Is six weeks "As soon as reasonably practicable" to check a SEG application form?

  • AndrewR's Avatar
    Level 6
    I've just applied for a SEG tariff, and I was disappointed to receive the following message at the end of the process:

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    Firstly, there's a startling contrast between "It can take up to 6 weeks" and "You'll be earning money from your exported energy in no time". They can't both be true!

    Now, a cynic might suggest that because E.on don't backdate payments they stand to profit from taking as long as possible to process the form, because they are helping themselves to free electricity until then, but having checked the Ofgem rules, that can't possibly be the case because condition 57 of the Standard Conditions of Electricity Supply Licence says:

    "5.1 As soon as reasonably practicable after receiving a request for SEG Payments, the SEG Licensee shall take all reasonable steps to provide a SEG Generator with written confirmation of the Export Tariff determined by the SEG Licensee in respect of that SEG Generator." (source - page 557)

    So my question is, how soon is it reasonably practicable to expect a company with a multi-billion pound turnover to read a short application form?
    Last edited by AndrewR; 15-10-24 at 21:43.
  • 4 Replies

  • Best Answer

    Lee_EONNext's Avatar
    Community Team
    Best Answer
    @AndrewR Hey, one of the reasons for this being up to 6 weeks is due to the Export MPAN creation. Often applications are completed within a couple of weeks. The time frame also impacted by are the documents we have received correct and match.

    You would be surprised how many things need to be clarified.

    Regardless of how long the application process takes the moment your solar is installed, you will be benefiting from your system. The start read for any new installation within 12 months is also 0, therefore nothing is lost.

    The upto 6 weeks is purely from the day you apply to the day you receive your SEG plan, to clarify as mentioned your system will be up and running.

    Can I ask, when did you apply?

    Thanks
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  • Andy65's Avatar
    Level 47
    Up to 6 weeks is laughable in my opinion, but it is just my opinion.
  • AndrewR's Avatar
    Level 6
    Thanks for responding @Lee_EONNext

    In this case I'm very happy to say this turned out to be an extreme case of underpromising and over-delivering, I actually received my completed SEG plan exactly 4 minutes after you posted, after applying late last night, so E.on actually completed the process in about 1 working hour!

    So, Credit where it's due, - well done E.on!

    Also, I was expecting that the reason you asked for an export reading as part of the process was that the amount exported prior to application would be lost, but it's great to see that you're measuring from 0 not the 19kWh my system generated before I got to the stage of finding out I needed to give you a photo of the reading, so well done E.on on that part too.

    Part of the reason I was so worried about the "up to 6 weeks" message, is that earlier in the application process E.on says "up to 4 weeks":

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    Making these two messages consistent might be a good idea?
    Last edited by AndrewR; 16-10-24 at 10:29.
  • Lee_EONNext's Avatar
    Community Team
    @AndrewR Great to hear!

    Sometimes it's essentially as you say 'under promise and over deliver'

    We never used to backdate however we listened to our customers and in this case for 19 units I would just make sense to pay those.

    Does everything make sense on the plan? Do you have any questions on when you get paid and how to submit reads?

    The online account is just a shell, if you add reads there the system will bill, we're working on making this better. If you want to be paid into your bank, just log in to the SEG account and set up a variable DD for £0 and we will pay into your bank, this is of course if you have not supplied bank details already.

    Let me know if you need anything further 😀