Eon’s smart scheme ‘levels playing field’ for prepayment customers

Energy supplier Eon has launched a pilot scheme that will allow all its customers to access its cheapest tariffs regardless of their payment method, as well as giving more control over their energy use.

The Smart Pay As You Go scheme will for the first time offer Eon’s prepayment customers, and customers who pay on receipt of a bill, the same prices seen by customers who pay by fixed monthly direct debit on all of Eon’s tariffs, saving up to £70 for a dual fuel customer on existing prepayment tariffs.

Eon said it is the first of the big six suppliers to ‘level the playing field’ for its prepayment customers in this way.

To receive the discount, customers will have to swap their existing meter for a smart meter. Initially the pilot will only be available to 30,000 eligible Eon customers, but will be extended to more customers, as well as new ones, in 2016.

As well as enabling the established benefits of smart metering such as increased visibility and control of energy use to customers, the technology will also allow prepayment customers to top up their meters remotely by app, online and by phone.

Other benefits include balance transfers, balance alerts to stop customers unexpectedly running out of credit, and a £30 emergency credit if they do so.

Eon said it is introducing the technology in response to customer feedback which has indicated that prepayment customers want more flexibility on how and where they can pay.

Eon’s residential and customer operations director David Bird said: “We understand that for our customers there’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to managing and paying for the energy they use. That’s why we want to provide a range of services that cater for all our customers’ needs – and the launch of Smart Pay As You Go does just that, addressing some of the key issues raised by people with prepayment meters and those who currently pay their energy bills when they receive them.”