E.ON

E.ON hosts public information sessions and welcomes community comment on proposed High Clachaig Wind Farm

22 May 2013, 09:13

E.ON is encouraging the local community to have their say on plans for its proposed High Clachaig Wind Farm.  The wind farm which is in the very early stages of development would be located on the Kintyre Peninsula. The energy company will be hosting public information sessions early next month, to give the local community the opportunity to find out more about the initial wind farm plans and share their opinions with the E.ON team. Public information sessions will be held at: Gigha Village Hall Wednesday 5 June 4pm-8pm Glenbarr Village Hall Thursday 6 June 2pm-8pm Emma Clark, Senior Project Developer at E.ON, said: "From our experience with our neighbouring Deucheran Hill Wind Farm, we know the area is suitable for building wind turbines and have selected the High Clachaig site due to its great wind resources and its connections to the national grid. "This project is however very much in the early stages of development and these information sessions are being held to keep the local community informed about our plans and what the next steps could potentially be, so they can feed into the project from an early stage.   "People living and working in the area will have a wealth of knowledge about the site and we want to work with them to ensure that we understand and consider their views during the development of this project." Anyone unable to attend an event, but interested in discussing the site should call 0800 096 1199, email highclachaig@eon.com or visit eon-uk.com/generation/highclachaig.aspx. E.ON currently operates three onshore wind farms in Scotland, including the nearby Deucheran Hill Wind Farm. The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets for renewable energy generation and aims to provide the equivalent of 100% of Scotland's gross annual electricity using renewables by 2020.  The development of onshore wind farms plays a very important part in providing a low carbon energy mix for the future and High Clachaig, if consented, would be a vital step towards achieving those targets and helping to keep the lights on.   Ends   Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy fit by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 23 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development.

For more information contact: Victoria Blake on 02476 181304 or victoria.blake@eonenergy.com Janet Heald on 02476 183692 or janet.heald@eon-uk.com

Simple + straightforward = success: Red tape presents bigger risk than cash flow woes for small business

17 May 2013, 11:24

• Three quarters (73%) of Britain's SMEs see business prospects hampered by complex tax system and over-regulation
• SMEs call on energy companies to simplify contracts and billing
• E.ON offers support with industry-leading changes to backdated billing and contract rollovers

Almost half of Britain's small business owners remain optimistic about the country's economic fortunes, but with three in four saying their future success risks being derailed by red tape, according to new research1 out today from energy company E.ON. The survey of 750 small business decision makers revealed that despite ongoing economic difficulties, the biggest boost to business prospects would come from reduced bureaucracy and simpler tax systems rather than improved access to finance or better interest rates (fig.1), with SMEs calling on the Government to urgently address these issues. The results also show owners and managers want energy companies to make their day-to-day lives more straightforward. A quarter of businesses (24%) want greater simplicity of energy tariffs, requiring providers to offer clearer information about bills and contract terms. To make things easier for its small business customers, E.ON has introduced a range of reforms to ease the burden for customers, including a maximum one-year period for backdated bills, becoming the first major energy supplier to commit to these protections for all small businesses.   Anthony Ainsworth of E.ON said: "Small businesses are the engine of Britain's economy and their message is clear: in these tough times they need straight-talking and fair play, whether from government or suppliers, to keep their businesses moving and improving. "It is telling that red tape and bureaucratic complexity has a higher impact than poor lending conditions. I want our customers to feel that we are easy to do business with, that we have listened to their feedback and introduced measures to increase the fairness and transparency of how we work with them." The significance of energy to SMEs was highlighted in the research, with 40% citing its supply as the most important factor for business continuity, ahead of staff sickness/absence (34%), delivery issues (39%) and problems with premises (30%). The key to successful supplier/customer relationships is trust (26%), which ranks higher than cost (22%) and security (12%), and the majority of businesses are keen to develop two-way partnerships with their suppliers. Anthony added: "All businesses depend on energy to varying degrees, giving it a key role in stability and overall success. As an industry, we need to recognise that changes are necessary. In recent months we've talked to our SME customers via our new Customer Panel and taken on board their suggestions for how we can do things better. "We have made great strides in improving things for our business customers, including an overhaul of our back-billing period to one year, effective this week, which delivers on a promise we made last year to mitigate against the shock factor of unexpected bills." Some energy providers can currently charge for up to six years' backdated energy use2, but around three quarters of the research respondents (76%) believe the process of back-billing for past consumption should be restricted to a maximum of one year. Recent changes made by E.ON to assist SME customers include:

