ERA Code of Conduct - a sham ??

galba

There was a disturbing story about EDF in the Times recently, - I can't yet post a direct link but a search at the Times on-line site for Adam Laurie should bring it up as the top hit.

It seems EDF are claiming they don't have to provide accurate bills - just so long as the provide them regularly.

Be obliged if someone could find this and post the direct link.

Ken68

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article6630712.ece

It beggars belief, galba. Probably wouldn't stand up if it went to the wire.

KimYeovil

Bog standard practice. What's the issue?

Probably some delusional chap with a 'use of mathematics' A-level who, despite his qualification, can't read his meter or bill.

galba

KimYeovil wrote: »

Bog standard practice. What's the issue?

Probably some delusional chap with a 'use of mathematics' A-level who, despite his qualification, can't read his meter or bill.

The issue ? ..." We accept that meter readings taken by our representatives were not used to bill you, resulting in you receiving significantly underestimated bills, but these errors do not mean we are in breach of the billing code.”

What is the point of the companies employing meter readers if they're going to ignore the results of the reading and use some invented figure for billing ?

SwanJon

If it has been going on for a year, the ombudsman should be involved by now.
Definately sounds like something is wrong somewhere, and can only hope that it is the meter, not an appliance actually using that much energy.

This is where the customer is going to have problems

I knew that some of my bills had been estimates but that didn’t worry me

EDF can turn around and say this isn't a 7 year bill, its just for the last 12 months, based on the reading you didn't argue with then and the reading we have now.
We all need to be more aware of this and NEVER let an estimated bill go unchallenged.

Cardew

This seems to be yet another case of total reliance on 'The Computer' with no human intervention.

If there is a big jump in consumption, the computer 'thinks' the actual meter reading is an error and ignores it and bases the bill on an estimated reading that it produces.

At the next billing period there is even more of a discrepancy and the computer ignores that reading etc etc etc! Obviously there should be a system to flag up such discrepancies to a real live human to investigate!!!

On the other hand you can't help feeling that the guy in the house(an IT consultant) is being disingenuous. He installed a £20,000 electrical system and on the strength of getting very small bills. He didn't once query an estimated bill(for 7 years)

If he genuinely didn't realise that the bills were incorrect, he should have done!