Next V20 Tariff Direct Debits

  • Fern's Avatar
    Level 1
    Hi
    I’ve just been to My online account and selected to switch to a new fixed rate tariff, Next Online V20. The direct debit is quoted as £322.16 p/m but when I select confirm it says £340.43 from 1 Sep & £322.16 from 1 Apr 2022. It says something like ‘Adjusted for acc balance’ under the £340.43 but I don’t know why that would increase it when my account is currently in credit.
    Any know why is this?

    Thanks!
  • 3 Replies

  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Fern

    When I first signed up to Eon Next they took a whole month's DD on the very first day so my account was immediately in credit... just as they like it. I knew about this in advance so I was ok with it. I can only speculate that in their view you don't have enough credit balance to stop you going too much into arrears over the winter months. Perhaps you do have a credit balance but there's a bill due soon that will wipe it out.

    That may be the case but if you are an existing customer and renewed your tariff in your online account, then given they have all the information to hand, they should start taking the DD at the rate they quoted before you signed up and only then change it if your actual usage changes from what was forecast... in my opinion.

    If the amended DDs only showed up after you clicked 'Confirm' and signed up then I would be miffed. If they showed up before you actually signed-up to the deal, whilst you still had the chance to back out, then that would be a different matter.
    Last edited by JoeSoap; 31-08-22 at 09:41. Reason: Clarity
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @JoeSoap, @Fern

    Is it the case that you supply a current reading as part of the sign up process and this would generate a bill to mark the end of the old tariff and the commencement of the new, and that then changes the DD for just the one month because the account balance has changed?.
    Current Eon Next and EDF customer, ex Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @meldrewreborn

    I suppose there's a number of things that could be the reason but whatever it is I would imagine it just results in an algorithm crunching the numbers to ensure our accounts stay in the black as much as possible. It just doesn't seem right that when you look to fix again the DD figure quoted changes when you select the deal. I'm (almost) certain I didn't have to supply a reading when I switched tariffs a few weeks ago. Then again I have smart meters. I think v20 requires you to agree to have smart meters but @Fern may not have them fitted yet of course.

    @Fern

    I don't know if you actually signed-up to the deal in the end but you may already know that you have a small amount of control over your DD amount in your online account. It means of course that you have to keep an eye on things as if you reduce it too much then somewhere down the line Eon Next will hike it back up again.