• Delivered on the promise of a maximum one-year period for backdated bills, becoming the first major energy supplier to commit to these protections for all small business customer;
• Introduced an independent set of standards for energy broker sales - supported by over 100 independent brokers - and aligning ourselves to those same standards;
• The first major supplier to publish contract end dates on bills, letting customers know exactly when their deal is up for renewal and what they can do about it;
• Making sure customers are aware they can opt out of automatic rollovers - or not locking them in to a fixed deal if they miss their renewal window;
• Introduced a reminder letter for those who don't contact us when they receive their first renewal letter;
• Improved billing standards to get more bills right first time;
• Smarter meters, pay-as-you-go contracts and energy management so customers can budget better and manage their cash flow.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Chief Executive James Lowman said: "We welcome E.ON's decision to reduce the length of potential back bills to one year and make their billing easier to understand for their small business customers. This is an important step that demonstrates their leadership in this area and shows they have listened carefully to the concerns of business customers. "We will continue to press other energy companies, that have not done so already, to follow suit. In the meantime companies like E.ON are likely to benefit from greater loyalty from small business customers."  Ends Figure 1.   Top reforms to improve prospects for SMEs 1. Simplify tax (37%) 2. Cut bureaucratic red-tape (36%) 3. Higher/easier bank lending (34%) 4. Review employment policies (30%) 5. Lower interest rates (22%) Figure 2.   Sectors: biggest threat from red tape 1 Professional Services (82%) 2 Construction (76%) 3 Manufacturing/light Industrial (72%) 4 Catering (71%) 5 Retail (59%) Figure 3.   Regions: biggest threat from red tape 1. London; Scotland (78%) 2. Midlands; Wales (76%) 3. Southern England (74%) 4. Northern England (63%) 5. Northern Ireland (62%) Notes to editors:

• 1 Independent research carried out amongst 750 decision makers at UK small-to-medium sized enterprises, in April 2013;
• 2 http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2011/10/Suppliers'-back-billing-commitments-to-micro-businesses-consumers1.pdf

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 22 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

Housing Association kicks off Energy Fantasy League

14 May 2013, 09:09

Tenants in Norris Green are taking part in an Energy Fantasy League that has been established by Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH) with support from energy company E.ON. The 12-month scheme involves around 70 recently refurbished and renovated properties around Broad Lane and is intended to help residents become more energy efficient.   E.ON has donated £4,000 to LMH to help kick start the league into action, which is a pilot project for both organisations. Participating tenants, or ‘Fuel Busters', have been entered into teams of eight households and have submitted energy bills from the previous year. Over the course of the league, residents are being challenged to save energy, which could help to reduce their bills.   Each month, households will provide meter readings to LMH, so they can track how energy is being used. A monthly energy-saving prize will be awarded to the most efficient home and best performing team in the league. One volunteer from each team will also become a ‘Fuel Buster Leader', and will undertake training in how to overcome fuel poverty and provide additional support to the other households in the league. Mandy Taylor, Regeneration Initiatives Officer at LMH, said: "The Energy Fantasy League in Norris Green has been established as part of our commitment to helping our tenants boost their energy efficiency. "We've had a good response to the initiative and the households involved are already starting to get competitive. We're grateful to E.ON for supporting the scheme, which will help to educate residents about being more energy savvy." The overall league winner will take home a low energy rated large kitchen appliance and an end of league celebration will be held in 2014. Alison Gibson, Senior Community Relations Officer at E.ON, said: "We supported LMH's Winter Warmth campaign last year and it makes sense to continue our partnership with LMH and help with the Energy Fantasy League. "At a time when reducing unnecessary energy usage is more important than ever, the league is a fun way to monitor and conserve energy output. We believe this initiative has the potential to educate homeowners and help them alter their energy habits, which in turn can reduce their bills." For suggestions of ways to save energy and money safely, visit: www.eonenergy.com/waystosave Ends Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 23 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

