Meter readings

[antongould]

I think the headline says it all.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jan/04/more-haunting-tales-of-energy-suppliers-to-chill-the-blood

My supplier saga has quietened down for now, but remains unsatisfactory on several counts, but since they don't currently have more of my money than they should it's not as bad as it could be...
However I can't face doing battle at the moment as I have to wrangle with my broadband provider(another take-over/migration saga) reneging on its tariff undertakings, and also battle with my employer's multimillion pound(tax payers money) failure of a new payroll system, to get the holiday pay I am owed.
At least I now have a functioning credit card, so can tick that off the list!

Says it all indeed …. a complete shambles

[Old Grumpy]

I think the headline says it all.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jan/04/more-haunting-tales-of-energy-suppliers-to-chill-the-blood

My supplier saga has quietened down for now, but remains unsatisfactory on several counts, but since they don't currently have more of my money than they should it's not as bad as it could be

I didn't realise Saga was an energy supplier...

... oh, re-read that - no comma (one gets so used to posts and emails all in lower case now the lack of a capital S did not register!)

[Dave2002]

Myths and misinformation perpetuated by the BBC

Politics live today had a section on smart meters.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001h9dq/politics-live-18012023

Jo Coburn said (almost literally) "they can constantly monitor .... their spending literally minute by minute" about people with smart meters.

This is largely incorrect, and indeed the Conservative panelist pointed out some of the problems later on - that different energy suppliers have different ways of supporting smart meters.

It makes a difference which energy supplier one is registered with.
It also makes a difference if there is a dual fuel meter.
It makes a difference what tariff one is on.
It makes a difference if there is any other kit attached - such as PV panels - or in some cases wind turbines, or storage batteries.
It makes a difference if EV charging is included.

In our case we have a smart meter. I look at it to get an idea how things are going, but if I took any notice of the monetary values it shows I'd probably be reaching for an aspirin bottle to take the lot each day - well - perhaps only once!
It is not that smart at all - and doesn't take into account off peak electricity. I don't know if it also takes into account any electricity which is generated from our PV panels.
Our tariff has a ratio of around 6:1 between the cheapest - off peak electricity, and the most expensive. As we charge up EVs a few times a week, that would give a high monetary value, but since we nearly always do that in the off peak periods, it is significantly cheaper than putting petrol into a "regular" car. We also run dishwashers and washing machines overnight, though this isn't always convenient. We do sometimes use those machines in the daytime, if it is sunny, as then the costs seem to be low.

Other people have problems - for example people who have smart meters which also show gas consumption, but there is a connection problem so that the gas readings are incorrect. Some electricity meters may not register reverse flows from local micro generation systems correctly.

Etc. Etc.

It is the case that some smart meters might be capable of giving a constant and upto date readout of consumption, but many of them don't, either because they are the wrong kind of devices, or not installed properly, or not matched to the suppliers.

Does anyone from the BBC read these pages, so that they might try to correct some of this misinformation?

[oddoneout]

And I don't suppose the matter of smart meters enabling suppliers to remotely switch customers to prepayment tariffs came up either did it?

[Beresford]

And I don't suppose the matter of smart meters enabling suppliers to remotely switch customers to prepayment tariffs came up either did it?

Yes it did. A lady rang in to say her supply had switched her to prepayment without discussing it with her first, which they are not supposed to do.

[Dave2002]

Yes it did. A lady rang in to say her supply had switched her to prepayment without discussing it with her first, which they are not supposed to do.

Prepayment meters are a disaster area for some [possibly all] people. Some people can become vulnerable at very short notice, and the last thing they need under those circumstances is to have to pay ridiculously high rates for electricity for no direct fault of themselves.

[Petrushka]

I signed up to the Demand Flexibility Service with EON Next last November but have never heard a thing from them since. The scheme, which gives customers money off for using less electricity between designated times, will be operating today but still no notification from EON.

I've also never received my online bill from EON due on January 9. The amount was there on my Account Summary and I paid on that in order to avoid any further issues but still no bill.

Has anyone else had similar issues with EON Next?

[oddoneout]

I signed up to the Demand Flexibility Service with EON Next last November but have never heard a thing from them since. The scheme, which gives customers money off for using less electricity between designated times, will be operating today but still no notification from EON.

I've also never received my online bill from EON due on January 9. The amount was there on my Account Summary and I paid on that in order to avoid any further issues but still no bill.

Has anyone else had similar issues with EON Next?

A bit about the scheme here https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...-national-grid I wonder if the notifications are on a selected basis in the same way the blackout scheme was going to be operated? In other words not everyone will be "in" at the same time.

[antongould]

I signed up to the Demand Flexibility Service with EON Next last November but have never heard a thing from them since. The scheme, which gives customers money off for using less electricity between designated times, will be operating today but still no notification from EON.

I've also never received my online bill from EON due on January 9. The amount was there on my Account Summary and I paid on that in order to avoid any further issues but still no bill.

Has anyone else had similar issues with EON Next?

A couple of neighbours who I assist with their Energy bills have had nothing but trouble with the dreaded EON Next. Latest of a long line of errors …… one’s fixed price tariff was coming to an end so they sent her an email pointing this out and saying her ongoing charges would be £5k per year. I logged on to her online account and “asked” for a tariff change to standard tariff ….. the annual cost came back as £2.4k.
So I sent and email and got a reply which said “Yes you are right” !!. No apology no explanation as to how the £5k had happened …….
They have simply appalling customer service and systems.

[DracoM]

Yup. EON are a shifty team. Oddly, they seem not to like their customers too much.

[teamsaint]

A couple of neighbours who I assist with their Energy bills have had nothing but trouble with the dreaded EON Next. Latest of a long line of errors …… one’s fixed price tariff was coming to an end so they sent her an email pointing this out and saying her ongoing charges would be £5k per year. I logged on to her online account and “asked” for a tariff change to standard tariff ….. the annual cost came back as £2.4k.
So I sent and email and got a reply which said “Yes you are right” !!. No apology no explanation as to how the £5k had happened …….
They have simply appalling customer service and systems.

Your neighbours are lucky to have you to come to tbe rescue AG. What a shoddy mess many of our service industries are.
Insurance for example…..

[Petrushka]

Yup. EON are a shifty team. Oddly, they seem not to like their customers too much.

My experience of EON has been relatively trouble-free apart from a big issue with a stream of estimated bills a few years ago and resolved by my managing to get them to write off about £1000. They don't seem as bad as some of the horror stories I read of in the Press.

Terms on my account are monthly with payment on receipt of bill (no DD) which makes the non-arrival of my online bill, due on Jan 9, rather interesting. I could just have held off payment but after consideration thought I might be storing up trouble along the road so paid up on the figure quoted in my account summary.

[DracoM]

< paid up on the figure quoted in my account summary. >>

Which is now what I do. And I do my own readings as well. So far, so OK.

[JasonPalmer]

Radio four just asked people to ring in their stories for you and yours at 1204 today.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hf9s

[Serial_Apologist]

Forcing pre-payment meters onto people suspected of unreliability in keeping up with bill payments is in my view one of the most iniquitous punishments of recent years, and should be abolished forthwith. I'm just waiting for one of those online petitions to put my name to.