EON sent me an annual statement

[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

[andrew1402]

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 ?

[ThedaBara]

@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

 

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

[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

[Old Cogger]

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

 

 

 

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

[ThedaBara]

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

 

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

[ThedaBara]

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

 

If 'smart' meters are anything like smart phones, then I would probably avoid… I hate these devices telling me I am spelling a word wrong when I know I'm not… pfffttt!!! I bet a smart meter will lie to me just like my phone does... TB

[nottslad]

@ThedaBara it's quite uncommon for a meter to speed up as they get older, in my experience (far too many in the industry to want to say in public!!) meters tend to slow down more frequently than they speed up.

 

If you think it's looking a bit dodgy, it'd be worth speaking with EON to see if they can fit you a new smart meter, that way you know your bills are based on accurate meter reads and it wqould put to bed the query of whether your meter is wrong without having to risk £90 for an accuracy test.

[ThedaBara]

@ThedaBara it's quite uncommon for a meter to speed up as they get older, in my experience (far too many in the industry to want to say in public!!) meters tend to slow down more frequently than they speed up.

 

If you think it's looking a bit dodgy, it'd be worth speaking with EON to see if they can fit you a new smart meter, that way you know your bills are based on accurate meter reads and it wqould put to bed the query of whether your meter is wrong without having to risk £90 for an accuracy test.

 

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

[nottslad]

Agree with what you're saying, however if you can't afford to chance £90 on a meter accuracy test, can you continue to afford to be overcharged, if indeed you are?

 

Maybe it would help to think about what you're using, appliance wise. What is the energy consumption of that appliance and how long do you have it on for each day. That would give you a rough idea of how much your meter should be registering. Have a look at https://www.ukpower.co.uk/tools/running_costs_electricity which may help you with the costs - if you have instruction books then these will have the wattage of your appliances in.

 

If you dont want to switch, have a look at your eon account online and the best deal for you tool, it gives you all of the options and the features of each tariff so you can compare

[ThedaBara]

Agree with what you're saying, however if you can't afford to chance £90 on a meter accuracy test, can you continue to afford to be overcharged, if indeed you are?

 

Maybe it would help to think about what you're using, appliance wise. What is the energy consumption of that appliance and how long do you have it on for each day. That would give you a rough idea of how much your meter should be registering. Have a look at https://www.ukpower.co.uk/tools/running_costs_electricity which may help you with the costs - if you have instruction books then these will have the wattage of your appliances in.

 

If you dont want to switch, have a look at your eon account online and the best deal for you tool, it gives you all of the options and the features of each tariff so you can compare

 

Ok… thanks. TB

[Old Cogger]

change supplier like many others have done

[Old Cogger]

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.

[nottslad]

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.

 

This happened quite a while ago old cogger, and was partly due to the fact AgeUK were paid per supply contract agreed, in the same way any energy broker was... At the time the tariff was launched though it was one of the cheapest on the market. When legislation was brought in to limit the number of tariffs a supplier can offer through the market reform this was a blow to consumer choice in my opinion. It was supposed to make the market clearer and easier to understand, but the same issues are still faced

[ThedaBara]

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.

 

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

[ThedaBara]

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

[Old Cogger]

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

 

 

 

Speaks for its self!

[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

[ThedaBara]

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