For more information contact: Jane Branscombe on 02476 183681 or jane.branscombe@eon-uk.com    

E.ON responds to DECC smart metering announcement

10 May 2013, 13:00

E.ON has today (FRIDAY) commented on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announcement on changes to the UK's smart meter rollout programme. Don Leiper, Director of New Business at E.ON, said: "We're making great progress with our smart metering programme - we've had excellent feedback from customers who've had smart meters installed and they continue to give us the valuable insights we need ahead of the mass market rollout. "Smart meters bring real benefits to people by putting them in control of their energy use and helping them cut energy waste. We've provided over 200,000 smart meters for our customers to date and these customers are starting to see real benefits now and will continue to do so. "While E.ON has been installing smart meters for more than two years, this decision now provides the whole industry with the time to make best use of the foundation period to ensure that all our customers benefit. "Today's announcement also provides the commercial certainty all suppliers need to make sure the mass rollout from 2016 to 2020 will be as smooth as possible. "We've introduced wide-ranging energy efficiency measures into more than 1.3 million homes across the UK, and only last week Ofgem announced that we've successfully met our commitments in this area. But our work to help our customers save energy and money will continue - and providing smart meters for our customers is key to achieving that goal." For more information about E.ON's smart metering programme, visit eonenergy.com/smart Ends Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 23 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

For more information contact: Victoria Blake on 02476 181 304 or Andrew Barrow on 02476 183 677  

E.ON invites local people to find out about changes to its proposed Quantans Hill Wind Farm

8 May 2013, 09:21

E.ON is inviting local people to attend a public information session being held later this month to update them on changes to its proposed Quantans Hill Wind Farm near Carsphairn, Dumfries and Galloway. The wind farm would be located 15km South of Dalmellington and could feature up to 19 turbines which would produce up to 57MW of electricity - enough to power around 29,000 homes. The public information session will be held at Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn on Tuesday 21 May between 3pm and 8pm, when E.ON will invite people to view its plans and share their views on the proposed site. Nick Taylor, Project Developer at E.ON, said: "We'd like to thank the community for the feedback they gave us at our public exhibitions back in September, which we've taken on board. Since then we've undertaken further studies and found it would be beneficial to raise the turbine tip height from 125m to 130m. This would increase our ability to match the best turbine model to the characteristics of the site. "We're holding a public information session to update local people on our plans and we'd like to invite as many people as possible to come along to Carshphairn Village Hall on 21 May when we'll be happy to discuss why we've made this change and outline how the wind farm will now look." If the wind farm receives planning consent, E.ON will provide a community benefit fund worth £5,000 per MW, which could be up to £285,000 per year, which would be used to support local projects, chosen by local people, throughout the lifetime of the wind farm. The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets for renewable energy generation and aims to provide the equivalent of 100% of Scotland's gross annual electricity using renewables by 2020.  The development of onshore wind farms plays a very important part in providing a low carbon energy mix for the future and Quantans Hill, if consented, would be a vital step towards achieving those targets and helping to keep the lights on. Anyone unable to attend an event, but interested in discussing the site should call 0800 096 1199, email swscotland@eon-uk.com or visit eon-uk.com/swscotland Ends Notes to editors:

• 1. Based on an average annual domestic household electricity consumption of 4,700kWh (DECC).
• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy fit by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 23 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development.

For more information contact: Victoria Blake 02476 181304 or victoria.blake@eonenergy.com Janet Heald 02476 183692 or janet.heald@eon-uk.com

E.ON welcomes Ofgem recognition for energy efficiency success

1 May 2013, 13:06

Commenting on today's report by energy regulator Ofgem which confirmed that E.ON has completed all aspects of the CERT and CESP energy efficiency obligations, Don Leiper, Director of New Business at E.ON, said: "I'm extremely proud of our team who have worked hard to deliver against our obligations. Not only have we introduced wide-ranging energy efficiency measures to more than 1.3 million homes across the UK, we have also given an opportunity to some of the more vulnerable families in society to manage their energy costs for the long term.  "It is an unavoidable truth that the vast majority of homes in this country could be improved to use much less energy than they do today. Upgrading Britain's housing stock to become more energy efficient is an enormous task and Government obligations demand that we share that responsibility as an industry. "People need to understand that they too can be eligible for energy efficiency help, either through the Green Deal or through the new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which will be available to thousands more people both in social, rented and privately-owned homes. In delivering these obligations our partnerships with local authorities, housing associations and community groups have proved that working together is the best way to meet future carbon reduction targets and improve Britain's housing stock." End Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 23 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

