are.

 

Hope this helps ThedaBara. Let me know if I can help further as happy to do so.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Thanks dx.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

I've been getting them for 2 years now and I'm on prepayment meters.

 

That's right leigh04. Annual Summaries are sent to all our residential customers including those with prepayment meters.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Hi Malc… just wondering why vulnerable customers, especially the elderly and those on means tested benefits, are not automatically on the cheapest tariff…? TB

 

Hi ThedaBara

 

At the moment and for quite a time now, our cheapest unit prices have been with contracted fixed term tariffs. As per my comments in the reply you quote and as nottslad says, we're not allowed to put customers on to these contracted tariffs without their permission. To do so, would break industry regulations and could leave us open to severe penalties.

 

We do, though, try to make customers aware of the cheaper prices in a number of ways. This includes a 'Could You Pay Less?' message on every bill/statement or renewal as well as the Annual Summary. We sometimes use advertising campaigns and mailings to raise awareness too. Our website always has details of all our current tariffs. Customers who've registered their accounts with our website can sign up to receive Price Alerts. Those already on Fixed Term deals will automatically receive an email if a new version becomes available. As well as this, details of tariffs will be on our social media channels, particularly twitter and Facebook.

 

Hope this explains ThedaBara.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

@thedabara

 

The cheapest tariffs are usually contracted products, which incur exit fees for moving or are for a fixed period. You wouldn't be able to enter somebody in to one of these contracts without their express permission.

 

Spot on nottslad. Thanks for posting that.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Thanks for those replies… this is the first statement I've had where I've noticed the message… apparently, I can save more than £400 per year! TB

 

Great news TB. At the moment, none of our current tariffs have exit fees. If you decide on one of these, you'll still be able to switch supplier before the end of the contract without picking up a charge. Previous fixed deals had various exit fees. Although this doesn't affect customers changing to another E.ON tariff (no exit fees here), they did kick in if switching supplier whilst still in the contract and before the Price Protection window kicks in (open 49 days before the tariff ends until 20 days after).

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Hmmm… in that case it should be ok to put people on the lowest tariff automatically… unless they want to pay lots for the lecky, that is! TB

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear before TB. We're absolutely not allowed to put customers on to contracted products without their permission. They need to agree to go on to these tariffs. To be clear, this isn't a specific E.ON rule. It applies to all energy suppliers. To do as you suggest would leave us open to severe penalties as we would be breaking industry rules.

 

All our Fixed Term tariffs are contracted products. They run for a set period of time with specified start and end dates. Between these dates, we guarantee not to change either the daily standing charges or unit prices per kWh no matter what happens in the energy market. Customers need to agree to these set rates and any other terms specific to individual tariffs.

 

Different customers also have different requirements and not all chase the cheapest prices now. Some want long term stability and peace of mind. They go for a two year fix so they know their prices won't change for a longer period. At the moment, our 2 Year Fixed Tariff version 8 is more expensive than standard prices. It was only released recently (20 January 16) so the likelihood is customers on this tariff will save money in the long run if they stay on the tariff until 2018. Many prefer long term rather than instant savings. Again, as a contracted product, we have to make customers fully aware of the terms and conditions. We can't automatically switch them without doing this.

 

Hope this makes things a little clearer TB.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

What a load of "Horlicks"

 

instant savings = get rid of meter charges which are not mandatory charge, without a meter how would a supplier know usage, therefore the meter should be free as part of any supplier package i.e. tools of their trade, cost of basic meter say £75.00 = now 4 quarters payments say £100.00 dam good income by defraud . always asked these questions = never any reply.

 

bring back under government control

 

Nottslad sums it up very well Old Cogger. There's more to the daily standing charge than just providing a meter. Once in, it needs maintaining and reading. Additionally, there's the cost of keeping properties connected to the networks and the infrastructure needed to transport energy to individual properties. Similarly with unit rates, they aren't just about wholesale prices. They cover things like looking after accounts, contributions to Government initiatives, VAT and future investments to keep the energy flowing. There's a page on our website about this that goes into more detail. It's all about where our customer's money goes and it's at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/help-and-support/Understanding-your-bill/where-does-customers-money-go

 

Hope this sheds a bit more light on to this.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

@Old Cogger

 

If there were no standing charges, then unit rates would be higher. It's a catch-22 situation.

 

There's more to an energy bill than just the wholesale cost and a bit of profit for the supplier; things like government levies, maintenance costs, the cost of getting electricity to the meter (distribution costs) and a whole host of other things.

 

I agree with what you say about a meter being essential for a supply and this should be included, but the cost of it has got to come from somewhere.

