E.ON

Profile

Summary

Electric utility E.ON is one of the “Big Six” energy companies in the UK and a major power provider in Germany, where it is based. Back In 2009, Ruhrgas AG (a predecessor of E.ON) was fined €553 million for conspiring to fix prices of gas imported from Russia via the MEGAL pipeline.

Although it was historically a major fossil fuel provider, E.ON spun off its fossil fuel assets into a new company named Uniper in 2016. Subsequently it claimed to offer “100% renewable energy tariffs” to customers, despite nearly half of its energy capacity being powered by fossil fuels or nuclear power. In 2009, E.ON was accused of greenwashing for claiming to use an “integrated” technology approach after installing a few solar panels on top of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, England. The panels were estimated to have saved 6.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, equal to less than one millionth of the emissions from the power plant itself. In 2019, E.ON claimed that all its 3.3 million customers in the UK were being switched to 100 percent renewable energy plans. Good Energy, a rival electricity company, summed up the matter succinctly: "E-ON is moving its customers to a 52% renewable, 48% greenwash tariff."
 

Products

Electric utility services, coal, nuclear, natural gas, biomass, other renewables.

E.ON was profiled as part of the report "Green" Multinationals Exposed: How the Energy Transition is Being Hijacked by Corporate Interests.

Violations

TOP OFFENCE GROUPS (GROUPS DEFINED)PENALTY TOTALNUMBER OF CASES
consumer-protection-related offences£72,814,48915
competition-related offences£10,207,6796
safety-related offences£10,0001
employment-related offences£4,6151

(November 13, 2023)

Number of Records
23
Total Penalties
£83,036,783 (November 13, 2023) 
Individual Records & Summaries
E.ON Violation Tracker UK
Information in this section is drawn from the Violation Tracker database produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First in Washington DC. It is the most comprehensive source of data on business violations of laws and regulations in the United States. For specific examples of misconduct, please click on the links.

Stories

Videos & Podcasts
UK: Stop Kingsnorth power station: protest outside E.ON
UK: E.ON turned OFF
UK: "Stop Kingsnorth!" say locals
UK: Climate Camp 2008- a musical insight
Germany: Ver.di Strike at E.ON
UK: E.ON F.OFF Protest, London, UK - 28 Nov 08

 

CorpWatch Stories
Ikea France Accused of Spying on Employees

Richard Smallteacher | CorpWatch | December 15, 2013

"Spooky Business" - a new report on corporate espionage against non-profits published last month - lists a number of companies like BAE, BP, Bank of America, Brown & Williamson, Burger King, Chevron, Coca-Cola, E.ON, Dow Chemical, Kraft, McDonald's, Monsanto, Shell, Sasol and Walmart that have been linked to espionage against nonprofit organizations, activists and whistleblowers.

The Carbon Brokers

Pratap Chatterjee | CorpWatch | February 18, 2005

The biggest emitters of carbon dioxide registered under the EU scheme are respectively; the German energy groups RWE AG and E.ON, Swedish power company Vattenfall, Endesa from Spain, followed by Anglo-Dutch steel and aluminium company Corus Group, Royal Dutch Shell Group, Thyssen Krupp, Estonian power group Eesti Energia and Britain's Drax Power.

Other Key Sources
  • Business and Human Rights Resource Centre's profile on E.ON - UK-based Business and Human Rights Resource Centre is an NGO that employs researchers on five continents who work with activists, companies and governments alike to advance human rights in business by eradicating abuse.
  • We Own It's profile on E.ON UK - We Own It is a UK-based NGO that campaigns against privatization and for the public ownership of services like energy, health, schools and water.

Activism

Recent & Ongoing Campaigns
Germany: Eon out: RheinEnergie in the hands of the citizens

Attac | February 4, 2023

RheinEnergie AG has signed a strategic partnership with the Eon subsidiary West Energy. The climate movement and civil society fear that the climate and social interests will be sacrificed to the pursuit of profit... We demand remunicipalisation instead of further privatisation!

Germany: Another citizens' initiative against Neumünster Utilities

Thorsten Geil | Kieler Nachrichten | December 21, 2022

The already successful citizens' initiative against partial sales of the Neumünster Utilities (SWN) has reported back: "Our SWN - Our Utilities" has formally applied to be recognized as a citizens' initiative with the city. It wants to reverse the council decision to a partially sell the electricity and gas networks... The city's utilities would be under complete control of Eon after the deal.

