[Martintel]

But how you seen I was half reduced my usage related to previous year! I was asked them from August last year and case was landed at ombudsman before battery was death completely in February this year. If they overcharge me for last two months related to jumped estimate yearly usage between February -march this year I will definitely will back to ombudsman with them. Why I have pay for their tardiness when I reported to them faulty meter from August last year and they was not bothering to send engineer and only blaim DCC for lost connection!!! It's not this way to go....

[JoeSoap]

@Martintel

I understand your frustration but I am trying to get to the actual problem right now. Here is how I see it...

1. You have a complaint from August when your gas smart meter stopped sending readings. This complaint went to the Ombudsman. Was it resolved and is that complaint closed? From August until February, did you send manual gas meter readings and were they accepted?

2. Your gas meter battery failed in February so now your consumption has to be estimated. Were your gas readings up-to-date and agreed by you and Eon Next before your battery failed?

3. If the answer to my questions above is 'Yes' then the problem now is how much your estimated readings are on each monthly bill since the battery failed and getting a new meter fitted ASAP.

4. You have requested that a new meter is fitted but as yet that has not happened. Until a new meter is fitted your usage will be estimated every month using historical consumption. You can appeal these estimates on the grounds that your general usage has reduced since last year and hopefully reach an agreement with Eon Next.

5. The annual estimates for the year ahead are very important if you pay by Fixed Direct Debit as your monthly payments will be based on this. The bills will still be what they are, based on the actual month's usage (or in the case of gas, the estimated month's usage) so if the DD is set too high you would build up a credit balance and if too low a debit balance. Either way, it would right itself in the end.

6. You however, pay by Variable Direct Debit, so regardless of the annual gas consumption forecast you will only be billed on what you actually use each month. Your current problem is that with a broken gas meter these monthly readings have to be estimated, hopefully to your satisfaction, one month at a time until a new meter is fitted.

7. Finally, you suggest in the title that they are using someone else’s account details when estimating your consumption. I think that was a genuine error in the message that was sent to you. The estimates will be on your monthly bill which should have your personal details and meter reference numbers on it.

Do you have a second complaint in place on this matter of a failed battery and potential over-estimated bills? If not then perhaps you could link this thread in an email to unhappy@eonnext.com and ask them to read through it so that an understanding can be reached of what the problem is. If a complaint is already in place you could still ask them to read through this and hope it hastens a satisfactory response.

[meldrewreborn]

The annual estimate directly impacts the level of the fixed Direct Debit, so if the estimate is too high so will the Direct Debit.
A switch to paying by variable direct debit will ensure there is no further overcharging and eventually the annual consumption figure will stabilise. As we’re coming into summer with lower heating consumption and price decreases due in July this would be a good move, as a fixed Direct Debit set now will always turn out to be too high.

[JoeSoap]

@meldrewreborn

The O.P. already pays by Variable DD. See here

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap

sorry my mistake. So the estimated annual consumption is irrelevant if readings are submitted regularly. If estimates are used which are unreasonable I would use the Direct Debit guarantee to reverse them and pay the correct amount (self calculated) as a one off payment each month.

[meldrewreborn]

It is solely in the hands of the supplier to do what is clearly necessary- fit a new meter soonest. Why should the customer be disadvantaged by the incompetence of the supplier?

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

It is solely in the hands of the supplier to do what is clearly necessary- fit a new meter soonest. Why should the customer be disadvantaged by the incompetence of the supplier?

Yes but they have not yet sent someone to replace it as @Martintel has frequently said. No doubt there’s a waiting list, but in the meantime…

[meldrewreborn]

I think most rational people would think a replacement for a non reading meter ranks as a higher priority than replacing a functioning meter with a smart meter.

there is no possible excuse for the suppliers inaction and no justification for trying to overcharge.

[JoeSoap]

@meldrewreborn

I agree that a new meter should be fitted ASAP but there are already two months of estimated consumption that have to be negotiated. @Martintel ‘will definitively be back to the ombudsman’ if they feel overcharged for these months so presumably (hopefully) a complaint is in place already on this matter. There’s a lot going on here and the O.P. Is understandably frustrated with it all and seems up against a brick wall. I’ve tried to understand it all and lay it out in a chronological fashion a few posts back to try to see where things are. If an Eon Next advisor can read through this thread they might appreciate the ongoing nature of this and get something done. Hence, I have suggested linking this to an email to Customer Service. I will amend that suggestion to clarify if a second complaint is in progress.

[PeterT_EONNext]

Hi @Martintel

I'm really sorry to read this, I can appreciate the frustrations you're facing with this issue 😔

Are you able to provide us with an update on this/have things progressed any further forward with your case, with customer services?