@eonhelp issues with ex tenants and e.on bills being chased by BCW

[jackisback]

Received an email and voicemail today from E-ON. The email is asking for specifics on who the tenants were over the last 5 years and asking for specific meter readings and forwarding address of all tenants.

The email also concludes with the following statement obviously still laying blame with me;

 

With regard to E.ON (previously Powergen) we are, like the other 5 major UK suppliers (British Gas. Npower, Scottish Power, Scottish & Southern and EDF), a National Supplier supplying energy throughout the UK and will not appear in local media. Our name is well publicised in the national media as are the other main suppliers.

 

A “Google” search would show you all the suppliers to contact should the need arise to search which company supplies a property.

For the physical gas supply, this location is serviced by an Independent Gas Transporter (IGT) not National Grid/Transco.

 

Does anyone have any further advice on what to do next - should i supply the details they ask for or should i demand the deadlock letter and proceed to ombudsman??

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

[dx100uk]

i think at some point the info will have to be given anyway

 

dx

[2Grumpy]

There seem to be a number of new threads like this at the moment

 

Maybe there is a root cause for it all that needs investigating ...

 

How do you know that Eon ARE the correct supplier? For all you know they have done trawl through a postcode database and compared it with transco records

 

I would go for the deadlock letter but I would also give them as much grief as possible.

 

Have you raised this with your MP?

[Surfer01]

Received an email and voicemail today from E-ON. The email is asking for specifics on who the tenants were over the last 5 years and asking for specific meter readings and forwarding address of all tenants.

The email also concludes with the following statement obviously still laying blame with me;

 

With regard to E.ON (previously Powergen) we are, like the other 5 major UK suppliers (British Gas. Npower, Scottish Power, Scottish & Southern and EDF), a National Supplier supplying energy throughout the UK and will not appear in local media. Our name is well publicised in the national media as are the other main suppliers.

 

A “Google” search would show you all the suppliers to contact should the need arise to search which company supplies a property.

For the physical gas supply, this location is serviced by an Independent Gas Transporter (IGT) not National Grid/Transco.

 

Does anyone have any further advice on what to do next - should i supply the details they ask for or should i demand the deadlock letter and proceed to ombudsman??

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Very difficult to Google if you do not have an internet connection!

[jackisback]

Exactly Surfer01 - I didn't actually have access to the internet back in 2005 when the property was purchased - I think E-ON have such a cheek to make the above statement in an email and on discussions over the phone - trying to imply that I am dishonest!!!

 

At the end of the day if they had billed me or told me that they were the supplier (or anyone had informed us of the supplier) we would have gladly paid the bill as we have with every other bill!!!

[jackisback]

Okay just off the phone from the directors office. To be fair the man dealing with my case is very easy to talk to and has considerably better customer service skills than the original person that was dealing with my case.

 

I have now been informed that as I rent my property out - I am not covered under the billing code as this is classed as me having a business for financial gain. I explained that I certainly don't financially gain from renting out my property as the rental only covers just over half of my mortgage and I then have factoring fees etc on top of that. He insists that this is not taken into account. I feel that E-ON are getting away with this because they have found a loop hole in the system to enable them to class me as a business customer and NOT a domestic customer. This is my only and principle house that I own - the reason I don't live in it is that my job requires me to live on site at my workplace.

 

He also still insists that it doesn't matter how many years have lapsed (whether it be 5, 6 or 10) E-ON are still entitled to back date as the builder didn't inform them and it's not their fault.

 

At the end of the day - I was too truthful as I should never have told them that I rented out the property and then I would have been covered by the billing code!!

 

Any thoughts on E-ON using this loop hole - it sounds to me like they are getting away with it!!!

 

Just my luck I suppose for being too open and honest!!!

Edited March 2, 2012 by jackisback

[2Grumpy]

I think that you need to pull the wool away from your eyes

 

You said that the current tenant is paying their bill directly to E-On, so presumably they accept that the current tenancy is a domestic one

 

If what they are saying is correct, either tenants aren't covered by the 12 month rule or the landlord must pick up the cost of anything over 12 months

 

What they are saying might be correct if you were paying the energy bills & passing the cost on to your tenants.

 

I would pass that list of tenants on to them now along with their forwarding addresses but point out which ones would be covered by the 12 month rule

 

I would also write to the ex-tenants explaining what has happened and that they should not be charged because of the 12 month rule, (and maybe come here if they are) - (tenants leaving in the last 12 months would owe something though)

[Surfer01]

Okay just off the phone from the directors office. To be fair the man dealing with my case is very easy to talk to and has considerably better customer service skills than the original person that was dealing with my case.

