[extramature]

👋Hello community,

As it is next to near impossible to get hold of E.On Next customer services posting on here for the first time.

I am currently on a variable tariff; however, wanting to switch to a fixed one. My issue is the monthly direct debit at either £465 or £499, depending on the tariff.

Can I switch to lock in the tariff and then alter the direct debit amount to somewhere in the region of what I am paying now?
Is it worth locking in now, given that they have already announced the price cap?

I am currently paying £215 per month but know I will see a hike in October, but again I can't afford the hike to what they have announced either!

Thanks for reading and TIA for your reply.

P.S: I know I should have looked at this before today, but this is the situation now 🙄

[Andy65]

Hi @extramature

I think there a few problems, such as don't be surprised if the fixed tariffs you've been quoted change on almost a daily basis. Also, you can normally only lower your DD by a maximum of 10% so even if you had some credit in your account at best I think you could only lower it by 45 quid or so.

It's a difficult choice but today's announcement of an increase in the cap of around 80% would mean that if you stayed on the variable you would be paying something like £387, depending whether you're currently in debit or credit, how much you use annually etc. So even the cheapest fixed tariff would be around £78 per month more. I know £387 is more than you can afford but it's less than it could be. The variable is likely to increase again in January so there's that to think about as well.

If it were me, and I'm in not a too dissimilar position regarding tariffs, I'd be tempted to stay on the variable and minimise your energy usage as much as you can.
If you have a tablet or a laptop, use them to watch TV via apps instead of the TV itself, it's also surprising what you can switch off when you start looking. It all adds up.

[JoeSoap]

@extramature

There will be many people in this situation I’m sorry to say. There’s no getting away from these ludicrous prices now apart from government assistance or whatever help energy companies can provide to those who simply cannot pay.

Direct debits are set in accordance with your anticipated usage so if you try to lower your monthly payment then you would probably end up with a debit on your account.

You can lower the DD by up to 10% online but you’d also need to lower your usage so as not to end up owing money.

It’s hard to advise on whether to fix or not now as the cost either way is astronomical. It’s so sad that so many are not going to be able to manage these price hikes so we have to hope some more government intervention is on the way.

I hope you can find a way ahead and it’s definitely worth speaking to an Eon Next advisor