Eon have taken my energy support payment back.

[JustAJokeLikeOnTopGear]

Yesterday Eon reversed my 2 x £66 support payments and withdrew it from my account credit.

When I queried it they said it’s because I have solar panels.

Everything online says that all households get it. I do import electricity as well as generate it, so it’s not that I’m profiting from the payment.

Has anyone else with solar panels had theirs withdrawn?

No I have not. Following as I also have panels and battery!

It's supposed to be given to everyone. Even millionaires are getting it so the fact you have solar panels makes no difference.

I'd ask about this on the money saving expert site

Giving this a bump for the morning.

When I queried it they said there was some exceptions and it’s not every household - which is contrary to all the descriptions online.

Having solar panels is hardly an obscure outlier.

I would ask for an email confirming it all. Explain your are going to take thus further so need their side.

Maybe ask your mom for clarity on this, it is government support distributed via the energy company therefore it is government decision who gets it. Assuming you should get it you have evidence to fight for it then.

MP not mom auto correct fail 😂

This is what the government published and they say every household with a domestic supply. Nothing about exceptions.

www.gov.uk/guidance/getting-the-energy-bills-support-scheme-discount?_ga=2.206962192.2010785229.1669362956-887212551.1669362956

But mum's know everything! Not a far cry from the truth.

My mum is a bit feistier than my MP, maybe I should get her on the case.

Nothing on the Eon website about any such exclusion. If it were genuine one can’t help but think they would have mentioned it.

Get confirmation in writing from them as to what their basis for this is.

Stick the request for clarification on their twitter feed.

contact national media outlets. I personally would do that whether I’d got any clarity back from them or not. Whilst it’s a minority of households with solar panels, it was still almost 1 million homes back in 2020. So a fair number of people have a genuine interest in this.

could also be worth sticking this on chat or AIBU to generate more traffic.

Eligibility is defined as having a domestic electricity connection - is that what you mean when you say you import energy too or is that via. a different mechanism?

Yes, that’s what I mean. That I do have a connection and not ‘off-grid’ using only the solar.

Thanks. Yes, I might have to join Twitter so I can do this.

Mon one hand I want to give them a reasonable length of time to respond to the escalation, but on the other hand - I’m concerned that’s another month’s, much needed, payment withheld.

I’m feeling quite unsettled by it.

Di they come back to you about this, we are with Eon and are looking to get panels in a few weeks and as others have said you won't be at all unusual.

No. I’ve tried to escalate it but they’re not replying to any messages. I’m going to contact Ofgen if I don’t hear by Friday.

Any, hopefully positive, news on progres? @JustAJokeLikeOnTopGear

Actually, just today I got confirmation that I am getting it back. Not said how but I am.

energy support and advice uk on Facebook will be able to help.

That's good news OP. They shouldn't have done this though.

Excellent news. Hope they will not be tardy about it. Did they provide any explanation as to why they went so spectacularly wrong?

No. They just said it would be returned - but they don’t know how.

I had to really push for a response to get this far. Feeling better as I now know I’m not losing it, but looks like I might need to invest yet more energy into actually getting it returned.

They are being cheeky fuckers - if it wasn't for the piss poor (lying response) about your solar panels I might think it was a genuine mistake.
We have solar panels and export to the grid (although less at this time of year) and decided to donate our payment to a local charity but that's our decision to make not the energy company's.
Glad they seem to have back tracked.
After years of adulting and managing not only our utility bills but also my mothers (she has dementia) I've come to the conclusion that the business model for utilities is to screw up in their favour and hope the customers don't notice. They seem to be pretty quick to act if they think you owe them money though.

That’s good news! Did you contact ofgem anyway @JustAJokeLikeOnTopGear ? I wonder how big of a problem it is… I doubt they singled you out iyswim.