250,000 customers of E.ON Next are eligible to receive a £144 refund from the energy company. This refund comes after Ofgem, the energy regulator, discovered that E.ON Next failed to provide final bills and refunds to customers between February 2021 and September 2023. As a result of this failure, E.ON Next has been ordered to pay out £14.5 million to thousands of customers who were using pre-payment meters.
According to Ofgem’s regulations, energy companies are required to provide final bills to customers within six weeks of them requesting to switch suppliers. However, the investigation revealed that E.ON Next did not fulfill this requirement for thousands of customers. As a result, these customers were unaware of any remaining credit on their accounts, which averaged around £51, and did not receive refunds automatically.
Of the affected accounts, 100,000 were found to be in credit. Beth Martin, director for consumer protection and competition at Ofgem, expressed disappointment that customers did not receive the refunds and final bills they were entitled to, especially during a time when many households are facing financial difficulties.
Chris Norbury, the CEO of E.ON UK, issued an apology to the affected customers and assured that steps have been taken to rectify the situation. E.ON UK has contacted all impacted customers to ensure they receive their outstanding final bills, refunds, and compensation. This includes ensuring that customers who were in credit receive the money owed to them, and those who were in debit have their outstanding balance waived.
It is important for customers of E.ON Next to take action to claim their refund. Customers who believe they are eligible for a refund should contact E.ON Next directly to inquire about the process for claiming their £144 refund. Additionally, customers should ensure that they receive any outstanding final bills and compensation owed to them as a result of this issue.
Overall, this situation serves as a reminder for energy companies to adhere to regulations and ensure that customers are treated fairly. It also highlights the importance of consumer protection and the need for oversight to prevent such issues from occurring in the future.