 

I have now been informed that as I rent my property out - I am not covered under the billing code as this is classed as me having a business for financial gain. I explained that I certainly don't financially gain from renting out my property as the rental only covers just over half of my mortgage and I then have factoring fees etc on top of that. He insists that this is not taken into account. I feel that E-ON are getting away with this because they have found a loop hole in the system to enable them to class me as a business customer and NOT a domestic customer. This is my only and principle house that I own - the reason I don't live in it is that my job requires me to live on site at my workplace.

 

He also still insists that it doesn't matter how many years have lapsed (whether it be 5, 6 or 10) E-ON are still entitled to back date as the builder didn't inform them and it's not their fault.

 

At the end of the day - I was too truthful as I should never have told them that I rented out the property and then I would have been covered by the billing code!!

 

Any thoughts on E-ON using this loop hole - it sounds to me like they are getting away with it!!!

 

Just my luck I suppose for being too open and honest!!!

 

Please remind Eon that you are not their customer and never have been. The property was rented therefore the tenants were responsible for the utilities and not the landlord. You are NOT a business customer of theirs so don't let them pull the wool over your eyes. It is up to them to chase the previous tenants, not you. Hopefully in the tenancy agreement it stated that tenants were responsible for all utilities.

[2Grumpy]

Please remind Eon that you are not their customer and never have been. The property was rented therefore the tenants were responsible for the utilities and not the landlord. You are NOT a business customer of theirs so don't let them pull the wool over your eyes. It is up to them to chase the previous tenants, not you. Hopefully in the tenancy agreement it stated that tenants were responsible for all utilities.

 

The fact that the current tenants were paying eon without the landlord knowing clinches it for me.

 

I wonder if the current tenant contacted eon & that's how this started ...

[2Grumpy]

And I would still want an explanation of why you heard from BCW rather than EON in the first place and why they were adding charges for that when all of this happened because of EON's "inefficiencies".

[jackisback]

The current tenant has only started paying E-ON recently as was visited by one of their representatives toward end of last year. They asked for the tenants tenancy agreement - but the tenant couldn't find it so the rep wrote on a piece of paper the tenancy start date that was verbally given. E-ON have insisted they seen a copy of the tenancy agreement and that it stated a start date of June 2010 when in fact the tenant didn't move into the property until Dec 2010!!! My tenant has been trying to argue this point to them since!!! My tenant now informs me that E-ON have calculated a start meter reading going by the wrong start date of June 2010 and are allowing the tenant to have a payment plan to pay off the debt that has accrued.

 

I am posting E-ON all tenancy agreements that I have - I also have accurate meter readings at every change of tenancy since the property was purchased. Yet again - looks like I was the only one interested in keeping tabs on gas usage since 2005 as E-ON certainly weren't - if they don't even have meter readings!!!

 

My tenant also informed me that when the rep that visited her was leaving he said he would take a current meter reading - my tenant then found the rep outside reading a neighbouring properties meter - she also had to argue the point that he wasn't reading the correct meter - he eventually agreed to read the correct meter in the end!!!

 

Anyway I will get everything posted to E-ON that I have and see what they come back with. At the end of the day so much time has now lapsed that when they do indeed get in touch with each tenant they will be entitiled to claim through the billing code. Only one of my previous tenants are contactable and I will contact them to make them aware of the situation. (one of my tenancy's was abandoned and the other has moved abroad somewhere)

[2Grumpy]

The current tenant has only started paying E-ON recently as was visited by one of their representatives toward end of last year. They asked for the tenants tenancy agreement - but the tenant couldn't find it so the rep wrote on a piece of paper the tenancy start date that was verbally given. E-ON have insisted they seen a copy of the tenancy agreement and that it stated a start date of June 2010 when in fact the tenant didn't move into the property until Dec 2010!!! My tenant has been trying to argue this point to them since!!! My tenant now informs me that E-ON have calculated a start meter reading going by the wrong start date of June 2010 and are allowing the tenant to have a payment plan to pay off the debt that has accrued.

 

I am posting E-ON all tenancy agreements that I have - I also have accurate meter readings at every change of tenancy since the property was purchased. Yet again - looks like I was the only one interested in keeping tabs on gas usage since 2005 as E-ON certainly weren't - if they don't even have meter readings!!!