 

EOn's profit is about 4.5% of every bill, which isn't a massive amount when you consider the profit margin of other goods and services for example milk and eggs from Tesco

 

Excellent information nottslad. Sums it up very well.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Yes… it's swings and roundabouts… and many people find it difficult to work out what's best… I am on a low income and just need the cheapest option for me today… I am not thinking about 2 year fixes or whatever… I am reluctant to change supplier as I get the winter warmth discount with EON… but £1500 per year is a joke, especially as I have oil for hot water and central heating. TB

 

Hi TB

 

From the information posted earlier in the thread, I suspect you're on our standard prices but could be wrong. If you are, there are cheaper options, both with us and with the other suppliers. No need to fix for 2 years if this is something you don't want to do. Have you thought about some of the suggestions I made in post 2? There's savings to be made there straightaway. We've a team to help our most vulnerable customers called Caring Energy. Have a talk to them. I'm sure they'll be able to give you effective support and help find the best deal for your needs. There's more information including their contact details at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/help-and-support/extra-help

 

A great way to save money is by saving energy. We can help with this too. Have a think about the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) I mentioned in post 2. Could help. There are also some great tips on our website to help you save energy. When you've a minute, have a look at the 'saving energy' pages. Talk to the team above about this too.

 

Hope this give you a few pointers TB. Let me know if you need any more information as happy to help.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Hmmm… in the 15 years I've lived here, there has never, to my knowledge been any 'maintenance' of the meter…it's a very old one from Eastern Electricity. TB

 

Hi TB

 

Has a meter reader visited in the past? If they have, as well as reading the meter, they carry out a visual check and report any problems to the meter operator for follow up.

 

Just a thought but have you considered a Smart Meter? These meters send readings directly to us. They make bills more accurate and take away the need for you to read them. One less job to think about. They're not available everywhere yet but, if you're eligible, could help. They come with an energy display to help keep track of your ongoing usage. There's no charge for either the meter or display. There’s more information on our website at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/smart-meters

 

You can also register an interest through this link.

 

Hope it's of interest.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

I'm with Eon too and get annual statements saying I'm credit not sure if I can post this here but have a few questions 1 can I claim the credit back as I'm on a prepaid meter?/second question has the prices gone up because my top up not lasting as long as usual but not using anything different ?

 

Morning andrew1402

 

Usually, credit on prepayment statements is for energy paid for but not yet used. Refunding this would put accounts in debt so this is something we wouldn't look to do.

 

Our prepayment prices haven't gone up since January 2014. Gas prices actually came down in both January 2015 and February 2016. It may be you're using more than before and this is why your top ups aren't lasting as long. There's lots of energy saving ideas on our website that might help with this. Also, have you heard about the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)? This is a Government led scheme that aims to cut usage by providing help with energy saving stuff like loft and cavity wall insulation. There are more details about this on our website too.

 

Hope this answers your questions andrew1402. Let me know if you need any more details as happy to help.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Also, the cheaper tariffs tend to be Direct Debit only… so people on pension credits, etc., who have a very small income trickling into their bank accounts at fortnightly intervals, often don't have the £150 or so available to cover the DD payment… which then gets bounced and the bank charges you for the privilege.

 

I actually have to borrow the money from relatives and pay them back as and when… I can't see E.ON being so accommodating… TB

 

Hi TB

 

Have you thought about talking to the Caring Energy team I spoke about in post 26 above? They're there to give practical and effective support to customers in similar circumstances to those you mention. This includes helping customers become energy efficient, finding the most suitable products and advising about any trust funds that might be available. We've our own fund set up to help customers struggling to pay their bills. Ask them about the E.ON Energy Fund. If eligible, there might be help available through this. There's more information on our website as well.

 

Hope this is of interest.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

on paper not in real life = check meter, joke we use to make these meters and they were ten a penny, not needed or regulated 25p a day cost

 

Hi Old Cogger

 

As I posted above, there's more to the daily standing charge than just providing a meter. Once in, it needs maintaining and reading. Additionally, there's the cost of keeping properties connected to the networks and the infrastructure needed to transport energy to individual properties.

 

Similarly with unit rates, they aren't just about wholesale prices. They cover things like looking after accounts, contributions to Government initiatives (both social and environmental), VAT and future investments to keep the energy flowing. There's a page on our website about this that goes into more detail. It's all about where our customer's money goes and it's at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-h...omers-money-go

 

Hope this gives a bit more insight into where the money goes.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

I actually don't believe the person who reads my meter reader makes any checks… he takes all of 3 seconds to read it… I believe it's faulty but can't chance having someone check it out in case I get charged… they are bound to say it's working ok, anyway..

