Desperate for advice

catalina66

Hi

Please can I ask for advice. Just got review letter from EDF about changes to electricity direct debit, plus that they want to take a payment of £207. I cannot afford this, and use minimum of gas and electricity, truly. I live in a small one-bedroom flat and have deliberately only used heating and electricity when necessary, no waste at all. I was with Npower before this, and although it cost £50 a month for dual fuel, I wish I'd stayed. I can't afford this electricity payment EDF want to take, and a letter about if a gas payment is necessary hasn't even arrived yet. So much other stuff going on too ... on incapacity, physical health problems with surgeries supposed to be due, counselling recently had to end for serious abuse stuff only because counsellor had to leave, and am just too overwhelmed. Can't afford to call EDF or CAB right now, or to travel to town to CAB, plus I never find they're helpful (Middlesbrough).

Was paying 35 gas and 18 electricity to EDF, and they want to take £207 electricity plus raise the electricity part of the direct debit to £28. No idea what the letter about gas will say.

Truly can't manage this, and would really appreciate advice about what to do, how I can leave EDF, what company would be reliable and affordable ... worried couldn't afford using gas/elec key/card either, which I'd been planning to do just for more security generally, if prices all so high. I had NO idea when I signed up to EDF that there would be this £150 threshold, and I feel deceived. I couldn't have worked harder to use minimum gas and electricity, yet this huge bill is being demanded. I only keep 3 radiators on, use energy bulbs, etc. Don't know how to cope.

Many thanks for any advice.
Best regards, Cat

paul2hoots

Don't despair is the first thing Cat.

I too had a letter from EDF to say that they wanted to increase my direct debit for gas by a fifth. This was despite the fact that they owed me!! First thing to do is to actually read the meter. I did this and rang them on their 0800 (free) number. To be fair to them they did acknowledge that I was actually already paying enough and didn't need to increase. They blamed it on the fact that I had a replacement meter. Having said that I wonder how many others will have had such letters - if you don't do anything about it they will just increase your payments. I would rather have the money in my bank account than theirs. They did the same last month with the electricity but were using figures based on receipt of only two monthly payments - they had issued the bill and assessment for future charges a day before my direct debit had been credited to my electricity account with them. Hope this helps.Paul

catalina66

paul2hoots wrote: »

Don't despair is the first thing Cat.

I too had a letter from EDF to say that they wanted to increase my direct debit for gas by a fifth. This was despite the fact that they owed me!! First thing to do is to actually read the meter. I did this and rang them on their 0800 (free) number. To be fair to them they did acknowledge that I was actually already paying enough and didn't need to increase. They blamed it on the fact that I had a replacement meter. Having said that I wonder how many others will have had such letters - if you don't do anything about it they will just increase your payments. I would rather have the money in my bank account than theirs. They did the same last month with the electricity but were using figures based on receipt of only two monthly payments - they had issued the bill and assessment for future charges a day before my direct debit had been credited to my electricity account with them. Hope this helps.Paul

Many thanks, Paul. I've read the 2 meters ... edf's present electricity reading is 9056 A ... mine is 09114 ... worse? Got v little money to top up mobile (not got landline) so am going to wait and pool advice from your and any other replies before calling EDF, plus the gas letter is on the way too.

Yes, just about to have a direct debit be paid to them on 28th, so I understand what you're saying about them charging before payments being credited.

I'm worried as reading the bill they're saying usage of electricity between 14 July and 21 October is £96.19, working out at around £24 a month. They're saying they're putting direct debit up to £28, from £18. I'm wondering what on earth I can do to use less fuel and to change companies, as all I use is 3 radiators, a microwave, the shower, safety lights, one lamp, no other lights on in other rooms, the PC on (but generally switch it off at night), and have a fridge/freezer (very old). (£164 owing from previous time, but I'd called then and truly thought myself that the £164 was due to winter usage and that me being extra careful over the summer months would automatically balance out what I thought was just usual winter usage ... only signed with EDF last November)

Many thanks again for your reply. Much appreciate it. Thanks, Cat

markharding557

at £18 per monthe you have clearly been underpaying.
if you contact edf they may give you longer to pay it off

catalina66

markharding557 wrote: »

at £18 per monthe you have clearly been underpaying.
if you contact edf they may give you longer to pay it off

Hi Mark, thanks for reply. So stressed about all this, as truly do have v low usage, plus deliberately been cutting down best can. With the £24 actual usage I am wondering if any other company would have better rates than edf, and if edf usually demand high payments to pay off the amount, as I can't afford those.

They are asking in the letter for a lump sum of £207 now, £110 from previous owing and then whatever is left over to pay from last 4 months usage. I have paid 3 x £18 during those 4 months, so they have added stuff up just before another payment of £18, as Paul said earlier ... would have been £72 paid.

