It may surprise you to know that E.ON Next is not a new company, more, it is a new platform for E.ON customers. Just like British Gas/Evolve or NPower Select, the company is streamlining the same services into a new site.
Recently, E.ON signed up to use the Kraken billing system, developed by Octopus Energy and brought big 6 supplier NPower in February with the intention of migrating their customers into the new name.
To many, this development will be encouraging to see, as NPower’s previous 1-star rating on Trustpilot gains the potential to reach E.ON Next’s 4 and a half stars, taking the statistics from a 93% “bad” rating for NPower services closer to E.ON Next’s 8% bad, and 77% “excellent” reviews.
Here is what customers had to say about their services, according to TrustPilot.
| Service | Common rating | Things to consider (pro’s) | Things to consider (cons’s) |
| Tarrifs | 5 stars | Many customers have claimed that it was easier to switch their tariff online than on the phone. Some customers commented that they were able to find cheaper tariffs with E.ON Next by using comparison sites like Compare The Market. | |
| Customer service | 4 stars | Some customers explained that E.ON Next staff would not only help them with their query, but some even suggested different types of contracts that would be better fitting to their household or business. E.ON Next are seem to respond quickly to customer reviews on the likes of TrustPilot, within 24 hours, to both positive and negative reviews. | A small minority of customers found that the email system was lacking and they were unable to gain a response. A handful of customers commented that it was difficult to get through to someone on the phone. |
| Online website/social media | 4 stars | Some customers claimed that in switching from NPower to E.ON Next, the website became much clearer in terms of what contract would be best fitting for you. Many customers found that introducing an app made looking at their account and its changes much easier. | Although customers commented that you will get a response from social media support like Twitter, it seems that this often leads to calling the company anyway, and that it may take up to 24 hours to receive a response on social media. |
| Meter readings | 3 stars | Some customers found that they were being informed when information was being taken to a higher level, e.g being dealt with by the billing department, and let them know that they were not being ignored or waiting around for little response. Easy to submit meter readings. | Many customers complained about not receiving bills from E.ON Next after they migrated across from NPower, whereas others complained they were overcharged or had outstanding limits on their account that they did not previously know about. This is also a common issue found within NPower, and we are unsure where this crossover happened. |
These scores were assessed by considering the most popular results combined with the least popular responses to create a score that should stand on behalf of both types of reviews.
From the outside, E.ON Next seems to be what we are all currently striving for. Sustainable gas and electricity with no carbon, 100% renewably sourced.
Next promise 100% renewably sourced electricity coming from the likes of wind, biomass and solar power. Alongside this, any power not generated by E.ON Next themselves is matched with 100% renewable electricity from independent generators around the UK, and topped up with renewable energy certificates;
A Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin Certificate, or REGO scheme provides transparency to consumers about how much of the electricity suppliers source actually comes from renewables. This is an EU scheme, meaning that all member states are required to buy into the scheme, and the UK will continue in this scheme post-Brexit. REGO certificates are issued on the basis of one certificate for every megawatt hour (MWh) of eligible renewable energy, which are distributed to the generators of this energy.
E.ON Next also looks to improve their services with real dedicated energy specialists that allow you to stop relying on automated voices and number lists to solve your problems. E.ON Next look to encourage a first-name basis type of communication with the specialist assigned to your home or business, and offer simple contracts with no exit fees.
Another positive specific to E.ON Next is their monthly billing; although most companies like to do this quarterly, E.ON Next feel a monthly bill can help you better keep an eye on your account and avoid any unexpected fees, whilst being able to check in on your usage and estimate bills for yourself, alongside offering the opportunity to download your entire billing history, dating back to when they took on the company. This means you will be able to keep these details safe and review the information when needed.
E.ON Next are available to contact as late as 10pm by phone at 0808 501 5200 for home related calls and 0808 501 5699 for business inquiries, but also available to email from 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends at hi@eonnext.com for home related emails and hellobusiness@eonnext.com for business related enquiries.
E.ON Next tells us that if everyone in the UK upgraded to a smart meter, it could have the same impact on our environment as planting 75 million trees, and allow us to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% in the next 10 years.
E.ON has specific guidelines in place during the COVID-19 pandemic for those who may look to have a meter installed, and have a list of important steps to be taken by technicians entering the home, including;
- Having them call before the appointment to check that it is still safe for them to attend
- Making sure that any individual is equipped with PPE following the latest government guidelines
- Ensuring that any technicians carry anti-bacterial wipes to sanitise any surface before and after touching
- And more! You can find the list here.