Bill calculation error

  • packtech's Avatar
    Level 4
    I've noticed that my bills frequently appear to have errors. These are only a few pence but if e-on next are making the same errors with all their customers it must be significant. The latest bill error is shown below:

    999.6kWh @ 14.78p/kWh = £147.77 (Should be £147.74)

    Energy price guarantee 999.6kWh @ 4.22p/kWh = -£42.14 (Should be £42.18)

    Total £105.63 (Should be £105.56).

    e-on have not been much help but I thought I'd post this in case anyone else has had this problem.
  • 11 Replies

  • packtech's Avatar
    Level 4
    Small correction - 999.6kWh @ 14.782p/kWh = £147.77 (Should be £147.76)
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @packtech

    From the prices this is for gas. The conversion is from the volume of gas you've used, as shown on your bill, to get to the kWh figure shown, and i suspect that if you go through the conversion process yourself it will show that the kWh figures you have quoted are to one decimal place, but if you were to use 2 or 3 decimal places then the computations would come out right. If so, its of no benefit to the supplier, but is ever so slightly misleading.
    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.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    £105.56 divided by £105.63 is an error of 0.06%, or the fourth decimal place of a unit price. The meters themselves don't record to anywhere near that degree of accuracy.
    Last edited by retrotecchie; 09-01-23 at 14:47.
    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    I've noticed that my bills frequently appear to have errors. These are only a few pence but if e-on next are making the same errors with all their customers it must be significant. The latest bill error is shown below:

    999.6kWh @ 14.78p/kWh = £147.77 (Should be £147.74)

    Energy price guarantee 999.6kWh @ 4.22p/kWh = -£42.14 (Should be £42.18)

    Total £105.63 (Should be £105.56).

    e-on have not been much help but I thought I'd post this in case anyone else has had this problem.

    The net price you are being charged is 10.56p per unit, and the EPG discount is shown ex VAT so I presume the unit price is also ex VAT.. This suggests to me you are in the northern region paying by a non DD method.

    If so, do you realise that the average customer paying other than by Direct Debit, pays at current prices some £250 extra per annum? You could pay after receipt of bill by direct debit , which seems to me better than what you are doing now. I apologise in advance if I've got that wrong.
  • packtech's Avatar
    Level 4
    @packtech

    From the prices this is for gas. The conversion is from the volume of gas you've used, as shown on your bill, to get to the kWh figure shown, and i suspect that if you go through the conversion process yourself it will show that the kWh figures you have quoted are to one decimal place, but if you were to use 2 or 3 decimal places then the computations would come out right. If so, its of no benefit to the supplier, but is ever so slightly misleading.

    Hi, thanks for your reply, I thought this too but couldn't make it work. I did get through to eon, the customer support person could not explain it and the query has been passed to a "billing specialist". I'll post their explanation when it arrives.
  • packtech's Avatar
    Level 4
    £105.56 divided by £105.63 is an error of 0.06%, or the fourth decimal place of a unit price. The meters themselves don't record to anywhere near that degree of accuracy.

    True, as I said it's only pence but if they are making the same error for many customers it could at least pay for the chairman's lunch and I can think of better things to fund! Also, if I made a mistake and paid a few pence less than billed I suspect eon would be happy to charge interest, penalties etc.
  • packtech's Avatar
    Level 4
    The net price you are being charged is 10.56p per unit, and the EPG discount is shown ex VAT so I presume the unit price is also ex VAT.. This suggests to me you are in the northern region paying by a non DD method.

    If so, do you realise that the average customer paying other than by Direct Debit, pays at current prices some £250 extra per annum? You could pay after receipt of bill by direct debit , which seems to me better than what you are doing now. I apologise in advance if I've got that wrong.

    Thanks, it's how my parents pay British Gas but when I tried this I could not see how to set it up to pay the bill instead of taking an average amount. I'll look again.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @packtech

    It's likely with several decimal places that the over or under calculations of a few pence more than likely cancel each other out over a large enough customer base. If your meter is under-reading by as much as 0.06% which is possibly the case, then you're breaking even on the deal and the Chairman can put his hands in his pockets for his own lunch.

    Don't forget that there is a correction value applied to the kWh conversion formula of 1.02264 or 5 decimal places. I would imagine if they showed you your kWh consumption to that many decimals, rather than just show you to 1dp, then your calculated prices would be spot on compared to the bill.

    Just drop an email to hi@eonnext.com with your account details and "Change to Variable DD" in the subject and that should sort that for you, or ask @DebF_EONNext to take a look for you.
    Last edited by retrotecchie; 09-01-23 at 15:59.