E.ON energy customers have been hit with a payment glitch after the supplier failed to take their direct debit payments this month.
Households have been told that the missed payments will instead be taken early next week – here is what you need to know.
1
Paying by direct debit is an effective way to manage your energy bills and spread the cost, especially with prices rising.
It means you know how much is coming out of your account each month and can budget for the payments.
But customers of E.on Next were confused earlier this month when direct debits due to be paid to the supplier weren’t taken.
Households have claimed they struggled to contact the provider and were left stressed about when payments will be taken.
Its customers have complained on social media and on the MoneySavingExpert forum about missed payments.
A Twitter user said: “My direct debit has not gone out for March 1 and I’ve been on hold to customer service for over an hour, I’ve emailed and no reply. Please can I get a response?”
Most read in News Money
Another said: “I tried for five hours yesterday and no response to my direct message.
“I’ve cancelled my direct debit with them so hopefully they’ll contact me. It’s too stressful.”
E.on Next replied on its Twitter feed last week that: “We are aware there’s an issue with direct debit payments and we are working hard to fix the problem.”
But customers were still raising issues as recently as Tuesday this week.
Another response from E.on Next on Twitter said: “This is a known issue with our system that is preventing the direct debit transfer and we are aware of this. We do apologise for this.”
Customers have now been told that payments will be taken early next week.
E.on said in a statement provided to The Sun: “Due to a technical issue, a relatively small number of direct debit payments that were due to be taken on March 1 were not processed.
“This issue is being resolved and we are contacting affected customers to apologise and inform them that their payment will now be taken on or around March 15. This will not affect payments going forwards.”
What should E.on Next customers do now?
Setting a direct debit can be a great way to budget, especially if you are on a low income.
But a payment delay can cause issues if you are already struggling financially as it means you need to make sure there is enough in your account to cover the bill when the money is eventually taken.
You could set aside what you usually pay now to make sure you can afford the payment next week.
Alternatively, E.on Next has told customers on Twitter that they can make a one-off payment on their account to pay this month’s direct debit.
You will just need to check that an extra payment isn’t mistakenly taken around March 15 automatically.
We have asked E.on if there is anything to prevent this from happening.
What should I do if I’m struggling to pay my energy bill?
Bills are rising due to record high wholesale gas prices.
The energy price cap is rising to £1,971 next month for out-of-contract customers.
Domestic energy customers are due to get £200 off their bills in October 2022 as part of efforts by the government to tackle the rising cost of living.
In the meantime you should check you’re taking advantage of all the help already available through government, local, and energy company schemes.
It comes as experts have forecast that average energy bills could reach £3,000 by October due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine pushing up already-high wholesale gas prices.
Most energy deals are charging customers more than the price cap but E.on had a competitive offer that quickly sold out this week.
There are also tips and tricks for making your home more energy efficient which can help reduce your heating bill.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team?