For more information contact: Andrew Barrow on 02476 183677 or andrew.barrow@eon-uk.com

New arrivals tot up energy bills for UK parents

25 Apr 2013, 09:33

 

• Research* reveals that two in three new parents find energy use increases with baby's arrival
• New parents spent over £70m on baby gadgets last year
• E.ON offers tips and advice for new parents on how to control energy consumption

  With the UK in the midst of a baby boom, E.ON has released new research* revealing that most parents (64%) use more energy in the first two months of their little bundle's arrival, with almost a fifth (18%) finding their energy use went up considerably.   The E.ON research highlights the changes new parents see in their energy use during baby's first two months, including:

• Four in 10 (40%) tumble dry more often;
• Almost a third (28%) put on ‘significantly more' loads of washing;
• New parents watch on average three and a half more hours of TV and listen to three more hours of radio a day.

  Beverley Maguire, energy efficiency expert at E.ON, comments: "New parents are faced with lots of additional costs, but one thing they may not consider is how baby's arrival will affect their energy consumption.   "It's clear from our research that the way families use their appliances changes significantly when a new baby arrives, and we want to ensure people have the information and advice they need to use energy as efficiently as possible to help them control their energy bills."   The findings uncovered the financial implications of the changing ways new parents use energy in their homes.   With over a quarter (26%) of new parents running up to three loads of washing a day, families could see their washing machine use add £301 to their energy bill over baby's first 60 days.   With more time spent at home, new parents found that their home entertainment use increased too - by an average of three hours more TV viewing a day. More than a quarter (26%) found they watch up to four hours more a day, with a cost implication of over £600,0002.   The research also found that new mums are 10% more likely to increase their TV consumption than dads3 in the first couple of months, with almost one in 10 (8%) mums finding that they watched it for up to six hours more a day.     The radio was also used more, costing families almost £350,0004 in these first weeks as almost one in 10 (11%) tuned in for up to four hours extra a day.   The findings also reveal the cost of new gadgets for parents, showing;

• New baby equipment cost new parents over £70m5 in the last year;
• On average, new parents spend £700 on baby gadgets in the first two months after baby's arrival;
• More than a quarter (27%) of new parents use up to three extra gadgets each week, such as baby monitors and bottle sterilisers.

  Beverley continued: "With a new baby to look after, the last thing parents want to do is worry about how their new technology and lifestyle is affecting their energy use. But a change in family circumstances can be a good opportunity to review your energy tariff and make sure you're on the best deal. And we've pulled together some simple steps to help new parents minimise the impact a new member of the family can have on energy bills."   E.ON's Top Tips for new parents:

• 1. A tumble dryer is one of the most energy hungry appliances in your home; cutting down on just one load a week could take around £306 off your electricity bill. If you can't dry your washing on the line or use a clothes horse and you need to use your dryer, give your clothes a quick extra spin in the washing machine beforehand - they'll dry much quicker.
• 2. Sleepless nights are an all-too-common feature for new parents, and the extra hours awake will mean the lights need to be switched on more. Try placing energy efficient LED night lights around the house so that you don't have to use the main light at night;
• 3. When it comes to bath time, save energy and water by using a baby bath divider or small tub rather than the main bath - there's no need to fill the whole tub. Getting the temperature right first time can also help save on using lots of hot water only to have to cool it down;
• 4. Why not rent or hire new gadgets and equipment instead of buying them? The NCT7 has a rental scheme for new baby necessities, which could save you money in the long run;
• 5. Ensure the room where your little one sleeps is fully protected against draughts and cold-air. Simple draught excluders can help keep them cosy without dialling up the thermostat.

