Energy giant E.On has paid out thousands in refunds to customers - here's why

Energy giant E.On has been told to pay back thousands to households after leaving nearly 2million customers out of pocket on Christmas Day.

The supplier will also pay an extra £627,312 into industry regulator Ofgem’s voluntary redress fund, which helps vulnerable energy customers in the UK.

Many customers were expecting direct debit payments for their energy bills to come out of their accounts in early January.

Instead, they were processed on Christmas Eve, potentially forcing some people into their bank overdrafts over the Christmas period.

The mistake was linked to a technical fault which E.On noticed on 23 December and told Ofgem.

‘Appropriate checks need to be undertaken’

While most customers were refunded on 29 and 30 December, the energy supplier noticed another 110,060 affected customers who had not previously been identified.

Ofgem said this suggested the company did not act promptly to put things right, as it is obliged to under the terms of its licence.

Anna Rossington, the watchdog’s director of retail, said: “Ofgem expects suppliers to adhere to the terms of contracts they have with customers, in particular the agreed direct debit payment dates.

“This failure is a reminder to suppliers that, when making changes to their systems, they need to undertake appropriate checks to avoid any unintended consequences for customers.

“Ofgem is always prepared to work with suppliers who have failed to comply with their obligations but who have self-reported and are determined to put things right, as E.On has done.”