The E.ON Next Energy Fund is a major source of help. It can offer one-off grants to clear your energy debt and may also cover the cost of essential household appliances like energy-efficient cookers, fridges, or heated throws.
In some cases, E.ON has also distributed home insulation kits to reduce long-term energy costs.
In winter 2024, E.ON launched a major Winter Support Scheme aimed at their most vulnerable customers. This included an upfront £250 credit, complete debt write-off (averaging around £2,900 per household), smart meter installation, and access to continued support through tailored payment plans.
How E.ON Help Their Customers
1. Flexible Payment Options
The first step E.ON encourages is open communication. If you’re having trouble paying your energy bills, they offer several flexible payment options designed to relieve immediate pressure.
You can set up an affordable repayment plan based on your actual income and expenses. E.ON uses a budgeting tool from Paylink to assess what you can reasonably afford and builds a manageable plan accordingly. This can include spreading arrears over several months or reducing your monthly payment amount.
For customers who pay by Direct Debit, there’s the option to adjust payments to better reflect your current usage or financial situation. If you’re in credit, you might be able to reduce your monthly payment by up to 10 percent.
Prepayment meter users aren’t left out. E.ON can offer temporary credit or adjust repayment rates if you’re unable to top up due to financial hardship. These changes can usually be arranged quickly, helping you stay on supply while you get back on your feet.
2. Personalised Advice and Support
Financial difficulty often overlaps with other challenges, like mental health issues, debt, or housing insecurity. That’s why E.ON has formed partnerships with charities including Citizens Advice, National Debtline, StepChange, and Mind to provide joined-up support.
E.ON funds the Help Through Hardship helpline, run in collaboration with Citizens Advice, Mind, and the Trussell Trust. This service connects people not just with financial help, but also with mental health support, income advice, and even referrals to food banks where needed.
They’ve also integrated useful tools into their online platform, including a benefits calculator and an interactive budgeting assistant, helping customers understand their entitlements and plan their finances more effectively.
3. Priority Services for the Vulnerable
If you, or someone in your household, is particularly vulnerable, whether due to age, disability, a mental health condition, or a temporary situation like pregnancy, you may be eligible for E.ON’s Priority Services Register (PSR).
This offers a range of additional protections, including:
- Advanced notice of planned power cuts.
- Priority reconnection after outages.
- Bills and communications in accessible formats.
- Free gas safety checks.
- The option to nominate someone to manage your energy account on your behalf.
The PSR is free to join and doesn’t affect your tariff or credit rating. You can sign up directly through your online account or by contacting E.ON.
How to Get Help from E.ON
If you’re struggling, the most important thing to do is reach out early. E.ON’s support options are broad, but many depend on a timely assessment of your situation.
You can contact them by phone on 0808 501 5200, through email at hi@eonnext.com, or via their website’s chat and contact form. There’s also an active online community where you can get advice from E.ON specialists and other customers who’ve been through similar challenges.
Before you call or message, it’s worth gathering a few details, like your current energy usage, income and expenses, and any existing debts. This helps speed up the process and ensures you’re offered the most appropriate type of support.
ECO4 has now come to an end
If you’re looking for information about grants and funding currently available, please visit our Grant Funding page to explore the latest options.
Worried about Energy Bills
If your energy bills are high because your home loses heat quickly or relies on an outdated heating system, there’s a practical, long-term solution worth considering.
If you are an E.ON customer struggling with fuel poverty or your energy bills, use our eligibility checker to find out if you qualify for free energy saving upgrades. Government-backed programmes such as ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) or GBIS (Great British Insulation Scheme) may be an option for you.
These schemes fund energy-saving improvements like loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, smart heating controls, and in some cases, low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps.
By making your home more efficient, these upgrades help you use less energy to stay warm, so your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard, and you spend less keeping your home comfortable.
One Last Thing
E.ON has built a comprehensive safety net for customers who are struggling, covering everything from flexible payment plans to appliance grants, mental health support, and long-term energy upgrades.
If you’re worried about keeping up with your energy bills, don’t wait until the problem escalates. Contact E.ON early and explore what help you might be entitled to. The support is there, and in many cases, it could make the difference between hardship and stability.
Cost of Living Support Available:
- Household Support Fund (England)
- Cost of Living Payments
- Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
- Mortgage Guarantee Scheme
- Council Tax Reduction
ECO4 Support Available:
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – Energy Company Obligation
- Ofgem – Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) Guidance: Delivery V1.1
- Ofgem – Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
- UK Government – Help from your energy supplier: the Energy Company Obligation
- Which? – Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
Other Support Available:
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