[Prettyeyez]

Hi All,

I have great news! I received an email
this afternoon to call the WST to go through some details for the scheme. The confirmed the details of the scheme with me and have arranged for my smart meters. My direct debit has changed to a more affordable amount as of today and the full details of this tariff has been sent to me! The new tariff is called Next Winter Support Fixed 50. I can finally turn my heating on!

I want to say thanks to everyone who has supported me here, it just goes to show that being persistent does pay off.

[retrotecchie]

@Prettyeyez

Good news indeed. Thanks for letting us know 👍

[Mailman]

Just filled in my Income and Expenditure submission today - see what happens but with no expectations.

'I started off with nothin and and I still got most of it left' 😁

[Prettyeyez]

@Mailman

I hope it works out for you. Let me know how it goes.

I forgot to ask, do you already have a smart meter?

[Mailman]

Originally Posted by Prettyeyez

@Mailman

I hope it works out for you. Let me know how it goes.

I forgot to ask, do you already have a smart meter?

Received a text message yesterday on my 2G phone with a number taking with through to the WSS team presumably. My eligibility was confirmed for my circumstances (less than 19K and running a slight income and expenditure deficit). I'm now on the 25% scheme until 1st April 2024. Took less than 5 mins getting through and the details were updated very quickly on my online account. I already have a smart meter so no need to go down that route.

Good job Eon Next - took a while to get there but get there we did. 😃

[Prettyeyez]

@Mailman

This is great news, I’m so pleased for you! Now you can crank up that heating!

We got there in the end. ☺️

[WizzyWigg]

Originally Posted by Mailman

Received a text message yesterday on my 2G phone with a number taking with through to the WSS team presumably. My eligibility was confirmed for my circumstances (less than 19K and running a slight income and expenditure deficit). I'm now on the 25% scheme until 1st April 2024. Took less than 5 mins getting through and the details were updated very quickly on my online account. I already have a smart meter so no need to go down that route.

Good job Eon Next - took a while to get there but get there we did. 😃

That's really fantastic news 👍. Brilliant.

[Mailman]

A word of warning to anyone fortunate enjoy the 25% rate reduction.

As I've had to now go onto Fixed Direct Debit (which I was aware of) the calculation used to work out the estimated costs for the DD amount have assumed 2 conditions:

1. That the tariff rate that commenced today ( until 1/04/23 ) will be the same for the rest of the year until 31/10/24 (obviously false, leading to a lower overall £ cost and a lower DD than is needed) 🤔
2. That the EAC (Estimated Annual Consumption) used will be just that - an estimated amount. In my case both EACs used in the calculation are higher than the usage for the previous 12 months. 🙄

The calculation automatically spewed out by the hamsters gives a DD of £88.53 whereas I will need to pay in the region of £112 over the next 5 months to be in a position of a zero'ish balance come 1st April assuming I use the same energy as per last winter. Had the EACs been a reflection of my annualised actual usage to 31/10/23 this disparity would be even worse.

My concern is that folk will then go to a new tariff which will be circa 25% more in April 2024 (possibly more/possibly less) necessitating an even larger % rise to their DD because they may have fallen behind particularly with the false logic outlined in point 1 above.

In my case, I'll be making additional manual card payments as necessary to effectively get to April 1st with a zero balance on my account, going to VDD thereafter on whatever tariff is available at that time.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be paying a great deal less over the next 5 months for my utilities than would otherwise have been the case (circa £155 pcm) 👍. No doubt I'll be getting the 'we need to raise your DD' message at some point during this winter.

EDIT : As kindly pointed out by @Prettyeyez re the 50% tariff, Eon Next states that a customers

debt at the point of sign up will be removed at the end of the term if all payments are made.

I believe the above points are still valid for the 25% tariff.

[meldrewreborn]

@Mailman glad youve been accepted!

The whole point of a fixed DD is that at the end of 12 months your account balance should be around zero. We all know it will not be, because the assumptions are never borne out. But going in deficit over the winter months (so you're owing Eon next) means they are giving you an interest free loan , which you then repay over the summer months.

There is no technical reason for your account to be in balance by April 2024. It does though seem to be your wish, but in your position I'd just lie back and count my blessings. Can you tell us why you think its important to have a zero balance in April 2024?

[Mailman]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

@Mailman glad youve been accepted!

The whole point of a fixed DD is that at the end of 12 months your account balance should be around zero. We all know it will not be, because the assumptions are never borne out. But going in deficit over the winter months (so you're owing Eon next) means they are giving you an interest free loan , which you then repay over the summer months.

There is no technical reason for your account to be in balance by April 2024. It does though seem to be your wish, but in your position I'd just lie back and count my blessings. Can you tell us why you think its important to have a zero balance in April 2024?

Normally on VDD, I run a zero account balance every month after the bill 😄 and that is what I shall revert back to in April 2024.

I am however seeing (again) why folk get somewhat miffed by the whole of the DD calculation malarky. I only phoned them up today (1st November) and switched.

Exhibit 1:

So the system spewed out the data pretty much instantaneously. EACs both high esp the gas but no matter. I'm only bothered about what I'll be paying for the usage from today until 31st March 2024. Is it enough? Eon Next obviously don't think it is enough in spite of Eon's system throwing out £88.53 today for the fixed DD amount as I also see:

Exhibit 2 (on account today)

So on the same day the system suggests increasing the DD amount of £96.11p. 🤣

Which is correct? Answer neither IMO 😝 and both are set too low using the same usage for the next 5 months as last year, I'd need to spend £112 pcm.

I'm starting off with a balance of £0 right now but if I make no other manual card payments or increase the DD amount myself the odds are that by April 1st I would be in a debit balance situation of some £100-£150. I'd guess that if the absence of any positive input from me Eon Next will probably amend the DD amount automatically during the next 5 months or maybe not.

So to me its all about handling the situation such that when I get to April 1st 2024, I revert to SVT (or another Fixed tariff) and go back to paying by Variable DD from that point onwards. But I don't want the first payment I get in April to cater for the underpayment (over the next 5 months) to my account that will happen as things stand. 👍