Notifying an energy supplier after a death is rarely at the top of anyone’s list, but it is worth doing promptly. The energy account continues to accrue standing charges from the date of death, and the sooner E.ON Next knows, the sooner billing is correctly transferred to the estate.
E.ON Next – the UK retail energy brand that replaced the legacy E.ON brand from around 2020 onwards – has a dedicated bereavement team and a straightforward notification process. You can notify by phone, email, or online form, and E.ON Next stops all debt collection activity immediately on notification.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0808 501 5035 (Monday–Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am–4pm, freephone)
- Email: bereavement@eonnext.com
- Online form: eonnext.typeform.com/to/K1exhuyP
- NotifyNow service: estate-notify.co.uk/eonnext (no phone call required)
- Official bereavement page: eonnext.com/help/bereavements
- Do not cancel the direct debit until the final bill arrives
About E.ON and E.ON Next
If the person who died was an energy customer with a company called E.ON, their account has almost certainly already moved to E.ON Next. E.ON launched E.ON Next as a new retail brand from around 2020, and by 2023 had migrated all legacy E.ON customers across to it. For most households, the supplier name on bills will now read “E.ON Next.”
The bereavement process below applies to E.ON Next. If you’re dealing with an older account that still shows “E.ON” on correspondence, start with the E.ON Next bereavement team – they handle legacy accounts too. The phone number and online form are the same.
How to notify E.ON Next of a death
There are three ways to notify E.ON Next.
By phone is the most direct route. Call 0808 501 5035 – a freephone number – and ask for the bereavement support team. Lines are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, and Friday 9am to 4pm. The team is separate from general customer service, so ask specifically for bereavement support when you get through.
By email at bereavement@eonnext.com. Include the deceased’s name, address, account number (if you have it), and a brief explanation of the situation. Attach a scanned copy or clear photograph of the death certificate if you have one ready – otherwise follow up with it separately.
Online via NotifyNow at estate-notify.co.uk/eonnext. E.ON Next has partnered with this service specifically so bereaved people can notify them without having to speak to anyone. You complete a short form, upload a copy of the death certificate, and the service handles the rest. This can be a good option if you’re not ready to make phone calls.
Alternatively, E.ON Next accepts notifications through third-party services like Settld and Life Ledger, which let you notify multiple companies at once using a single submission. These services are free to use.
| Contact method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone (bereavement team) | 0808 501 5035, Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–4pm |
| bereavement@eonnext.com | |
| Online form | eonnext.typeform.com/to/K1exhuyP |
| NotifyNow (no phone call) | estate-notify.co.uk/eonnext |
| Multi-company | Settld, Life Ledger |
What documents you’ll need
E.ON Next does not require original documents. A scanned copy or clear photograph of the death certificate is sufficient.
Core documents:
- A copy of the death certificate (from the register office). An interim death certificate – issued by a coroner if the inquest is still ongoing – is also accepted.
- The deceased’s full name and date of death
- The property address
Helpful to have ready:
- The account number – found on any E.ON Next bill or in the online account portal
- A meter reading taken on or as close as possible to the date of death. For smart meters, E.ON Next can pull the reading remotely, so this is less critical.
- Your own name and contact details, and your relationship to the deceased (executor, next of kin, or other)
- The status of the property: whether someone is still living there, it’s empty, or it’s been sold
Only required in specific circumstances:
- Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration – E.ON Next requires this documentation only if the credit balance on the account exceeds £300. For most accounts, this is not needed.
If you’re ordering death certificates from the register office, each copy costs £11 in England and Wales (gov.uk). For energy companies, a standard copy rather than a certified copy is fine.
What happens to the account
Once E.ON Next receives notification, they flag the account as under bereavement support. Debt collection activity stops immediately – no further collection letters, late payment fees, or interest will be applied.
What happens next depends on the property’s situation.
If someone is still living in the property
Joint account: E.ON Next simply updates the account to the surviving account holder’s name. The tariff, direct debit, and account number remain the same.
Sole account with a new occupant taking over: E.ON Next closes the deceased’s account and opens a new one in the occupant’s name. The tariff transfers across, a new direct debit is set up, and any credit balance from the old account moves to the new one.
If the property is now empty
E.ON Next renames the account to “The Estate of [name]” and keeps it open until the property is sold, a new tenant moves in, or the keys are returned to a landlord. The gas and electricity supply stays connected – E.ON Next guarantees this, as it prevents damage to the property and is normally required by buildings insurance.