 

My tenant also informed me that when the rep that visited her was leaving he said he would take a current meter reading - my tenant then found the rep outside reading a neighbouring properties meter - she also had to argue the point that he wasn't reading the correct meter - he eventually agreed to read the correct meter in the end!!!

 

Anyway I will get everything posted to E-ON that I have and see what they come back with. At the end of the day so much time has now lapsed that when they do indeed get in touch with each tenant they will be entitiled to claim through the billing code. Only one of my previous tenants are contactable and I will contact them to make them aware of the situation. (one of my tenancy's was abandoned and the other has moved abroad somewhere)

 

Hope you mean copies of your copies of the tenancy agreements, although you could probably get away with just the dates and readings and avoid any data protection issues ...

 

It sounds as though you need to point your current tenants to this site & suggest they start official complaints against eon.

 

I wonder why the eon rep called round? It might be worth contacting the national grid to see how long eon have been the supplier

 

The comment about the builder not informing them is irrelevant. They could have sent a letter to "the occupier" or sent their rep round years ago. They should accept some liability for their problems

[jackisback]

As far as I am aware 2Grumpy E-on have been the supplier from the word go (when property was built) but as previously explained E-on have been billing the builder at their head office in another city for the last 6 years for my property.

 

I have posted photocopies of the tenancy agreements - just the first page with DOE and last page with signatures - am I in breach of data protection by doing this?

 

Many thanks as always.

[stu007]

Hi

 

Just a thought the rep was reading the incorrect meter of a neighbours and noting it down. well I hope that rep was actually a qualified Meter Reader because if they were not then that meter reading they took is not allowed.

 

Have a good read of this link its the Association of Meter Operator have a look at the members list and the whole site could be useful:

 

www.meteroperators.org.uk

 

I would also write requesting that representatives qualification to read a meter.

 

Hope this is of some help.

[Bang!]

How can you be sure Eon were the suppliers from day one? I have a couple of rental properties, and its not uncommon for tenants to move companies or change meter type without saying.

 

By Eon claiming you are not covered by their scheme as the properties were let out pretty much shoots themselves in the foot - as if they were let out why should you pay the bill for a property you were not living in, and a property which they have already said you rent out?

 

In turn, why should you run about to tell them who lived there, as its up to them to find the tenants, there is no onus on you to provide the info (which may be in breach of the DPA) - let them use the voters roll and CRAs.

 

I have a few rental properties, and Eon have been the suppliers from hell, Scottish Power have been the best at fixing problems by far.

 

Problems with Eon have been...

 

Failing to adhere to their own guidelines on times for meter inspections - then failing to make the agreed time anyway.

 

Failing to forward final bills to tenants once they moved.

 

Failing to send bills on time, and send out letters from BCW within a month of the date of their bill's arrival, and AFTER its being paid.

 

It was also quite sleazy the way they decided to backdate a price increase last year.

[2Grumpy]

Yes - Eon have said they were the supplier from day one, but what have they done to back that up.

 

As you say, eon didn't exist all that time ago. You might have contacted their previous incarnation only to be told that you weren't one of theirs. Can they prove that didn't happen?

[stu007]

Hi

 

This may be of some help:

 

 

Electricity Supplier

 

The UK electricity network is split into regions and each region has a local distribution company. They keep a record of who supplies electricity to every home in their area. If you have just moved into a property and need to find out who your supplier is then you can contact your local distribution company using the numbers below.

 

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY ELECTRICITY ONLY

Scotland North SSE Power Distribution 0870 900 9690

Scotland South SP Energy Networks 0845 270 9101

North East England Northern Powergrid 0845 601 3268

Yorkshire Northern Powergrid 0845 330 0889

North West England Electricity North West 0870 751 0093

Merseyside and North Wales SP Energy Networks 0845 270 9101

South Wales Western Power Distribution 01752 502 299

West Midlands Western Power Distribution 01384 343 838

East Midlands Western Power Distribution 0845 603 0618

South East England UK Power Networks 0845 601 5467

London UK Power Networks 0845 601 5467

East Anglia UK Power Networks 0845 601 5467

Southern England SSE Power Distribution 0870 905 0806

South West England Western Power Distribution 0845 601 2989

 

Gas Supplier

 

The majority of the UK's gas is delivered by National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, Scotland Gas Networks, Southern Gas Networks or Wales & West Utilities.

 

To find out who supplies your gas call the

Meter Point Administration Service - 0870608 1524

Edited March 8, 2012 by stu007