Charges and Reverse Account Charges

  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    ... In other news, I received a bill today for the period Jan-Apr 1. 2023 (the period before the above refunding issue) in which I was charged again for the whole period. I have already paid these sums and can prove it. I truly despair at the incompetence of E.ON accountancy. It puts massive pressure on customers to understand what's going on. Thank goodness for you guys!

    It sounds like your account is in a real mess and needs an in-depth investigation. This will be difficult over the phone. Don't know if @LeeDQ_EONNext has any ideas how to progress with this.
    I'm an Eon Next dual fuel customer with no particular expertise but have some time on my hands that I am using to try and help out a bit.
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 56
    @Jasmin2000

    Your case demonstrates the need for customers (if they are able to/have the skillset to ) check that every bill statement issued as a result of a customer read/smart read is checked against the meter reads and the tariffs being applied for the period in question. Also to download every pdf statement and go through the bill sanity check 'Is this bill correct and are they charging me the correct tariff for this statement?'

    I'm not sure if you or anyone reading this thread knows why Eon Next have got their proverbial in a twist re the billing you have recently experienced. Hopefully Eon Next are able to explain what has happened because I cannot. 👍

    From my personal experience, smart reads (for both gas and electricity) are always pulled on the same day every month (today actually) and should appear in my online account along with transactions amounts for both gas and electricity later today. The detailed pdf statement summary appears within 24 hours of the reads being posted in my online account with the variable DD amount taken some 16 days later.
    Last edited by Mailman; 01-10-23 at 16:53.
  • Lee_EONNext's Avatar
    Community Team
    @JoeSoap In depth investigation needed, by the sounds of it with the reverse charges this could already be underway.
    @Jasmin2000 are you currently in contact with customer service about this?
    Did you know that we're open 24/7 across our Social Media Channels? There are lots of ways to contact us over
    here!
    📣
  • Jasmin2000's Avatar
    Level 5
    @JoeSoap @Mailman who has the time and smarts to keep check on E.ON's charges, mistaken charges, refunds? It's wasted a whole weekend already which I will never get back.

    @LeeDQ_EONNext yes I am in contact with customer service on WhatsApp and one of the people I messaged agreed to pay the sum by cheque (I refused a DD transfer as I expect E.ON to mess it up). However, now another person has now said they won't repay the money because my account is in DR. It is in DR because of the erroneous bill today for the period Jan-Apr 1. 2023 that I mentioned above.

    In any case what does my account balance have to do with repaying costs that I am owed?
    Last edited by Jasmin2000; 01-10-23 at 18:43.
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Jasmin2000

    I think the only way this will be sorted is for your account to be properly investigated. All consumption since you started with Eon Next has to have the appropriate tariff rates over the duration applied to find out the cost of what you have used. Then, all money paid into the account needs to be deducted. The result will be the balance on the account which will hopefully be a credit but may be a debit.

    You could check this yourself, but as you said, who has the time... or the inclination? I would be tempted to have a go if it was my account and I hadn't been with them for years. Then I would compare the result with what they say and go from there.

    With any luck, maybe @LeeDQ_EONNext can make some sense of this 🤞
  • Lee_EONNext's Avatar
    Community Team
    @Jasmin2000

    Can I ask how you paid? If you paid by Direct Debit you would be covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, your bank will be able to assist with a recall especially if money has been taken when it shouldn't have.

    With regards to your account balance, its treated like an in vs out, that's the easiest way to explain. If the balance on the account is DR, a refund would not be processed, however if that money was taken in error, erroneously or is not the amount agreed 'fixed' this should be refunded.

    Let me know if it was a Direct Debit.

    Thanks
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @LeeDQ_EONNext

    Reading through the thread it seems @Jasmin2000 pays by monthly DD. The account was in a small debit but then all these reverse charges created a decent size credit. A refund of that credit was requested and agreed but then another statement appeared for Jan, Feb and Mar which put the account to debit again so the refund has been stopped.

    See my later post (linked below) where I have given my theory of what has happened…

    https://community.eonnext.com/thread...ll=1#post39654
    Last edited by JoeSoap; 02-10-23 at 07:39. Reason: Added link
  • Jasmin2000's Avatar
    Level 5
    @Jasmin2000 pays by monthly DD. The account was in a small debit but then all these reverse charges created a decent size credit. A refund of that credit was requested and agreed but then another statement appeared for Jan, Feb and Mar which put the account to debit again so the refund has been stopped.
    Oo - nice summary and all correct!

    Also correct on the Direct Debit Guarantee cover, which states that such monies owed are to be paid immediately. The account balance plays no role as the money owed was taken in error. In fact they should be paying interest and/or compensation on a non-agreed loan.

    We're at the point where companies like E.ON, etc. play for time hoping the customer will go away or not have the funds/smarts to prosecute. That's why they put poorly-paid Rossie, Jadia, Tom and Kelly sequentially on chats to repeatedly ask for your details without doing anything.

    It works too because despite E.ON Next being fined £5 million a few months ago due to its poor customer service standards after extensive reviews by Ofgem, nothing has or will change. They make way more than £5 million keeping it all as it is.
    Last edited by Lee_EONNext; 03-10-23 at 12:41. Reason: Removed other company details
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 56
    @JoeSoap @Mailman who has the time and smarts to keep check on E.ON's charges, mistaken charges, refunds? It's wasted a whole weekend already which I will never get back.

    ........

    In any case what does my account balance have to do with repaying costs that I am owed?


    The account balance really shows just how appropriate a fixed DD is likely to be. In my case the account balance = the DD, because I pay by variable DD each month so I expect to be starting to pay more than £80 pcm for the next 5/6 months. This option is not for everyone.

    You need to let Eon Next sort their accounting mess out (with prodding from yourself and a complaint if necessary) before the winter months where your account balance starts going the wrong way leading to DD adjustments which may be incorrect. 👍
  • Jasmin2000's Avatar
    Level 5
    @Mailman - I have a fixed sum DD of £80 pcm. If my account is in DR I just make a one-off payment. (you'd have to be nuts to let E.ON take what they want from your account) I'm not holding my breath on E.ON sorting out their acocunting mess - they clearly don't give a hoot; E.ON Next fined £5m for poor customer service standards.

    Here's a freebee for the community. I'll send a legally correct personal invoice to them, which means thier accounting department has a written debit on the books and it must be dealt with. Done it before with Octopus and they paid quickly because accountant time is more expensive.