Germany: 2000 euros additional payments: People from Hamburg are protesting against E.ON

Jan Schubert | Abendblatt | October 26, 2022

Energy suppliers are demanding outrageously high payments and deductions for heating costs. This is why people in Lohbrügge are taking to the streets.

United Kingdom: Let’s take our power back. 1 December, we strike.

Don't Pay UK | October 26, 2022

E.ON, the UK’s largest energy supplier, even went running scared to the government to warn about the Don’t Pay campaign, claiming we were an ‘existential threat’ to the energy sector. Now, let’s make that threat a reality.

United Kingdom: Protest planned outside E.ON's Nottingham offices as energy costs soar

Caroline Barry | Nottingham Post | August 12, 2022

A major protest is planned for outside the Nottingham offices of energy provider, E.ON. The protest is scheduled to take place at Trinity House on Friday, August 26 starting at 5:30 pm. The aim is to highlight the effect that the wider energy crisis and soaring bills have had on people.

Germany: Broad alliance against RWE-E.ON deal

Naturstrom | May 11, 2022

The mega deal, with which the major corporations E.ON and RWE want to divide up the energy market, is increasingly being criticized. Numerous energy suppliers and other players in the energy industry are bundling their protests in the #wirspielennichtmit (#wewontcooperate) movement.

United Kingdom: We did it – pension, pay and job package for E:ON workers

UNISON | January 2019

After 18 months of drawn out negotiations, UNISON and the three other recognised national trade unions at the company worked collectively to negotiate a much-improved pension, pay and jobs package with E:ON that was accepted by members and passed all balloting thresholds.

Germany: Citizens' initiative takes aim at waste incineration

Joachim Wilisch | Märkische Allgemeine | August 8, 2018

After protests against the construction projects around the Eon Energy from Waste (EEW) waste incineration plant, a citizens' initiative is now being founded.

Germany: Unions to push for job security in RWE-E.ON mega utility deal

Tom Kaeckenhoff, Christoph Steitz & Maria Sheahan | Reuters | March 15, 2018

Labor unions want to move quickly to commit energy groups E.ON EONGn.DE and RWE RWEG.DE to avoiding forced redundancies in the planned break-up of RWE's networks and renewables unit Innogy IGY.DE, a board member of the Verdi union said.

Germany: Protest against Uniper's biomass policy at the annual general meeting

Tom Kaeckenhoff, Christoph Steitz & Maria Sheahan | Denkhaus Bremen | June 8, 2017

Think House Bremen, Rainforest Rescue, SOS Southern Forests and the Association of Ethical Shareholders protested at Uniper's Annual General Meeting. The protest was directed against the group's wood-biomass policy.

United Kingdom: Power for the people: Demanding energy justice

Global Justice Now | October 2014

In the UK, Fuel Poverty Action is campaigning for an end to the power of the big six energy firms (British Gas, EDF, E.On, Npower, SSE and Scottish Power) and demanding a transition to affordable, clean energy.

United Kingdom: E.ON – Hands Off Our Homes!

Fuel Poverty Action | July 22, 2014

Complaints against energy companies have reached a record high as people refuse to tolerate rip-off bills and bullying from the Big 6 energy profiteers. Yet, for residents on Myatts Field North estate in south London, there is no escape from E.ON who have a monopoly on the estate’s heating and hot water under a Private Finance Initiative.


Major Investigations
& Lawsuits
Germany: Lawsuit against E.ON successful

Verbraucherzentrale Niedersachsen | July 11, 2023

The Lower Saxony Consumer Protection Office warned E.ON Energie Deutschland GmbH for difficulting customers' special right of termination. Consumers need to inform the energy supplier eleven days prior to the price change. The Munich Regional Court upheld the consumer protection center's lawsuit.

United Kingdom: E.ON Next ordered to hand over £5m in compensation after watchdog discovers 'severe weaknesses' in customer service

Harry Wise | This is Money | June 15, 2023

E.ON Next will pay £5million in compensation after more than 500,000 of the energy supplier's customers were potentially impacted by poor customer service.

