E.ON changes billing process

E.ON has announced that, with immediate effect, customers who are acquired on a cash or cheque payment method will be billed monthly instead of quarterly.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Utilities at Confused.com comments; "Today's announcement is a brave move by E.ON as it could be interpreted as simply a manoeuvre designed to improve cash flow. However, it should be embraced by customers as a way to gain greater control and visibility of their energy bills.

"Receiving a bill every month will hopefully encourage customers to become more aware of their consumption and therefore how much they spend, which are the key tools for budgeting. Frequent billing should also encourage customers to read their meters so that they can start paying for what they use, instead of always paying an estimated bill.

"Once customers fall into the habit of receiving and paying bills monthly, it's a much smaller step toward paying by direct debit which has proven time and time again to bring larger discounts.

"Having a greater understanding of the amount of gas and electricity they use, can also help people to review whether they are currently on the best tariff and with the best provider for their personal circumstances. Customers should regularly review who they are paying to provide their energy, to see if they can do better. A Consumer Focus accredited site like Confused.com will show all the tariffs from all the providers to make this shopping around easy."