I have been a critic of E.on-next in their handling of bereavement cases posted here before, to the point where I took a leave of absence from here because even the Mods failed to intervene when asked. However, we all learn and move on so I thought that it was only right that I post my own experience.
My Mum passed away in July last year, I'd had Power Of Attorney for a number of years and was therefore managing her finances. Whilst this may sound morbid to some, I was well aware that she was not going to live forever and as each year passed the time left reduced. I made sure that all of her utilities were in credit by a few hundred pounds (water less so). I did this because I knew from the date of death to fully executing the estate that there would be sufficient credit to cover standing charges and minimal usage.
Some may say that it isn't wise or they can't afford to have someone's account in credit like that, my answer to that is you only have to build up that credit once. The reason for doing this is upon death the bank accounts cease once the organisation is notified, therefore there'll be no more credits. I allowed for at least 6 months worth of standing charges in terms of credit, plus a bit for fridge/freezer usage and heating (thermostat down to 10 degrees).
The other advantage of doing this is that the upcoming bills will just be taken from the credit balance, there'll also be no involvement with a third party such as Philips and Cohen.
So on to E.on-next, all I can say is that they were nothing short of exemplary in my experience. I received the service that I expected, and when considering bereavement I expect this to be faultless from any organisation.
I'm pragmatic and I like to plan, so my advice is to get Power Of Attorney, register with organisations Priority Registers, manage their affairs where you can and plan for the inevitable, however uncomfortable that may seem. If possible, you should also consider executing the estate yourself. It will not only be cheaper but it will also save a significant amount of money.
I hope that all customers now receive the standard of service that I did, a standard that we should all expect irrespective of our query.
My Mum passed away in July last year, I'd had Power Of Attorney for a number of years and was therefore managing her finances. Whilst this may sound morbid to some, I was well aware that she was not going to live forever and as each year passed the time left reduced. I made sure that all of her utilities were in credit by a few hundred pounds (water less so). I did this because I knew from the date of death to fully executing the estate that there would be sufficient credit to cover standing charges and minimal usage.
Some may say that it isn't wise or they can't afford to have someone's account in credit like that, my answer to that is you only have to build up that credit once. The reason for doing this is upon death the bank accounts cease once the organisation is notified, therefore there'll be no more credits. I allowed for at least 6 months worth of standing charges in terms of credit, plus a bit for fridge/freezer usage and heating (thermostat down to 10 degrees).
The other advantage of doing this is that the upcoming bills will just be taken from the credit balance, there'll also be no involvement with a third party such as Philips and Cohen.
So on to E.on-next, all I can say is that they were nothing short of exemplary in my experience. I received the service that I expected, and when considering bereavement I expect this to be faultless from any organisation.
I'm pragmatic and I like to plan, so my advice is to get Power Of Attorney, register with organisations Priority Registers, manage their affairs where you can and plan for the inevitable, however uncomfortable that may seem. If possible, you should also consider executing the estate yourself. It will not only be cheaper but it will also save a significant amount of money.
I hope that all customers now receive the standard of service that I did, a standard that we should all expect irrespective of our query.