United Kingdom: Three energy suppliers pay £8 million for customer compensation failures

OFGEM | May 17, 2023

E.On Next, Good Energy and Octopus Energy either missed or unduly delayed the compensation payments, which are due if a supplier does not provide a final bill within six weeks when a customer switches to another provider. 

Germany: Eon raising prices by up to 45 percent: Consumer protection office announces electricity price investigations

N-TV | April 15, 2023

Citizen complaints about high energy costs are increasing at consumer protection centers. Eon, for example, is raising prices for basic services by up to 45 percent. The consumer protection office announces investigations against black sheep among suppliers.

United Kingdom: Energy Broker Commission Claim

Leigh Day | February 11, 2023

Leigh Day is investigating a potential group claim against several UK energy suppliers (including but not limited to British Gas, EON, Total Gas & Power, EDF Energy and Shell Energy) over allegations they failed to disclose to customers that the brokers, through which customers were negotiating their energy contract, were receiving a commission for referring business to the suppliers.

Germany: Local utilities file fresh market distortion lawsuit against E.ON-RWE deal

Benjamin Wehrmann | Clean Energy Wire | February 2, 2021

A group of local utilities in Germany will double down on legal action against the landmark deal between energy companies E.ON and RWE, which they say amounts to market distortion.

United Kingdom: E.ON fined £7.75m for overcharging customers

Lisa Bachelor | The Guardian | April 2, 2015

Energy regulator Ofgem imposed the £7.75m penalty after it discovered E.ON was incorrectly charging exit fees and overcharging customers following price rises in 2013 and 2014.

United Kingdom: E.ON to pay £12 million for misselling scandal

Graeme Evans | The Scotsman | May 17, 2014

ENERGY supplier E.ON is to pay a record £12 million to vulnerable customers after an investigation found it broke energy sales rules over a three-year period.

Europe: Eon has to pay a fine of 38 million euros

Handelsblatt | November 22, 2011

The energy company Eon has to pay a fine of 38 million euros for obstructing investigations into antitrust violations.

Portugal: E.On: The Bidder for the Privatization of EDP Fined in Spain

CNN Portugal | November 14, 2011

The German company E.On, which is bidding for the privatization of EDP, was fined by the Spanish Competition Authority for abuse of a dominant position this Monday, reports the EFE news agency.

Germany: Eon sentenced to high fine in the fight for customers

Swiss Info | October 4, 2010

The Eon regional company Eon Edis, based in Brandenburg, has to pay a fine of 650,000 euros for obstructing new electricity providers from taking over.

Antitrust: European Commission fines E.ON and GDF Suez €553 million each for market-sharing in French and German gas markets

European Commission | July 8, 2009

Ruhrgas AG (now E.ON Ruhrgas, part of the E.ON group) and Gaz de France (now part of GDF Suez) agreed in 1975, when they decided to jointly build the MEGAL pipeline across Germany to import Russian gas into Germany and France, not to sell gas transported over this pipeline in each other's home markets.


 
Environmental Impacts
United Kingdom: E-ON is moving its customers to a 52% renewable, 48% greenwash tariff

Ian McKee | Good Energy | July 15, 2019

E-ON states it has renewable capacity to power 1.7 million homes, which is just over half of its 3.3 million customer base. So, what about the other half? E-ON’s blog on the news states that “the rest is backed by renewable electricity certificates”, presumably meaning UK REGOs (Renewable Energy Certificates of Origin) or potentially Guarantee of Origin (GOOs) certificates from elsewhere in Europe.

Italy: Fiume Santo power plant: E.On top management arrested

Monia Melis | ASUD | May 9, 2015

They allegedly did not report the continuous oil spills into the ground, aquifers and sea for years. As a result, the soil and subsoil in areas of collective interest, were damaged, leaving an environmental damage yet to be quantified with possible consequences for public health.

Italy: What is TAP, the mega gas pipeline that D'Alema's friend liked so much

Emiliano Fittipaldi & Chiara Spagnolo | L'Espresso | November 29, 2013

The parliament is about to give the definitive yes to the gas pipeline project that will arrive from Azerbaijan in Puglia. But the mayors and inhabitants of the Salento coast don't like the idea: they fear that the structure will damage the coasts.