  To find out more about E.ON's simpler tariffs, to find its best deal and read about the customer rewards on offer, visit  eonenergy.com or call 0330 400 1009 (lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and 8am to 4pm on Saturdays).   To view more ways to save energy usage, download E.ON's Ways to Save booklet.   Ends Notes to editors: * Research carried out amongst UK parents of children up to 18 years by http://www.visioncritical.com/ in March 2013. 1 Three washing machine loads costs 51p (E.ON Energy Menu). 51p x 60 days = £30.60; 2 TV: 27% of parents watched the TV for up to four hours more per day during first two months of baby's arrival. Four hours of LCD TV use costs 5p (E.ON Energy Menu). 807,776 new births took place in last two years (ONS Data 26 Feb 13). 27% of 807,776 = 218,099.52. 218,099.52x 5p = £10,904.98. 60 days x £10,904.98= £654,298.80; 3 43% of women said they saw no change to their TV consumption in the first two months of their baby being born, compared to 53% of men; 4 Radio: 18% of parents listened to the radio for up to four hours more per day during first two months of baby's arrival. Four hours of radio use costs 4p (E.ON Energy Menu). 807,776 new births took place in last two years (ONS Data 26 Feb 13). 18% of 807,776 = 145,399.68. 145,399.68x 4p = £5815.99. 60 days x £5815.99= £348.959.40; 5 807,776 new births took place in the last year (ONS Data 26 Feb 13). 11% of parents spent up to £800 on baby gadgets (E.ON data). 11% of 807,776 = 88,855.36. £800 x 88,855.36= £71,084,288; 6 Based on electricity prices of 15.15p/kWh. Correct as of November 2012. Tumble dryer - uses 3.83kWh per cycle. 7 Visit http://www.nctshop.co.uk/NCT-Bednest-Rental-for-6-months/productinfo/4364R/.  

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 22 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

    For more information contact: Jag Kahlon at E.ON on 02476 181 308 or jag.kahlon@eonenergy.com

‘Spring Online' is only a click away with E.ON

22 Apr 2013, 10:51

Energy company E.ON is offering free educational drop-in sessions in Nottingham city centre to encourage people to become more internet savvy. The informal sessions, which offer basic digital skills and help in getting connected, are taking place from 1-4pm at E.ON's Open House, Lister Gate, near the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre, on Wednesday 24th April - during Spring Online week, which aims to introduce older people to the world of technology at a local level. The free sessions have been organised in partnership with digital skills charity Digital Unite and will be led by E.ON employees, covering a variety of topics including what email is and how it works, how to browse the internet and how to stay safe online. Each session will last up to 15 minutes, and attendees can be set up with personal email addresses if they wish. Local blogger Penny Alexander will be on hand to explain how she benefits from using the internet. Simon Gilby, Digital Excellence Manager at E.ON, said: "In this digital era it's more important than ever to have a basic understanding of the internet, which is why we're keen to help educate people about both the social and financial advantages of being online. "We hope the sessions give attendees broader access to online facilities, whether they're looking to connect with old friends, make purchases or even monitor their energy consumption." The event is aimed at internet beginners. Ends Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 22 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

For more information contact: Jane Branscombe on 02476 181 308 or Jane.Branscombe@eon-uk.com

Successful start of production from Huntington oil and gas field

13 Apr 2013, 09:29

  April 12, 2013 Successful start of production from Huntington    

• Production of a new field in the North Sea started
• Total project investments exceeds £325 million
• E.ON is the operator of the oil field, owning a 25 % interest in the license

  Production from the Huntington oil and gas field in the North Sea has successfully started and highlights an important step for E.ON's upstream business. "The production start at Huntington is an important milestone and illustrates our determination in developing our upstream business," said Jørgen Kildahl, member of the E.ON Board of Management. "Huntington will contribute significantly to the company's near-term production growth and implementation of our business strategy," said Frank Sivertsen, CEO of E.ON Exploration & Production. Total investments in Huntington exceed £325 million and the field has 27 million barrels oil equivalent (mboe) in gross reserves (E.ON E&P estimate). The Huntington development includes the Voyageur Spirit FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading vessel) specifically modified to meet the field requirements, six wells and a 12 km gas export pipeline connected to the BP CATS transportation system, allowing export of gas to the UK. Huntington is located some 230 kilometres east of the British coast in water depths of approximately 90 metres. The production facilities will have a production capacity of around 30,000 barrels of oil per day. E.ON Exploration & Production is a growth segment within E.ON and is active in four focus regions: the UK, Norway, Russia and North Africa. Production will increase significantly in the coming years as more fields are brought on stream. E.ON E&P has an increasing number of projects in which it is the operator. E.ON is the operator of the field, owning a 25 % interest in the license. The other partners in the license are Premier (40 %), Noreco (20 %), and Iona Energy (15 %).  ENDS For further media information please contact: Kjetil Hjertvik, E.ON E&P (Email: kjetil.hjertvik@eon.com / Tel: 0047 922 37 069) Scott Somerville, E.ON UK (Email: scott.somerville@eon-uk.com /Tel: 07889 771 804) This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by E.ON Group management and other information currently available to E.ON. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. E.ON SE does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Community energy scheme does the job

