Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sponsored threads

This topic is for sponsored discussions. If you'd like to run one with us, please email [email protected].

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

MNHQ

Do you have an online energy account? Talk to E.ON for a chance to win a £200 voucher NOW CLOSED

123 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 08/01/2014 12:29

E.ON has asked us to find out about Mumsnetters' experiences with using online energy accounts.

Here's what E.ON have to say "Do you manage your energy online? We're keen to find out how we can make our online service more customer friendly, and tailor it to your needs."

So, do you have an online account? How regularly do you use it, and why? If you don't have an account, why not? Is there anything your energy company could do to entice you to go online with them?

Would you like to see an app for energy companies? If so, what features should it have?

Is there anything else that you would like to be able to do online with your energy company?

Everyone who adds a comment to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 voucher (a "Compliments voucher" - a multi-store gift voucher that can be spent at 130 retailers and 450 independent stores making up over 20,000 outlets nationwide).

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

For prize draw terms and conditions please click here - by posting on the thread you are agreeing to these terms

OP posts:
MoogDroog · 08/01/2014 13:08

I would love to see an app!
I do have an account online, and manage my bills, meter readings etc, but not as often as I should. Usually, it involves me having to reset my password as I've forgotten it. An app would be more at the forefront of my mind. Usage graphs and other funky stuff would be appreciated too.

MadMonkeys · 08/01/2014 17:01

Yes i use it regularly to input meter readings and ask for money back when the energy provider have stock piled too much of our money! Its a good way of keeping in top of how much energy we are using.

weenwee · 09/01/2014 11:03

We love doing everything online as we can check rates and usage in our own time, but an app would be even better, as we can keep track on the go.

If the app had 'dream' features, it would allow us to talk to a rep in real time (perhaps pairing with skype or another type of communications app), send us in-app alerts when the energy company notices a spike in consumption, and perhaps has a 'tip of the day' to reduce energy use.

supermariossister · 09/01/2014 12:25

I have an online npower account but never use it as on prepayment so don't see the need to, I should really use it to check usage and keep tabs on what we are using, I would do this more if I had an app for it

SpicedTeaAndXmasCakeOrDeath · 09/01/2014 12:42

Yes, I have an online account, I check it probably weekly

Maybe a reduction would entice to go online, 5% off one month or something?

I think an app would be useful, esp for checking 'on the go' , and I'd like it to have a 'real time' feature so you can see how much energy you use/save per day and when the peak times are (I'd guess about 5pm - me on laptop, dinner cooking, washing machine running, tv on and music blaring!)

daisychicken · 09/01/2014 12:45

I'd love an app! I agree a real time feature so you can see what energy you are using and when would be great, I'd like to be able to enter regular meter readings and be able to choose from daily/monthly/quarterly.

I do manage my account online but don't find there's much info on the site so only pop in at bill time which doesn't help me keep track of my energy useage.

CheeseTMouse · 09/01/2014 14:20

We have an online energy account, but tend to only use it to submit meter readings and pay bills. However, it was helpful having all the data available to us on our usage when we were trying to work out where to switch provider.

MiniSoksMakeHardWork · 09/01/2014 21:19

I'm with eon and have the app. Tbh I'm on paperless billing and have locked myself out. And need my account number to get back in.

But it's handy being able to keep an eye on things. Especially as they took a bit more money than I knew they were taking last month.

If I were doing this just online I probably wouldn't have noticed at all.

boysrock · 09/01/2014 21:22

Im also with eon and have the app. I like the online account especially being able to track the direct debits. Would be great if the app had the same function.

Would also like the app to have many of the features of the online account.

CMOTDibbler · 09/01/2014 21:25

I have an online account but never check it tbh. An app would be great as then you wouldn't need to faff with it

SmallBee · 09/01/2014 21:25

I have an online account but barely use it as I keep forgetting to do the meter readings. An app with push notifications to remind me to submit them would be great. I'd also like to be able to view when my energy usage peaks in case there is a way to reduce it.

AthelstaneTheUnready · 09/01/2014 21:33

I'm with E.ON - I would love to have an online account, only you need the account number and since I'm on paperless billing...

... life would be much easier if they emailed a quarterly statement. It would a) let me know what my blinking account number is; and b) prompt me to actually engage with my account.

I KNOW I could 'phone, but they keep office hours (sensibly enough), and so do I; so I can't 'phone from work, and they're shut when I get home.

Real time energy usage tracking would be amazing if that were technically possible.