Germany: Greenpeace activists are protesting against plutonium transport

Greenpeace | September 23, 2012

"Stop E.on's nuclear deals" demanded the activists on banners. The inflatable boats circled the nuclear carrier Atlantic Osprey as it moored in the port of Nordenham.

United Kingdom: Campaign success: EON shelves plans for dirty coal at Kingsnorth

Global Justice Now | October 7, 2009

We have been campaigning to Stop Kingsnorth because the new power station would have emitted more CO2 than Tanzania, and could have caused 20,000 people to become homeless and meant that 100, 000 more people lost their dry water season supply. This news is a massive victory for those people.

Germany: Farmer successfully sues against power plant

Süddeutsche Zeitung | September 4, 2009

A farmer's successful lawsuit jeopardizes a multi-billion dollar power plant project by the energy company Eon in the northern Ruhr area.

United Kingdom: Protesters target E.ON's Ratcliffe plant

Tim Castle | Reuters | August 31, 2009

Environmentalists campaigning against climate change said on Monday they would attempt to shut down German utility E.ON’s power station at Ratcliffe in central England in a mass action planned for October.

United Kingdom: Eastside Climate Action blockade E-on workers as part of Fossil Fools Day

Indy Media UK | April 1, 2008

At 7:30 this morning 30 people blockaded the entrances to E-on's offices on Mount St, Nottingham City Centre. People covered in green paint to represent E-on's greenwash, locked onto the front entrance to E-on's office and stood in front of other entrances preventing E-on workers from getting to work.

German and Russian environmentalists protest against nuclear waste imports

Bellona | March 28, 2007

The protests, which took place next to the headquarters of the energy giant E.On in the German city of Düsseldorf, were organized by the anti-nuclear activist groups “Ecodefense!” and “Aktionsbündnis Münsterland gegen Atomanlagen”. According to environmental reports, “Urenco Deutschland Gmbh” has been exporting depleted uranium from their plant in Gronau to Russia since 1996.

United Kingdom: New figures reveal scale of industry's impact on climate

David Adams & Rob Evans | The Guardian | May 16, 2006

A league table compiled by the Guardian identifies EON UK, the electricity generator that owns Powergen, as Britain's biggest corporate emitter of greenhouse gases. It produced 26.4m tonnes of carbon dioxide last year - slightly more than Croatia did.

Austria: Greenpeace activists occupy E.ON Vienna headquarters in protest against Temelin

Vladimír Tax | Radio Prague International | February 27, 2001

Members of the international environmental organisation Greenpeace occupied the Vienna office of the German power utility E.ON on Monday. They were protesting against the renewal of test operations at the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear power station.


Employment Practices
& Relations
Germany: Consumer advocates warn: E.on is ripping off some of its customers

T-Online | February 11, 2023

Several energy suppliers are allegedly currently pushing customers into expensive new contracts or threatening to terminate them.

United Kingdom: Furious couple slams E.ON after paying £9,500 for 'cowboy' solar panel installation which left them with damaged roof which leaks when it rains

Natasha Anderson | Daily Mail | November 29, 2022

A couple has slammed energy company E.ON for 'poor treatment' after having spent £9,500 on a 'cowboy' solar panel installation that led to roof damage and flooding.

United Kingdom: Eon apologises for sending socks to customers with advice to 'turn down heating'

Elizabeth Haigh | Leading Britain's Conversation | January 14, 2022

The move sparked widespread backlash in the wake of spiralling energy bills as millions of Brits face paying up to £1,200 more next year as a cost of living crisis grips the nation. Eon tweeted that they are "incredibly sorry".

United Kingdom: E.ON to pay back 1.6 million customers thousands in refunds after taking direct debit payments early

Linda Howard | Daily Record | April 22, 2021

Energy giant E.ON has agreed to pay back £650,000 to 1.6 million customers after charging them earlier than their direct debit had agreed in December, leaving them out of pocket over Christmas.

Germany: Verdict against Eon: A phone call is not enough

Ines Rutschmann | Finanztip News | April 30, 2021

Imagine this: the phone rings and a friendly person wants to talk to you about the electricity price. You have an offer explained to you, you are interested. And then you suddenly have a new electricity contract without having signed or confirmed anything in writing. That's actually how it went in the case of Eon.

