[SMc]

Originally Posted by Mailman

If you paid by Variable Direct Debit using actual reads submitted when the reads are due, the EAC figures will end up being totally irrelevant and the DD just zeroises the account balance monthly. This would force you to submit accurate monthly reads and given time the EAC would reflect your actual usage again. Once your account has got the correct meter details linked to your account, as it used to be, this might be something you could consider.

That sounds good to me, I may call and see if I can arrange that as I still cannot do it online. I'm afraid I don't have any confidence this will adjust the EAC. I have been told that many times but it just keeps going up despite regular monthly readings. Thanks for your suggestion, that would at least keep me from getting into debt again.

[Mailman]

@SMc

A few more things to consider before you speak to Eon Next CS again:

If you go ahead with VDD look at Managing Your DD which lists Variable DD in the first section just in case you get through to a CS person that thinks VDD is not possible to manage your DD - it def is and has been a method I have used with Eon Next and will resume so post April 1st. Before you do this though I'd zeroise the account (if in debit) the day before contacting them. Ideally request to go to VDD just after you have paid a 'normal' DD so they have plenty of time to see it up for the next payment due.

If you have submitted regular reads can you look at readings spaced circa 1 year apart (on both night and day registers) which should give you a more accurate annual kWh usage that the one given in the EAU. Get the CS person (on the phone) to confirm your own calculations and ask them to update the industry EAU figure if this is possible.

Ask Eon Next to confirm when the monthly reads are scheduled for? Then get into the habit of submitting these reads on that date early which stops Eon Next using estimated readings on bills for the future and then enures the EAU numbers get towards a more realistic total. Check that your online account records the meter reads as 'Customer' rather than 'Estimated'. Ensure you are opted into the email comms for this email remainder re the meter read - we often forget. Finally make sure your meter reads are contiguous going from bill to bill and that your account shows the correct meter serial numbers for the meter reads submitted given your set of previous issues.👍

[SMc]

Originally Posted by Mailman

@SMc

A few more things to consider before you speak to Eon Next CS again:

If you go ahead with VDD look at Managing Your DD which lists Variable DD in the first section just in case you get through to a CS person that thinks VDD is not possible to manage your DD - it def is and has been a method I have used with Eon Next and will resume so post April 1st. Before you do this though I'd zeroise the account (if in debit) the day before contacting them. Ideally request to go to VDD just after you have paid a 'normal' DD so they have plenty of time to see it up for the next payment due.

If you have submitted regular reads can you look at readings spaced circa 1 year apart (on both night and day registers) which should give you a more accurate annual kWh usage that the one given in the EAU. Get the CS person (on the phone) to confirm your own calculations and ask them to update the industry EAU figure if this is possible.

Ask Eon Next to confirm when the monthly reads are scheduled for? Then get into the habit of submitting these reads on that date early which stops Eon Next using estimated readings on bills for the future and then enures the EAU numbers get towards a more realistic total. Check that your online account records the meter reads as 'Customer' rather than 'Estimated'. Ensure you are opted into the email comms for this email remainder re the meter read - we often forget. Finally make sure your meter reads are contiguous going from bill to bill and that your account shows the correct meter serial numbers for the meter reads submitted given your set of previous issues.👍

Thanks. Will try this. I will be moving in a couple of months so will sort it out then.
Most readings are customer, only a couple of estimates and then only for a couple of days. I tried to get the EAU changed before, they got the AU themselves and agreed it was way out but said they could not change it. Someone surely can, it is just a number in a database somewhere. I get that EON CS cannot do it but there should be a way to request a review and adjustment.

[PeterT_EONNext]

Thanks for coming back and updating us @SMc

Some great advice from @Mailman in regards to submitting monthly readings before an estimate can be calculated automatically on your account (best to do this by being opted in to meter reading reminders)

Customer service can send off a request (this is called a data flow) to the Data Collector requesting your Estimated Annual Consumption figure to be changed. They may have already done this and it may fail, which may be why you're being told we can't change this and will need to wait until the figure is naturally changed once the Data Collector deems that enough actual correct reads have been submitted for the EAC to be changed again.

It does sound like this has only occurred after you've had a meter exchange, and if an incorrect reading was submitted either by the meter technician or by someone in customer service (for the incorrect meter before/after the exchange) resulting in the incorrect meter being submitted for the old/new meter, this can trigger this issue to occur.

If you're still in contact with customer service, it's worth asking them to send a data flow to request that the estimated annual consumption figure on your account is changed, the person you speak to should already know this, but there is no harm in prompting them of this should they not have tried this already.

[Mailman]

Originally Posted by PeterT_EONNext

which may be why you're being told we can't change this and will need to wait until the figure is naturally changed once the Data Collector deems that enough actual correct reads have been submitted for the EAC to be changed again.

It does sound like this has only occurred after you've had a meter exchange, and if an incorrect reading was submitted either by the meter technician or by someone in customer service (for the incorrect meter before/after the exchange) resulting in the incorrect meter being submitted for the old/new meter, this can trigger this issue to occur.

I think this is likely to be the cause of the angst by the OP.

Re the general accuracy of the EAC calculations and how they match to a customer's own calculations I give you exhibit A m'lord. The EAC figure is actually quite close for my household. Regular smart meter reads have been thankfully taken on the correct day since November 2022 - before that they were a little hitty-missy being a day or two out. Fortunately I've not had the issue of having meters swopped out like the OP. The guidelines for the DC agents re EAC can and appears to go **** up when meters are changed it seems.

Key : AA = 12m rolling average (annualised advance from personal usage), EAC = Estimated industry calculated average, Month 17 etc show last figures for month ending Jan 31st 2024 etc .

[EmmaN]

Hey @SMc 👋

I'm really sorry to hear what's happened 😥

I can see you've had some really helpful advice.
Has there been any updates? Let us know! We'd love to hear more from you 🙌

I'm sure it could also help other members who might be experiencing the same issue.

[SMc]

Hi
No updates really. I am still being chased about the smart meters I don't have. I have submitted regular meter readings for a long time now. May have missed the actual due day a couple times but try to do it when I get the reminder.