 

My meter is a really old one…was here when we moved in 15 years ago… Eastern Electricity… great big switches to cut the power, a bit like in the Frankenstein films.. hahaha!! TB

 

But it wouldn't recompense me for any overpayment I may have made as a result of the meter being faulty… I'd be throwing out the baby with the bath water… TB

 

Hi TB

 

If you believe the meter is faulty, we'll be happy to test it. There will, though be a charge of £93 if it turns out not to be faulty. This is payable in advance and refunded once we've established a fault. Also, if faulty, we'll carry out any adjustments that are needed including looking at any possible over or under payments.

 

To save paying out unnecessarily, I'd take regular readings over a 7 day period. See if there are any unusual patterns. Also, as nottslad says, think about what electricity you're using and how you're using it. There's advice on our website about this. Have a look at the 'Saving Energy' pages. Might help. They're at the following link.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/saving-energy

 

Talk to the Caring Energy team I mentioned above (post 26) too. They'll be happy to help. Have you thought about any of the suggestions I made in earlier posts on this thread? Particularly about tariffs, payment arrangements and the E.ON Energy Fund. There's help and advice available.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Age UK has suspended its fixed-price energy tariff with big six supplier E.On, the two companies announced today, after the controversial deal came under regulatory scrutiny.

 

The elderly person's charity said that the two-year fixed deal will no longer be offered to new or renewing customers from midnight on Wednesday, although existing contracts will be unaffected.

 

There are no exit fees so customers can switch at any point without incurring a charge.

 

The announcements follow allegations in the Sun newspaper on Thursday that Age UK was raking in £6m a year from recommending tariffs to pensioners that were not actually the cheapest on the market.

 

The report alleged that Age UK received about £41 from E.On for every person who signed up.

 

The average Age UK/E.On deal would cost pensioners £1,049 a year – £245 more than E.On's cheapest rate last year, the newspaper claimed.

 

Hi Old Cogger

 

Just to confirm, on Wednesday, 10 February 16, we announced we were temporarily going to stop offering an Age UK branded tariff to new, renewing or switching customers. This decision was reached on a mutual basis. Customers already on the tariff won't be affected and will continue on their products until the end of the agreement or until they decide to choose an alternative. Thought it might be of interest to give a bit of background about this relationship.

 

We linked up with Age UK (previously Age Concern) about 14 years ago (we were called Powergen at the time). The aim was to provide tariffs particularly tailored to the needs of our older and more vulnerable customers.

 

To this end, we've produced a series of tariffs over the years that have been fixed for 2 years. These have been competitively priced when compared with similar products available at the time. They've been aimed at giving customers the peace of mind that their prices won't change during the length of the contract no matter what happens in the energy market. Provided they're eligible (right age/compatible meter), customers can switch to these products at any time without picking up any charges. This means they can choose a tariff that best suits their needs. Also, customers on Age UK tariffs aren't tied in. They can switch to any of our other core tariffs or change supplier at any time without having to pay an exit fee.

 

We can't put customers on to a contracted product, like the Age UK ones, without their consent. We use many channels to let customers know about the availability of particular products and our relationship with Age UK meant we were able to contact more of our older customers than we might otherwise have reached. This was a great way to let them know that there were other options and not just standard prices. As well as this, customers on fixed tariffs like Age UK can sign up for Price Alerts and we'll email them when a potentially better deal is available. We put messages on bills, too, to advise if they could pay less.

 

There's more information about our relationship with Age UK at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/blog/2016/February/our-relationship-with-age-uk-enterprises

 

Hope this is of interest.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Yes… I( heard about that dreadful state of affairs… taking advantage of the most vulnerable in society… it's a disgrace… the only reason I am reluctant to change over is that EOn do at least allow a winter warmth discount… some of the cheaper suppliers don't. I have in any case written to EON to say that they have over estimated the latest bio by quite a lot… waiting to hear back from them now… TB

 

Hi TB

 

Just posted above to Old Cogger about our relationship with Age UK. Hope it's of interest.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Just thinking… if EON can afford to offer a tariff which save me a third of my annual costs, they must be overcharging me in the first place… TB

 

From what you've said previously in this thread TB, I'm sure we can save you money if you talk to us. As I've said above (particularly in posts 2, 19 and 26), there are options to help. If you don't want to talk to us, there are things you can do yourself through our website. This includes changing tariff so you're not on, as I suspect, standard prices. We'll be happy to help you and the links/contacts above are best placed to do this.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Hmmmm… my bill was OVERestimated. The readings state: (previous) 19956E (present) 23718E….the actual (current) reading is 21202 … So I emailed EON with the reading and they've sent me an 'amended bill' of…exactly the same as the first bill! Duh!! TB

 

Ha… maybe! It's so hard for ordinary people to try and work out if they have been overcharged… especially when the units are not a precise amount of money but have a decimal point followed by a fraction… maths was always my downfall… but I'm ok with plain English… what part of "Give me the cheapest deal" don't EON understand? How hard can it actually be for these companies to treat vulnerable customers fairly?TB

