[Han_EONNext]

@gbhxu Thank you!! I love those ideas and the thoughts behind it 😊. I'll ensure this gets to the right team to discuss 💙

[Tommysgirl]

@gbhxu
Some great ideas there!😃
I see the government are talking about introducing a Social Tariff but not implementing it until 2024 at the earliest, due to the volume of work and research needed between suppliers, DWP, HM Revenue and Customs etc. Good news for the future, but it does not help relieve the current situation many people are in, (especially people on benefits and those who are on low incomes which are just above the qualifying level for Universal Credit).

[Han_EONNext]

@Tommysgirl It is a very tricky situation isn't it. Helping our most vulnerable is something I certainly am incredibly passionate about and it's a step in the right direction, even if it is not happening right now.

We do have resources for those struggling available at the mo' though 😊 help with your energy bills
Have you heard of Paylink before? It's a relatively new system we have started to use. When a customer can't afford to pay for their consumption or they are already in debt with us (or other companies) and can't afford to pay we can (depending on the circumstances) refer them to Paylink where they help set up affordable financial energy plans tailored to their circumstances 🙂.

[meldrewreborn]

@Han_EONNext

While its good that organisations are wishing to help those who are struggling, there is a downside in that every new scheme actually makes it harder to be sure that people are getting all the help they are entitled to, because there are so many different schemes that can help. It would be better in my view if organisations could get together so that there were fewer, but more easily accessed, schemes. At the moment I'm sure that people are missing out on available help because of the complexity of the situation - I couldn't call it a system because there isn't one.

However, organisations like citizens advice do a great job of helping people get what they're entitled to, but I'm sure that many people are still in a mindset where they do not want to be stigmatised for getting "benefits", as though that is a badge of shame. In the vast majority of cases people have paid handsomely in by their day to day living expenditure and so shouldn't feel any compunction in getting all the help they can, especially in these extra difficult times.

[Tommysgirl]

@Han_EONNext, @meldrewreborn,
I hadn't heard of Paylink before, but it's worth knowing if anyone asks about help with their bills. I'm fortunately OK with my bills currently but who knows what might happen in the future if the prices keep going up, and don't fall later in the year as predicted? I also agree with @meldrewreborn, that the whole "system", if you can call it a system, is way too complex with too many schemes and will deter a lot of people from trying to access the help they may be entitled to. Well said! Let's hope when the Social Tariffs are eventually launched they are easily accessible. 😀👍

[meldrewreborn]

have you seen this - more than 500,000 warrants to install prepayment meters granted since July 2021. and waved through in bulk with little review.

Only 72 out of 500,000 warrants by energy firms to enter homes refused in prepayment meters 'scandal' (inews.co.uk)

So the argument that smart credit meters are worse than traditional meters because you don't need a warrant to enter the home to switch them doesn't in reality hold water..

[stewhan10113]

@DebF_EONNext It would be great if more information about upcoming grants and funding was readily available without having to dig around.

I for one would like to know if E.ON Next will be participating in the ECO+ Scheme that launches in spring this year. My house is eligible, but so far there has been no information from E.ON, when other suppliers like EDF have an informative page and are allowing people to register their interest already.

[retrotecchie]

@stewhan10113

The current ECO+ scheme for this year closed to new applicants on 23 Dec. The information and application page only went live at the beginning of December. I applied, filled in all the forms and was told I was indeed eligible....but wouldn't get anything as 'E.On Next don't cover your area'.

Strange how they cover my area for providing me with electricity and are perfectly capable of giving me a bill every month...

Hopefully when the 2023 relaunch happens in spring, they might either tell you up front to go Foxtrot Oscar as we 'don't cater to your sort', or they do wake up to the fact that Suppliers Obligations should not be a postcode lottery!

[stewhan10113]

@retrotecchie I think you may be thinking about ECO4. The ECO+ scheme will be brand new from Spring this year as an extension of ECO4. Govt are plugging in an extra £1bn into ECO to provide one form of free/discounted insulation to eligible properties (EPC D or below in Council Tax Bands A-D) but you don't have to be on means-tested benefits or earning under 30k.

As far as I'm aware it only just finished consultation stages at the end of Dec and no-one can apply yet, though some providers are allowing people to register their interest for when it does come around

https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/what-is-the-uk-governments-eco-scheme/

Though if this was ECO+ you're referring to am disappointed as I've been checking the E.On Next site since Govt announced it to see if apps were open as my house is eligible. If so my original point still stands E.on should be doing more to make this info easier to find and readily available! A good start would be for E.ON to actually refer to the scheme by its actual name rather than renaming it the Affordability Fund or whatever they choose as people will be searching for ECO scheme.

Sorry to hear about your issue with the scheme. Agree it should be open to everybody who is eligible regardless of location. You may be able to ask your council about it even if it's to wait for ECO+ in Spring as I heard it doesn't have to be your particular supplier, it can be any that serves your area, not 100% on that though - like I said info is far too difficult to find.

[retrotecchie]

@stewhan10113

Thank you for your correction, I should have just said ECO.

The scheme information from E.On Next was only available from the beginning of December onwards as the original link to the scheme page was broken on the main E.On Next website. I'd reported the bug and it was fixed in December, only for the scheme to close on 23rd December, so the information was fleeting at best.

As it is a Supplier Obligation, I should be able to apply through my supplier. As it was, a very narrow window of opportunity which when I did access it deemed I qualified but not available in my area.

Incidentally, there are only two energy companies willing to even supply me at my location. This lot, as my supplier of Last Resort when Igloo went norks northwards, and EDF.

OVO would have been my supplier of choice but they do not serve this area which is why I originally chose Igloo.

So two choices...the French mob (EDF) or E.On Next, and E.On are only supplying me because they had to by default. Neither of them operate the ECO schemes in my area, it seems.