Can I get a replacement E10 smart meter through E.ON as they're saying I can't?

The offpeak hours for a tariff like Economy 10 are agreed between electricity suppliers and distributors (DNOs). The hours will usually be the same for customers of all suppliers in a particular region, but there are exceptions. A SMETS2 smart meter can be configured for E10 timings, but not every supplier can support complex plans like this. 

• Who is your current supplier?
• What DNO region are you in? 
• What are the offpeak times you currently enjoy?
• Why is your meter due for replacement? It may just be too old (its certification has expired or is about to expire), it may be controlled by RTS which is closing down next month, or it may be faulty. 

Thanks for your message. Much appreciated.

In answer to your questions  :-

Current supplier is Eon  and  the contract is Next Fixed 24m v18

​​​​​​Region : Central Scotland. 18 ?

​​​​​​Off-peak times are 4.30-7.30 plus 13.00-16.00 plus 20.30-0.30. E10 meter

Meter dated 2007

Had a message from Eon saying e10 meter was needing replacement

Looking for new e10 meter with hopefully a fixed 18 month contract.

Eon state they can't replace with an E10 Meter

Thanks ahain

Thank you. DNO area ID 18 is ‘Southern Scotland’, where Scottish Power reigns supreme. A SMETS2 smart meter is quite capable of managing an E10 tariff, but whether E.On can manage an arrangement like that is a different question. It could well be that customer service have instructions to say flat out no, while the technical teams might know it’s feasible if not straightforward. I don’t think E.On can get away with exchanging your meter for anything other than a smart meter, though. 

Thanks for your message.

As a secondary issue Eon say that as my e10 meter needs replacing , they can only offer me a new smart meter that will only provide electricity from 00.30 - 07.30 ( i.e. only 7 hours and not the 10 that our current contract allows ). These "new" 7 hours are  not of much help !!

Any thoughts please !!

​@Dreghorn1 thanks for your post.

I can see ​@Firedog has given some really helpful replies here already. I just wanted to add that, at the moment, because Eon are your supplier they are responsible for replacing your faulty meter. I’ve been digging about on their website, and can see that there is mention of Economy 10 on this page.

I can’t speak for their terms and conditions or specific tariff details - maybe they are unable to configure a new smart meter as Economy 10. Maybe see if you can speak to someone higher up, or get your query escalated. I hope you can get it sorted!

It sounds as if you’re not getting very far with the agents you’ve been in contact with. You might consider submitting a formal complaint, which should get you a dedicated case handler who can pester the appropriate people within E.On Next to solve the problem.

If you go down this route, be sure to keep it simple and stick to facts, avoiding speculation and hearsay. Point out that:

• You have been on E.On Next’s [details] Economy 10 tariff since [date];
• You are told by [details] that your meter has to be exchanged. You understand that the new meter will be a smart one;
• Your household heating equipment is optimized for the E10 offpeak timings including several hours’ daytime charging of the storage heaters;
• You are told by [details] that the new meter wouldn’t be able to manage an E10 tariff. Insist on getting a new meter that allows you to stay on the same tariff terms as at present.

See what they say, and mention that you will be asking the Energy Ombudsman to intervene if they can’t promise an acceptable outcome. 

I'm operating completely out of my depth here but in those situations where I'm interested in the answer as well I turn to AI and this is what ChatGPT has to say:

In the UK, a company that wishes to become an energy supplier is not legally obliged to offer specific tariffs like Economy 7 (E7) or Economy 10 (E10) as a minimum. However, they must comply with Ofgem regulations, including offering fair and transparent tariffs, and serving customers with restricted meters (meters that can only be used with specific tariffs) in a non-discriminatory way.

Here's what suppliers must do:

1. Support for Restricted Meters

If a customer has an Economy 7 or Economy 10 meter, the supplier must either:

Offer a compatible tariff (e.g. an E7 tariff), or

Offer an alternative solution such as a meter exchange or a different pricing structure that doesn’t disadvantage the customer.


This is part of their duty under Standard Licence Condition 22, which addresses how suppliers deal with customers with non-standard metering.

2. Fair Treatment of Existing Tariffs

If a customer is already on an E7 or E10 tariff when switching, the supplier must:

Allow the customer to retain that tariff (if possible), or

Offer a reasonable alternative without imposing financial penalties or forcing meter changes unless necessary.


3. Obligation to Serve

Larger suppliers (especially under the Supplier of Last Resort scheme) may be required to accept customers from other failed suppliers, and thus must be prepared to accommodate a wide range of metering setups.

Summary:

No obligation to offer E7 or E10 as a minimum, but

Must support customers who already use those meters,

Must comply with Ofgem rules on fair treatment and compatibility,

It's good practice (and often necessary for competitiveness) to offer E7 at a minimum, since it's widely used.
 

ChatGPT

I think the important point here us that the supplier must offer fair treatment and not disadvantage you especially as they are the ones instigating the change and I think that is a key point to make to them or if you take ​@Firedog’s suggest and ask for an intervention. Hope that goes well.

Peter

Wow !!!

Thanks so much to you all. You have given me hope that the e-mail I have just sent to Eon will have a positive outcome.  I have just fired off the points as an escalation and if that doesn’t work will lodge a formal complaint.

Your support is much appreciated by this pensioner and thank you all once again.

Good afternoon,

Well my hopes have somewhat been dashed. This is the response I have received back fron Eon and I would welcome any thoughts as to how I could progress this issue.

In anticipation, many thanks.

(from Eon)

As a business, we categorically do not offer e10 to any customers who are looking to upgrade or have their meters changed. This is because we no longer actually offer e10 - many suppliers also do not offer these across the UK and they have no longer continued to be manufactured.

We do not stock any e10 meters at all. For our customers on e10 meters, you are more than welcome to keep the current set up, however any upgrades or meter replacements can only be carried out with the stock we have available. If you are adamant in wanting to keep the e10 set up, I would advise you to consider your options elsewhere - regardless of how much this can be escalated it's simply not possible for E.ON Next to offer you the same set up moving forward.

Hope this helps,

Oh dear. I think you’re in the realms of “… customer service have instructions to say flat out no, while the technical teams might know it’s feasible if not straightforward.” SMETS2 smart meters are capable of handling all manner of esoteric tariffs, so there is not really any such animal as an ‘e10 meter’ these days. 

It’s significant that E.On Next are insisting on exchanging your meter. They are required by law to provide you with a meter certified to be accurate, so they are in as much of a quandary as you are if they can’t do this without imposing a financial burden on you.  If I were you, I’d ask whoever provided the response you quoted above to issue a deadlock letter stating that they will not comply with your request. You can then take the case straight to the Energy Ombudsman for adjudication.

Just for interest’s sake, here’s another thread about E.On Next and Economy 10, showing that they can install a smart meter and have it configured to run an Economy 10 tariff: Economy 10 - Smart Meter - E.ON Next Community. Note that this is in Eastern England (UKPN), so it’s no proof that they could also do this in Southern Scotland (SPEN). It would be interesting to know why they couldn’t, though, since you’re currently being billed on an E10 plan …