Smart Gas Meter, but use no GAS Direct Debit charges

  • UserBaz's Avatar
    Level 1
    We have a ECO House with low energy bills. The House is fitted with a Smart Gas Meter that has registered ZERO Gas Use since installation. The house uses ONLY electricity (and has Solar PV) - so very low usage.
    The Bill for the correct use/standing charges is also stating estimated Electricity AND GAS usage. Therefore the Eon Algorithm insists on adding the expected Gas use into the Direct debit - Account Credit Balance is now £419.61 and DD is £258 (reduced the amount by the maximum of10%). £59.48 was my last bill and DD was £100.
    Why is the Algorithm so badly incorrect - have raised Formal Complaint - but no response from Eon.
  • 5 Replies

  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @UserBaz

    Customer service is overwhelmed at present due to the changes coming in October and resulting confusion generating lots of contacts.

    I’ve just read that it can take up to 5 days to get a response so hopefully you haven’t been waiting longer than that.

    Hope you get the issue sorted soon.
    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.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @UserBaz

    How long has the gas been supplied to the property? Unless the supply is capped off (at your expense) it will continue to attract standing charges - I'm fairly sure this is the E.ON next policy - suppliers do differ on this topic. If you are not using any gas over an extended period the only reason to have it would be as insurance should the electricity went down.

    I presume the meter is actually working and not malfunctioning - allowing gas to pass and not register.
    Current Eon Next customer, ex EDF, Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • UserBaz's Avatar
    Level 1
    @meldrewreborn

    Thank you - I agree with your comments. The Planning Dept required all the Eco Houses to have dual supplies, and some do have internal pipework to a gas Hob.
    Our house was built 7 years ago and has never had Gas Usage - there are no Gas appliances, and we have no plans for that. Eon changed out the original Smart Meter a year ago - and our readout now states "Gas Supply Disconnected" - Because there is a Meter reading Zero use, it is still classed as requiring payment of the Gas Standing Charge. Some others in our ECO development do not pay this charge - although we were all connected to Eon by the Builder. My annoyance is the fact that Eon continue to extract payment for fictitious gas usage under the new scheme of DD.... Previously I set the DD and only once have we gone into debit. I have been on at Eon Customer Services for too long, and there is a possibility I will switch Supplier when the dust settles a bit...!
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    Some suppliers do not charge the standing charge if there is no consumption. OVO is one I think. Disconnection would be the long term solution.
    Eon are in breach of their licence conditions if they project gas usage for you. Make a formal complaint and ask for compensation- DD’s are supposed to be reasonable.
  • UserBaz's Avatar
    Level 1
    @JoeSoap

    Thanks for your sympathy - 5 days would be wonderful.... I think that the Eon Algorithm is inflexible - if you live in a 4 bedroom Band E property that has both Electricity AND Gas supplies - then the automatic assumption is that you MUST BE USING GAS...Even though the Smart Meter is correctly reporting Zero Use and the Smart Panel states "Gas supply Disconnected" I think this is a case that the Smart Meter is smarter than Eon! If the Eon policy is to charge the Standing Charge, then I cannot complain. When they swapped out the previous Smart Meters, I asked that the pipe be capped - Eon refused unless I paid for the supply be capped at the main in the street (off my property) - as the drive and street uses brick paviours, that was not a sensible option