Should I Pay or Ignore EON Debt Collection Agency?

Are you dealing with EON Debt Collection Agency and not sure what to do? You’re at the right place. Every month, over 12,000 people visit this site for advice on debt matters.

We understand that you may be worried about paying your debt or scared about what might happen if you don’t pay. But you’re not alone. In this guide, we’ll share important facts to help you:

•  Understand if you really need to pay EON debt collectors
•  Learn what could happen if you don’t pay EON
•  Find out ways to lower your repayments
•  Get support if you can’t pay your EON Next bill
•  Learn how to stop EON Debt Collection calls

Our team knows the fear of debt collectors; we’ve been in your shoes. So, we’re here to help you navigate this tough time.

Do you have to pay EON debt collectors?

You might not have to pay EON debt collectors.

If you genuinely can’t afford your debt repayments then looking into whether you could have your written off might be just what you need. 

If you want to find out whether you qualify for having debt written off or payments lowered then fill out the short form below.

What happens if you don’t pay EON?

If you don’t pay your EON Next energy bills any of the following could happen:

1. Your bills could be increased through late fees and interest
2. Your supply could be disconnected
3. You could be forced to use a pre-payment metre
4. You will be chased to pay your arrears

Some of the above may not be possible or will be extremely unlikely. For example, it’s very rare for an energy company to disconnect a supply completely, and this isn’t legal in some cases. 

Even when an energy company does want to disconnect your supply, they must go to the court first to get a warrant that allows them to enter your home to complete the disconnection. 

They don’t need a warrant if the disconnection can be completed without entering your home, such as when the supply is located on the outside of the property – but many still do. 

Instead of taking this action, which has been heavily criticised in the news of late, they’re more likely to apply to install a pre-payment metre so you have to pay for your energy in advance. This might be inconvenient, but it can stop your debt from growing. 

Can you lower your repayments?

If you’re struggling to pay back your debt, then you might qualify for a debt solution.

Some solutions lower your monthly payments while others write off a portion of your debt. 

To find out whether they could work in your situation, hit the button below.

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Support if you can’t pay your EON Next bill

If you know that you won’t be able to pay your EOn Next energy bill, it can be beneficial to let them know in advance. EON has a page dedicated to helping people who are struggling to keep up with payments, which puts forward several solutions:

• Agreeing on an affordable payment plan (partnered with Paylink)

• Reducing bills by up to 10% by setting up a direct debit

• Accessing the EON Next Energy Fund for people who’re struggling

• Pointing you in the direction of schemes that can provide financial assistance for energy bills

Vulnerable people cannot be disconnected

Vulnerable people cannot have their energy supply disconnected for non-payment between October and March. 

This includes state-aged pensioners living with young people or other pensioners. People with physical and mental disabilities can also not have their energy disconnected in most cases. This is the law. 

On top of the law, many energy companies have signed up for the Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment, which commits energy companies to never disconnect other people considered vulnerable. 

For example, under this commitment, the energy company will never disconnect a supply when a child under 16 lives at the property. 

EON signed up to the Vulnerability Commitment in February 2023.

Can energy companies send debt collectors?

Yes, energy companies can employ a debt collection agency to chase you for your arrears. They do this by sending you letters or calling and texting you asking you to pay. 

Debt collection workers can come to your home and ask you to pay, but this is unlikely because they’re not bailiffs!

A debt collection firm working for an energy company is more likely to threaten court action. 

This is a possibility and the energy supplier could get a court order to make you pay. If you didn’t pay after the court order, they could then go back to the court and ask to use bailiffs. Or they could even ask to have money taken from your wages. 

Does EON use debt collectors?

Yes, there is anecdotal evidence online and stories in the media to evidence that EON uses debt collection agencies. 

Here is just one post from a reputable online forum:

Source: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6317614/eon-passed-to-debt-collection-agency-grr 

What is an EON Debt Collection Agency?

An EON Next Debt Collection Agency is any debt collection company that is used to collect arrears from customers. Most energy suppliers don’t just stick with one debt collection business; they use multiple at once. 

The debt collection agency has no additional powers to collect the debt than EON itself. They outsource to these companies to save time or if they’re having trouble tracing the alleged debtor because the debt is quite old. 

In return, the EON debt collection group will take a commission from payments or demand a fixed fee for their service. But I repeat, they’re not bailiffs and you don’t have to let them in your home!

EON may also have its own debt collection department, but this is currently unconfirmed. 

Can you stop EON Debt Collection calls?

One of the ways a debt collection agency will wear you down is they’ll make several calls within a short time. But you can give the EOn debt collector your communication preferences, which should then be adhered to as per FCA rules. 

For example, if you told them you only wish to be contacted in writing, you could complain if they continued to harass you with multiple phone calls. I’ll explain the complaints procedure shortly. 

Should you ignore EON Next Debt Collection?

Even if you think you don’t owe the money, you shouldn’t ignore EON debt collectors. 

You can:

1. Put the ball back in their court and ask them to prove you owe it
2. Check to see if the debt is too old to be collected

Ask EON Debt Collection to prove the debt

You can ask EON Debt Collection to prove you owe the debt if they’ve addressed letters to you asking you to pay. Simply send them a letter asking them to supply proof you owe the money, which is what is required as per the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

There are multiple free letter templates online to help you ask them to prove the debt. If they do prove you owe it, you should look for ways to pay in a way that’s affordable to you in order to avoid court action. 

If they don’t prove it, you should keep proof that they failed to do this in case they take further legal action. It could help you avoid a court order and having to pay.  

Avoid paying old EON debts

Before you request proof of the debt from EON Debt Collection groups, you must check that your debt hasn’t become too old to be collected. 

Energy debts that are at least six years old in England and Wales, or five years old in Scotland, cannot be enforced in court. In fact, they automatically don’t exist in Scotland after this time period. 

This is the case as long as:

1. You haven’t contributed to paying the arrears within the last five/six years
2. You haven’t admitted you owe the debt within the last five/six years
3. The debt hasn’t already been subject to a court order making you pay

Ask a debt charity to help you work out if your debt is too old to be paid, and if it is, you can let EON Debt Collection know this is why you will not be paying. 

How to complain about EON debt collection groups

To complain about EON debt collectors for any reason, including harassment, you should make a complaint directly to the company first. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you can take it further by complaining to the Financial Ombudsman Service. 

You must complain directly to the debt collection agency before escalating the complaint. 

“It will only get worse” 😩

It’s cliché to say, but with debt it’s true; the longer you leave it, the worse the problem gets. 

There are straightforward and effective ways to deal with debt, but you have to know your options. 

Fill out the short form to find out about the debt solutions that could reduce your monthly payments or even write off some of your debt.

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How do I contact EON debt?

The EON Debt help details, including the EON Debt collection phone number, are listed in the table below:

Other ways to deal with debts

Agreeing to a payment plan is one option, but it’s not your only option. There are alternative debt solutions for different situations. Some will even write off part or all of your debt. 

Check them out by reading my How to Beat Debt guide, and speak to a debt charity for personalised assistance.