E.ON Next Must Pay £5 Million After Call‑Centre Chaos
Energy watchdog Ofgem has fined the electric‑service brand E.ON Next for a call‑centre debacle that left more than half a million customers waiting on hold for the long haul and, worse, voicemails unanswered.
What went wrong?
- Average wait time: 18 minutes on hold.
- Unanswered calls average: 50 % of all attempts.
- Review found what the regulator calls “severe weaknesses” in customer‑service standards.
In short: customers expected a quick dial‑in, but instead got a waiting queue and a dead line. Ofgem opened the book on this and ordered a hefty payout.
Compensation details
The company will hand out £8 each to 500,000 people, amounting to £4 million in direct redress. On top of that, E.ON Next will contribute an extra £1 million from Ofgem’s voluntary redress fund that is meant to protect vulnerable consumers.
Ofgem’s take‑away
“This shows Ofgem’s determination to stand up for the rights of consumers and drive up standards,” said Cathryn Scott, enforcement director. She added, “The very least a customer expects is for a supplier to lift the phone in a timely way.” Short‑sighted service levels are unacceptable, especially now when energy prices are volatile and many households feel the pinch.
E.ON’s response
“We won’t shy away from the fact that we weren’t at our best,” a company spokesman said. “But Ofgem recognises our efforts and our success in improving service levels even before this review began. We hit our agreed targets with Ofgem on day one and we’ve stayed there ever since.”
What customers can do next
- Check if you’re on the compensation list. The company will notify affected customers.
- Be ready to apply—there might be a short form.
- Keep an eye on your bill to see if the extra pressure has eased.
In the world of energy, a good call‑centre is worth its weight in gold. It’s a reminder that a company being on the phone is part of its service promise—and that a phone that takes 18 minutes to answer is, unfortunately, not a service promise at all.