Bills continue to be issued to the estate. E.ON Next is clear that you do not need to pay ongoing bills during this period – you settle the balance when the account is eventually closed, not month by month while the estate is being administered.
Direct debits
Do not cancel the direct debit immediately. If it is cancelled before the final bill is produced, there may be an outstanding balance that needs to be paid separately. Wait until E.ON Next issues a final statement showing a zero balance before stopping payments. For more on how direct debits work in bereavement, see our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies.
Credit balances
If the account was in credit – which is common where direct debits have been running ahead of actual usage – E.ON Next will issue a refund to the estate after the account is closed and final readings are processed. For credit balances over £300, they will ask for formal documentation such as a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration before releasing the funds. For smaller balances, this documentation is not required.
Debt on the account
If there was an outstanding balance when the person died, that debt becomes the responsibility of the estate. It is settled from estate assets before anything is distributed to beneficiaries. If the estate has insufficient assets to pay, the debt is written off – it does not pass to family members or friends personally unless they were joint account holders. E.ON Next confirmed this policy via their bereavement page (source: eonnext.com/help/bereavements).
Exit fees
If the deceased was on a fixed-rate tariff that would normally carry an early exit fee, E.ON Next waives these fees in bereavement cases.
If you’re not the account holder
When the deceased was the sole account holder and others continue to live at the property, the most important thing is to make contact with E.ON Next quickly. The supply will not be cut off – E.ON Next guarantees this – but the account needs to be moved into a living person’s name as soon as practicable.
The new occupant will need to open their own account. E.ON Next will use the final meter reading from the date of death as the starting point for the new account, so there’s a clean break between the estate’s liability and the new occupant’s.
If you’re dealing with the estate but don’t live at the property, you can still manage the account as executor. Ask E.ON Next to record your name as the authorised contact for “The Estate of [name]” – this makes subsequent communication simpler and means correspondence goes to you rather than to the property address.
How long it takes
E.ON Next flags the account under bereavement support immediately on notification – this part happens the same day. The supply guarantee and debt collection pause take effect straight away.
The final bill and account closure typically take a few weeks, depending on how quickly documents are submitted and whether the property situation is straightforward. The main factors that can slow things down:
- Waiting on death certificate copies
- Properties with no smart meter where manual readings are needed
- Credit balances over £300, which require probate documentation before refund
- Disputes over meter readings at the date of death
Keep a note of when you first contacted E.ON Next, who you spoke to, and any reference number. If you submitted by email, save the confirmation.
Tips and things to watch out for
Standing charges accumulate on empty properties. A typical combined gas and electricity standing charge is roughly 50–60p per day – around £180–220 per year – before any actual energy use. If the property is empty for several months while the estate is settled, this can add up. You don’t have to pay these charges in real time, but they will form part of the final balance.
The £300 credit threshold can catch people out. If the deceased was building up credit through direct debits and the balance is over £300, E.ON Next will require a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration before they release the refund. If probate hasn’t been granted yet, flag this early and ask E.ON Next to note it on the account so the refund isn’t delayed once probate comes through.
E.ON Next does not send paper bills by default. Many accounts are set up for email correspondence only. If you don’t have access to the deceased’s email, let the bereavement team know and ask them to switch correspondence to a postal address. This prevents important letters – including the final bill – from going unread.
Warm Home Discount does not transfer. If the deceased was receiving the Warm Home Discount, this entitlement ends with the account. It is a means-tested benefit tied to the account holder and cannot be passed on to a new occupant.
You may receive calls from Phillips & Cohen Associates. Some bereavement debt management for E.ON accounts is handled by this third-party firm. If you receive a call from them, verify they are acting on E.ON Next’s behalf before sharing any information.
Summary
To notify E.ON Next after a death, call 0808 501 5035 (Monday–Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am–4pm, freephone), email bereavement@eonnext.com, or submit a notification online at eonnext.com/help/bereavements.
Have the deceased’s name, address, and date of death ready, along with a copy of the death certificate and meter readings if accessible. Do not cancel the direct debit until the final bill arrives. For credit balances over £300, you will need probate documentation before E.ON Next can release the refund.
If the deceased had a legacy E.ON account (not yet migrated to E.ON Next), use the same contact details – E.ON Next manages all former E.ON residential accounts.