[John2020]

I have two next flex meters, but my electric meter is prepayment. Will I be forced to have vouchers? I don't want the discount applied to my electric meter, I want it all on my gas meter. Do I get a choice?

This is important for me as I don't use a lot of electricity. I use much more gas. As a result if this all goes on my electric meter I will have a sizeable credit on that account by the end of the six months and will still have to pay high gas bill. A response of some kind would be appreciated. I waited 35 minutes on the telephone this afternoon before giving up.

[PeterT_EONNext]

Hi @John2020

I'm sorry to hear that you're so unhappy about the way your Energy Bills Support Scheme payments will be applied for you 😔

The way that this works, is similar to the way the Warm Home Discount payments are applied.

Foe example, in your case, and if you're eligible for the Warm Home Discount, this is issued in a format based on your electricity supply (it's done this way because everyone has electricity, and not everyone has a gas supply)

If you have a prepayment meter for your electricity, and if you had a prepayment meter for your gas, you'd still receive a voucher to use at the Post Office which you could then split across both devices. As you have a gas meter that isn't prepay, you'd still receive a voucher and would have to top all of this up onto the electricity meter.

As the EBSS works in this way, we aren't able to change this. This means, within the first week of each month, you'll receive a voucher which you'll need to use for your electricity. My best advice would be to maybe make payments to your gas account that you would usually be topping up onto the electricity meter, whereas you won't be as much, with the EBSS vouchers you receive.

- Pete

[meldrewreborn]

@John2020

i’m fairly certain that it goes solely onto electricity account and so it will be vouchers. They can’t bend to every customers whims, but hopefully there will be a mechanism to transfer funding. @PeterT_EONNext can advise.

[John2020]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I'm not sure about "customer whims". It's my money after all! Surely I am entitled to do with it as I choose? It really is a great inconvenience to be forced to take vouchers for electricity, when I just want a credit applied to my gas account. (And also a waste of money in making and sending vouchers, though I appreciate that this is not the fault of EON and the blame sits with government.)

I don't know how this works, but I very much hope that Peter @PeterT_EONNext can advise and set my mind at rest. My central heating stays off until I receive reassurances.

[Anasa_EONNext]

@John2020 Welcome to the Community 👋 there is already some info about this and we've added some more info over here if you are a prepayment customer and have a key meter you'll get a voucher and can choose which account to put the money on, if you have Smart meters they will be automatically shared between both fuels if you have a duel fuel account if not it will go on your electricity account only - hope this helps 😊

[John2020]

@Anasa_EONNext Absolutely not! I have a prepayment meter for electric and only spend about £45 a month. Therefore I will be having an extra £20 credited to that account each month that I do not need and do not want.

My gas account is a normal meter. My gas is not on a prepayment meter.

I used to spend £40 per month in the winter months and I estimate that will now rise to £100 per month if I put my central heating on. Can I arrange to have it transferred to my gas account? I don't want it on my electric account. And I certainly don't want vouchers.

I am very unhappy. I feel like I am being treated like a second class customer. I shall delay putting the central heating on in my house until my money is put where I want it. I cannot afford to pay £100 for gas every month in the winter and I'm not spending £300 on an electric cooker!

[theunknowntech]

Not in this case I'm afraid. There's no easy mechanism to move credit between a PAYG Meter and a Credit Meter regardless of type. You should consider upgrading them both to Smart Meters and either having both run in Credit Mode, or both run in Prepayment Mode.

[John2020]

I think it is very easy! It is my money. I want it credited to my gas account!

I will not change my meters. That suits EON. It does not suit me. And I am very unhappy!!!

If this money is not transferred to my gas account I will be contacting my MP. This is not acceptable.

[meldrewreborn]

@John2020

yours is an unusual situation. When the rules were drawn up they didn’t factor in cases like yours. However, there will be a solution found, but both you and E.On next might need to be a little flexible.

[theunknowntech]

Originally Posted by John2020

Who are you? It is very easy! EASY. You just don't want to do it. THIS IS HARRASSMENT.

It is my money. I want it credited to my gas account!

I will not change my meters. That suits EON. It does not suit me. I'm nothing but a second class customer! And I am very very very unhappy!!!

If this money is not transferred to my gas account I will be contacting my MP. This is not acceptable. I repeat THIS IS HARRASSMENT.

I am just a forum volunteer. Not only do I not work for E.On Group, I don't work in the energy industry AT ALL. Please don't attack me as it's beyond my control. I just happen to know a ton about this stuff partially through my own research and also because I have friends who have taught me everything they know.

It is literally just impossible to just randomly move credit between different types of meter i.e. Credit <> Prepayment regardless of what meters you have because there has never been a method put n place to do so. And arguably, I cannot ever see such functionality existing ANYWHERE because a: hardly anyone would use it, b: it's a potential fraud risk and c: it's a nightmare to implement!

And because you have a Traditional Prepayment Meter, I'm afraid credit transfers are basically impossible. The functionality to do so exists only with Smart Meters.

In addition, by topping up any kind of Prepayment Meter - Smart or otherwise - you are handing over your money to your energy supplier in exchange for the supply of gas or electricity. At that point, it's no longer your money as you immediately transfer it to the supplier.

You are of course entitled to contact your MP if you wish, but I suspect they'll just reject your complaint with more or less the same explanations I'm offering here. Plus the fact your MP can't technically get involved in this kind of dispute very easily as it's usually out of scope.

What you do with those Electricity Top-Up Vouchers in your case is your choice. Whether you Top-Up your electric meter with them, shred them, put them in the bin or burn them, I don't really care much as I have no control over that. But by default the one thing you cannot do in your case, is exchange them for a gas account credit. Use them or lose them. It's your choice.