United Kingdom: New report shows E.ON’s district heating ‘not fit for purpose’ on regenerated London estate

Dan Goss | Fuel Poverty Action | April 28, 2017

These residents were connected to a new heat network run by E.ON without proper consultation as part of a controversial regeneration scheme under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) starting from 2012. Lambeth’s district heating contract with E.ON is binding until 2052.

United Kingdom: Gas giants under fire for ‘hidden’ profits

Socialist Worker | November 15, 2016

The report was commissioned by industry body Energy UK. It showed that the big six energy firms were making up to 24 percent profit on standard tariffs, according to the Sun newspaper. For some, that’s over seven times bigger than the profits they claim to be making. The big six are British Gas, E-on, EDF, SSE, Scottish Power and NPower.

United Kingdom: Age UK criticised over E.ON partnership

Miles Brignall | The Guardian | April 19, 2016

In February both organisations found themselves at the centre of a media storm, after the Sun claimed Age UK’s Enterprises division was overcharging customers who signed up to a special E.ON/Age Concern gas and electricity tariff marketed to older customers. About 150,000 customers were overpaying to the tune of £240 a year, the paper claimed at the time, while E.ON has paid the charity a £6m commission.

French energy union pulls out of talks with E.ON over power plant closures

Robin Sayles | S&P Global | June 26, 2013

French energy and mining union FNME has walked away from talks with E.ON France over its plans to close coal-fired power plants until further clarity is given on the newly appointed dispute mediator, FNME said late Tuesday.

Germany: Gasag owners under suspicion of cartel behavior: Have GDF and Eon engaged in price-fixing?

Kevin P. Hoffmann | Tagesspiegel | April 1, 2012

It is about possible illegal market and price agreements by the major shareholders and suppliers Eon and Gaz de France (GDF) at the expense of Gasag and their almost 700,000 customers in Berlin and Brandenburg.

United Kingdom: E.ON overhauls its ‘unfair’ billing policy

Mark Atherton | The Times | February 7, 2012

The energy supplier has come under fire from direct debit customers who have suffered large and unexpected increases in their monthly payments. These resulted from a policy of ensuring that all direct debit customers had a zero balance on their account by springtime, when an annual review of how much they should pay takes place.

Germany: Protest against job cuts: Thousands are protesting in front of Eon's headquarters

Rheinische Post | June 18, 2009

Several thousand people demonstrated in front of the headquarters of the energy company Eon in Düsseldorf on Thursday. They want to prevent a possible downsizing at the company.

Financials

Corporate Headquarters
Brüsseler Platz 1, 45131 Essen, Germany
Most Recent Gross Revenue
US$121.859 billion (2022) | source
Most Recent Net Revenue
US$2.363 billion (2022) | source
Stock Exchange Tickers
ETR: EOAN
Major Shareholders

Click here for latest list.


 
Political Influence

Open Secrets - Tracks corporate lobbying of US politicians.

Image
Open Secrets Logo

OpenSecrets.org Profile of E.ON

 

Germany: Who at the CDU/CSU is preventing climate action? Hardliners, defectors, lobbyists

Nick Reimer | TAZ | June 11, 2023

Katherina Reiche... played a key role in shaping climate policy as parliamentary state secretary from 2009 to 2015, in the Ministry of the Environment until 2013 and in the Ministry of Transport until 2015... Today she is a manager at the former coal company Eon, where she heads the wholly owned subsidiary "Westenergie" with almost 10,000 employees.

Germany: New study: LobbyControl warns of the continued influence of the gas industry

Christine Dankbar | Berliner Zeitung | February 15, 2023

The companies Eon, Uniper, EnBW, RWE and Wintershall DEA alone spent more than 12 million euros.

EU Commission under fire for meetings with energy companies

David Yip | The Parliament Magazine | November 5, 2015

According to their data, BP and E.ON had the most encounters of any company with the commissioners.

Industry lobbyists weakened Europe's air pollution rules, say Greenpeace

Arthur Neslen & Rob Evans | The Guardian | March 15, 2015

Five out of the UK’s nine-strong delegation in Brussels work for companies that are responsible for large-scale emissions, including coal power plant operators RWE, EDF and E.ON.

