[mer]

it says it is now time to renew my tariff, apart front the fact the monthly payment is more than i am paying now, they all say i have to sign up for a smart meter and i do not want a smart meter surely with tariffs we should be given a choice? as they are not compulsory

[JoeSoap]

@mer

I’m afraid you have the same choice as everyone else. The best tariffs are the ones where you pay by direst debit and either have smart meters already or agree to have them fitted. Some folk agree to have them fitted in order to get the tariff and then keep employing delaying tactics indefinitely when they try to make an appointment to fit them.

[Mailman]

Originally Posted by mer

it says it is now time to renew my tariff, apart front the fact the monthly payment is more than i am paying now, they all say i have to sign up for a smart meter and i do not want a smart meter surely with tariffs we should be given a choice? as they are not compulsory

I renewed my tariff to start on 01/04/24 having had a 49 day'ish warning (in mid-February) that the existing tariff was going to run out (which I knew about). Some observations about my experience:

1. The monthly payment on the tariffs suggested can be misleading because Eon Next use the EAU (Estimated Annual Usage) on which to base their £ projections. The EAU for your property bases usage on more time than 1 year. If your recent actual annual consumption is much lower than the EAU then the monthly payment may be somewhat on the high side and you will run up a credit surplus balance over the year.
2. The tariffs offered to you initially may not necessarily be the complete range available to you. For that you will have to do your own digging and go to This tariff page and scroll all the way to the bottom section 'Want to see what energy tariffs we have?' This will give you the entire range open to you although conditions apply to many (EV, Smart Meter etc). I'll wager you won't be able to see what the T&C are without contacting Eon Next.
3. Although my own projections for annual usage were close to Eon Next's EAU numbers (meaning the £ projections/month were within 5%) I elected to pay for my tariff via Variable Direct Debit (effectively paying balance on account whevever a bill is raised). This is a choice open to all customers on the proviso that winter payments are obviously more than summer ones.
4. Re the smart meter issue and be given a choice, I'll pass on this. I moved into a property 2+ years ago and inherited a smart meter + IHD. Got to state that I have had no issues with either. If going 'smart' is a big deal and/or you are worried about it then just stick with a tariff (Next Flex?) that does not require you to agree to have one installed in the T&C for the tariff.