HolidayArmadillo · 09/01/2014 21:35

I'm with Scottish power and try and input readings regularly, they used to update immediately how much energy you'd used and how much it had cost but the last time I did it that feature wasn't available. That was great. I have the Scottish power app but to be honest it's not half as good as the actual site.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 09/01/2014 21:38

I use my online British Gas account regularly to submit meter readings and predict my next bill. It's really convenient to be able to monitor my energy usage in this way and know how much I will be paying every month. An app would be great to simplify this process. There isn't anything else I need to do online with my energy company. My criticism of the online account is the frequency with which the website crashes - it never seems to successfully accept the meter readings and I end up having to phone or email them to sort it out, which makes it all more time consuming. If the website works properly, I think the idea of an online energy account is great.

Naoko · 09/01/2014 21:44

I'm on a prepayment meter (with scottish power) and I have a USB gadget that allows me to top up my meter at home, online. This is in theory a brilliant idea but I'm currently incredibly put out with them because it doesn't work on Windows 8, it only works on Internet Explorer, not on any other browser, and then not even on the newest version of IE, so they're actually forcing me to use an outdated (thus less secure) browser, not of my choice. So my current priority would be compatibility with up to date technology, as well as security of data!

Naoko · 09/01/2014 21:47

Oh, and an absolute no to real time tracking. I know this will be technically possible when smart meters are introduced (although I believe not permitted under legislation), but the privacy implications of that are immense.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 09/01/2014 21:48

We have an online one with First Utility. I only really use it once a month when I submit readings, you get an email with a link that takes you straight into the website, no need for passwords. You also get an email with a link to a pdf copy of your monthly bill, again no need to log on. If you do logon you can look at lots of stuff really easily, all your past bills, energy advice etc. It's pretty good. I don't think I would use an app, checking it once a month is generally enough for me.

TotallyBenHanscom · 09/01/2014 22:03

We probably use the online facility monthly. It would be great to be able to check up-to-date energy usage, i.e. in the last couple of weeks. Is this not possible with smart meters? We've been comparing monthly usage over the last few years, but can only check back on the last billing period, and not the last month when we think we've made savings.

Also, the 'average' usage section, where one's household energy use is compared to a comparable household, says we use nearly 200% more than those other homes! It would be useful to have some more information regarding their/our energy usage.

CrewElla · 10/01/2014 20:50

No, I don't have an on-line account; I never thought about my energy company having that functionality. I would be interested in it if I received any information on it.

I could see the use of an application but I probably wouldn't use it much; in the hierarchy of things that need to be done in a day looking at my energy account isn't that important.

AndHarry · 10/01/2014 22:58

I'm not with Eon but I do have an online account with my energy provider. It would help if I knew the username and password... We switched energy supplier in the summer and before that I used my online account a lot, especially to check bills and give meter readings. I would certainly use an app for those purposes and if I had a smart reader I'd like to be able to use an app to track my energy usage at different times of day so I could cut back too.

jollytummywobbles · 12/01/2014 06:18

We use eon online. I get an email for reading the metre and so I go online and put in the details. They used to have a graph comparing energy use year to year (it showed we were using less) but that seems to have disappeared now which is a shame as it was really insightful for us. There is now a compare with similar homes option which isn't that useful for us any more.

What I would like off an app is something that estimates your bill in thefutire quarter., maybe if you input weekly meter readings. That would help to plan financially.

LittleMissGreen · 13/01/2014 15:46

I have had an online account with British Gas for years now. So easy to pay online, give meter readings etc, comparison of energy used by year/month/over time etc., estimates of future bills if required. Stuff that is all quite useful but not necessarily worthy of a phone call to the company. Now swapped to EON and making use of their online services.

mercibucket · 13/01/2014 15:54

I am online paperless billing

I never get reminders to input my meter readings and can never remember the password

luckily I swap accounts every 18 months or so

I would love an app

WaitingForPeterWimseyNow · 13/01/2014 17:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

museumworker · 16/01/2014 11:21

I do have an online account, although I rarely use it - perhaps 3-4 times a year. Last time was to check which energy deal I was on (so I could swap!) As I'm on direct debit, and paperless billing, there seems little need to go online. An app could be of interest, as it would be easier to log on. I would use it to check my energy deal, and usage, if it told you how much you were using a day/how that compared to previous days/months in a very visual way. Perhaps there could be benefits - like entering into prize draw if you input your meter readings once a month? That would motivate me to stay on top of my energy usage and use the app more regularly.