 

It's not like when you buy a pound of apples and you can see what your'e getting for your money… you can't 'see' electricity… all you have is a manky old meter, which, in my case keeps running even after I've isolated the supply… if they come down and swap it for another meter, I'll have no proof that they have been overcharging me for the last 15 years. I can't afford to get an independent electrician in to look at it and if EON inspects it, they are never going to admit that it's faulty and I'm being overcharged… all I know is that my bill is £1,500 a year and I have oil for central heating and hot water, which comes to another grand a year… my annual income is only £6k, so I'm really struggling… TB

 

I agree with unclebulgaria TB. If you haven't already, I think it's time to take this down the complaints route. A dedicated Complaint Resolution Manager will look after the various issues you've raised in this thread and offer a resolution. If you're unhappy with the offer, you can go to our Review Team. They'll look at the offer again, both from our point of view and yours. They'll either uphold the original offer or suggest an alternative. If you're still unhappy, we'll send you our 'Final Resolution Offer' letter. At this point, you can go to the Ombudsman for an independent assessment. Alternatively, once the complaint is over 56 days old, you can go to the Ombudsman straightaway. No need to wait for a letter. Complaints are also back dated to when first discussed so, if you've spoken to us about these issues before, the complaint will start from then. It may be you can go to the Ombudsman now. There are more details about how we look after complaints, including how to contact us, on our website at the link below.

 

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/help-and-support/complaints

 

Sorry my previous posts haven't helped that much but hope this points you in the right direction.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

Hi TB, when was the estimate to? There will be a consideration of extra standing charges, but it doesnt sound right that 250kWh would come to the same amount as 400kWh, perhaps Malc could provide you with his email address so he can have a look?

 

No worries nottslad. Our email address is in our biographies. For ease, it's WebForumAdvisors@eonenergy.com.

 

Although, given what TB has posted, I think the complaints route is probably a better bet as per my reply above.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

EON rep on here gone quiet, must of been made redundant? with the rest as the bad news from EON recently??

 

exactly - looked on back of a EDF bill of mine and shows charges breakdown i..e. 55% cost of energy the rest made up of this/that/the other cherges , EON rep on here did not like my questioning, they tried to circumnavigate the issue of charges and Meter charge per day ( which is not a legal requirement) and challenged by others, they work for a company and try to make out the company is better than cheese, until that company dispenses with them.

 

Sorry to disappoint Old Cogger but still here. Been out of the office or on other work since 11 March so am just catching up. Be good to spend more time on here but demand isn't enough to persuade the gaffers I'm afraid. Don't think I don't like your questions though. On the contrary, the more the better - keeps me out of trouble. Well, sometimes.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

There's been no redundancies at EON...

 

I think part of the difficulty may be that as a customer service rep, Malc, like all agents, are going to be limited to what they can say and must use the official company response to these questions, which are crafted by people in marketing departments.

 

Re the cheapest deal, no supplier can tell you, but they can assist in helping you make an informed decision. Generally, go for the one with the lowest unit rate, even if the standing charge is a couple of pence higher - this is then going to most likely be the best option

 

TB - have you been through a list of what you're using as suggested previously? Have you spoken to the consumption disputes team at EON?

 

Also is your meter one rate or two rate - are you on economy 7?

 

You're right nottslad. Our main purpose on these and other Internet Forums is to try to answer customer service questions and to provide more general information that might be useful to others. Whilst we'll acknowledge policy and corporate stuff, it's unlikely we'll be able to provide anything other than what can be found in our press releases or on our website.

 

As you say, whilst we can't tell customers what tariff to choose, we can give them as much information as possible to help them make an informed decision. Among other channels, we post up information on our website, on annual summaries and put messages on bills. Sometimes, we'll send letters, emails and texts to highlight possible savings/new tariffs. There'll also be information on our Facebook and twitter pages at various times. For customers on fixed deals, there's Price Alerts too (post 8 above). At the end of the day, though, it's down to the customer to either pick a tariff or change supplier.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

 

DaBara, if you are having problems with EON, get a complaint registered and if necessary involve the Ombudsman. If the electric is higher than it should be, do some checking, turning on/off appliances to see what the meter is showing. £1500 a year is a lot, when you heat the house and water with an oil boiler system. It might not be the meter but faulty appliances.

 

Agree unclebulgaria. As above, I think the complaint route's the best bet for the OP. Also agree about doing some checking. As per my earlier post (number 46), taking regular readings is a good way to see if anything unusual might be happening. Turning appliances on/off will help too.

 

Malc

[E.ON Company Rep: Malc]

You're welcome TB. Hope I've helped a little.

 

Malc