United Kingdom: E.ON lobbied for stiff sentences against Kingsnorth activists, papers show

James Ball | The Guardian | February 19, 2013

The UK chief executive of energy giant E.ON repeatedly lobbied the then-energy secretary Ed Miliband and others over the sentencing of activists disrupting the company's power plants, warning that any failure to issue "dissuasive" sentences could "impact" upon investment decisions in the UK.

Germany: The nuclear lobby is irradiating the federal government

German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) | September 12, 2010

E.ON and other companies had offered the government 30 billion euros for a fund to prevent the nuclear tax.

United Kingdom: Coal giant dictates government climate policy

Greenpeace | January 31, 2008

We’ve got our mitts on some government documents which show how a single angry email from E.on destroyed a central pillar of the government’s energy policy in just a few minutes.

Subsidy Tracker
Subsidy Tracker
Subsidy Tracker is a project of Good Jobs First in Washington DC. It is the most comprehensive source of data on state and federal subsidies in the United States. For more details, click on the links.
Click here for details of subsidies received by E.ON.
Tax Havens
& Evasion
United Kingdom: Revealed: E.ON tried to get Kwarteng to cut its taxes while bills soared

Martin Williams | Open Democracy | October 11, 2022

E.ON complained to Conservative ministers about the capping of energy bills, saying it had made the UK an “unattractive place to be an energy supplier”. Energy bills were expected to top £4,000 in 2023 at the time of E.ON’s warnings.

Germany: How E.ON is creating tax holes worth millions

Benedikt Strunz | Norddeutscher Rundfunk | November 6, 2014

In the documents, which are addressed directly to the Luxembourg tax authorities, economic consultants from Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) are designing a financial system that could hardly be more intricate. With its help, E.ON SE from Düsseldorf is said to be saving tens of millions of euros in taxes in Great Britain, the USA, Sweden, Germany and last but not least in Luxembourg.

Germany: Electricity company Eon does not want to pay trade tax

Die Welt | July 3, 2001

Shock for the Bavarian communities: The electricity company Eon has announced that it will not be paying any trade taxes anywhere in Germany for the past year and probably also for 2001.

Major Projects
EU court hears lawsuit against E.ON-RWE deal

Agentur für Erneuerbare Energien | June 15, 2022

The General Court of the European Union has scheduled three hearing days for lawsuits against the E.ON-RWE deal for June 15-17. In May 2020, eleven energy suppliers filed actions for annulment against the EU Commission's approval of the deal.

Azerbaijan: The pipeline that would fuel a dictator

Emma Hughes | Red Pepper | September 16, 2013

Companies and decision-makers in London and Brussels are eagerly eyeing these wells and are currently assembling the agreements and finance for a mega‑pipeline from the Caspian to central Europe.

Italy: The No Tap Committee reiterates: "Useless and devastating work"

LeccePrima | September 10, 2013

A press release was already issued in the morning: "Tap forgets that the stakeholders are the fishermen and operators of San Foca, Melendugno and Vernole, not the luxury hotels of Lecce".

Chile's Supreme Court rejects MPX and E.ON thermal energy project

Central Única dos Trabalhadores | August 28, 2012

Chile's Supreme Court has rejected the controversial $5 billion Central Castilla thermoelectric project, a joint venture between billionaire Eike Batista's MPX Energia (MPXE3) and the German company E.ON, a court source told Reuters this Tuesday (28).

United Kingdom: Energy giant spends £32m on football sponsorship - but just £4.4m on helping elderly customers

Evening Standard | April 12, 2012

An energy watchdog today accused power company E.On of an "own goal" over its decision to spend more sponsoring the FA Cup than helping vulnerable customers heat their homes.

United Kingdom: Ed, E.ON and everyone?

Global Justice Now | September 1, 2009

E.ON is launching “a nationwide drive to help homeowners and small businesses cut their energy use by 10% by the end of 2010”, rather than doing anything themselves to cut the gargantuan emissions spewing forth from their dinosaur coal power plants at Ratcliffe in Nottinghamshire and Kingsnorth in Kent.

Procurement

Major Procurement Contracts

CorpWatch is still gathering procurement data on E.ON at this time.

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