10 Apr 2013, 11:13

Residents across five cities have been toasting the success of the Community Energy Fit scheme, which provides energy efficiency training and practical work experience to unemployed people looking to boost their job prospects by volunteering to tackle fuel poverty locally. The 18-month scheme was set up by national fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) and energy company E.ON in Birmingham, Coventry, Exeter, Stoke and Knowsley and has seen more than 700 unemployed people undertake free courses in basic energy efficiency, over 200 of whom went on to gain NEA's Energy Awareness City and Guilds qualification. To share their learning with their local communities, and gain valuable work experience and employment skills, some of the project participants chose to become Community Energy Champions, volunteering their time at a range of local events. Local not-for-profit and community groups in each of the five areas have now been awarded the Community Legacy Fund - a £20,000 grant that will be used to continue the work that the Community Energy Fit scheme has already accomplished. Lorraine Donaldson, Project Development Manager at NEA, said: "NEA enjoyed working with E.ON on this very worthwhile project. With the help of these groups, the good work already done by Community Energy Fit can be continued and developed to help even more householders heat their homes more affordably." Suzanne Doxey, Community Relations Manager at E.ON, said: "This project set out to help unemployed people to improve their employment prospects and also to advise the local community, particularly those who are suffering from fuel poverty. I'm grateful to all of those residents who chose to become a part of it, and helped make Community Energy Fit a real success in each location. "It's important that we continue to explain to people about energy efficiency. Switching to the best tariff for them and implementing simple energy saving tips at home will ensure that no hard-earned cash is wasted unnecessarily." The Community Legacy Fund was awarded to Birmingham Social Enterprise Energy Network (b-seen), Voluntary Action Coventry, Exeter Council for Voluntary Services, Knowsley Community and Voluntary Services, Beat the Cold (Stoke) and Staffordshire Housing Association. For energy-saving advice from E.ON visit eonenergy.com/waystosave Ends Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, retailing power and gas, developing gas storage and undertaking gas and oil exploration and production. It is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to around five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers - meaning the company has to buy approximately 122.7 billion kWh of power and gas each year to meet their needs. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy efficient by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON's Reset Review continues to identify and discuss changes with customers through its 28,000-strong YourSay panel, its independent Customer Council comprising business leader Allan Leighton, ex-MP and Select Committee chair Paddy Tipping and E.ON Customer Service Advisor Joanne Sheridan, its 1,000-strong MySay employee panel and through discussions with consumer advocacy groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus. Changes made to date include: helping customers control their bills: fair prices, simple products, transparent profits, a fairer way of paying: providing stability to help households budget, improving customer service: consistency, easier contact, and the confidence to complain;
• E.ON has topped several categories - including best for overall customer satisfaction, best value for money and best reward scheme - to be voted Britain's favourite energy supplier 2012 in the uSwitch.com Customer Satisfaction Awards. The independent report and awards are published annually and are based on a YouGov poll of over 5,000 energy customers;
• E.ON's generation portfolio includes world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations. E.ON is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP), and is one of the UK's leading green generators with 22 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• One of the many ways E.ON leads the energy industry is through its commitment to market liquidity and transparency as evidenced by its actions on the day-ahead UK power markets including the N2EX auction. E.ON was the first company to sign a gross-bidding agreement with N2EX and leads the market with a volume equivalent to some 60% of E.ON UK's generation activity being traded so far this year.

For more information contact: Jane Branscombe at E.ON on 02476 183 681 or jane.branscombe@eon-uk.com