The letter says they want to take £207 on November 6th and can arrange with my bank that they take this, so I don't need to call them. I clearly need to call them tomorrow or Friday, to stop this, as I only get incapacity of £210 each fortnight, and cannot give them that, or risk bank charges. And this is before the gas letter arrives. Unsure how manage.

Thanks again, Cat

DirectDebacle

Hello Cat. With so much going on right now you really do need some help in sorting your gas and electricity out so you can concentrate upon the more important ones.

Energywatch was absorbed by Consuner Focus last year and it is now Consumer Focus that assists with energy problems/dispute for vulnerable people, such as yourself.

In the first instance you would contact Consumer Direct who would forward your problem to Consumer Focus.

Contact Consumer direct:

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/


Contact Consumer Focus.


http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/en/content/cms/Energy_Help___Advice/Energy_Help___Advice.aspx

These organisations are set up to deal with just your sort of problems so please think about using them.

Further the energy companies have been required by Ofgem to have special regard for their vulnerable customers and there should be some section of EDF with particular responsibility for handling the accounts of their vulnerable customers. You need to contact EDF and speak to someone in this dept.

I understand you have little money for your mobile. The consumer organisations can be contacted by email.

However if you can make some calls then I am sure if you quickly explain your situation then they will probably call you back or prioritise your emails.

EDF should do the same.

I hope this is helpful and good luck

KimYeovil

EDF have freephone numbers. You can call them free from a BT phone box or a neighbour's landline.

If you do not want to pay the lump sum then call them to ask to repay it over a longer period. This will, of course, require an increase in your debits. You can not think that reducing your payments to £18 over summer is going to magically make a dent in a £164 debt?

Which EDF tariff are you on? Check to see if their Online Tariff Version 5 tariff is available in your region. If so, request to switch to it immediately as it is much cheaper for low consumptions.

Once you have saved the money to pay the arrears you can shop around to see if there are cheaper deals.

ex-energywatch_adviser

EDF provide help to consumers who are having energy and other debt problems but they tend not to advertise this or even refer consumers to it. Have a look at the application form at http://www.edfenergytrust.org.uk/grantsindsappform.html and see if you qualify.

catalina66

DirectDebacle wrote: »

Hello Cat. With so much going on right now you really do need some help in sorting your gas and electricity out so you can concentrate upon the more important ones.

Energywatch was absorbed by Consuner Focus last year and it is now Consumer Focus that assists with energy problems/dispute for vulnerable people, such as yourself.

In the first instance you would contact Consumer Direct who would forward your problem to Consumer Focus.

Contact Consumer direct:

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/


Contact Consumer Focus.


http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/en/content/cms/Energy_Help___Advice/Energy_Help___Advice.aspx

These organisations are set up to deal with just your sort of problems so please think about using them.

Further the energy companies have been required by Ofgem to have special regard for their vulnerable customers and there should be some section of EDF with particular responsibility for handling the accounts of their vulnerable customers. You need to contact EDF and speak to someone in this dept.

I understand you have little money for your mobile. The consumer organisations can be contacted by email.

However if you can make some calls then I am sure if you quickly explain your situation then they will probably call you back or prioritise your emails.

EDF should do the same.

I hope this is helpful and good luck

Hi DirectDebacle and thanks so much for your helpful post. I had no idea about these organisations and will definitely get in touch with them right now. Great that I can email them too, and thank you for your assurance that if I can call quickly they may call back/prioritise emails.

I hadn't known Ofgem have told all companies they must have special regard for any vulnerable customers ... thank you so much for telling me, as I'd not thought it possible and that it was purely down to whether the companies themselves chose to. I will definitely follow that up also.

Really appreciate advice.
Best regards, Cat

catalina66

KimYeovil wrote: »

EDF have freephone numbers. You can call them free from a BT phone box or a neighbour's landline.

If you do not want to pay the lump sum then call them to ask to repay it over a longer period. This will, of course, require an increase in your debits. You can not think that reducing your payments to £18 over summer is going to magically make a dent in a £164 debt?

Which EDF tariff are you on? Check to see if their Online Tariff Version 5 tariff is available in your region. If so, request to switch to it immediately as it is much cheaper for low consumptions.

Once you have saved the money to pay the arrears you can shop around to see if there are cheaper deals.

Hi KimYeovil

Thanks for advising me about the freephone at a phone box. Direct debit wasn't reduced to £18 ... when I signed up last November, the representative that called at my home assured me my usage would be low and put forward that figure. When I had called after the winter bill, concerned about it, as they'd written to me about raising both direct debits so high I could never afford them, I panicked totally and couldn't cope (didn't trust them either, as it was clear the representative had lied and not told me a lot of things e.g. about any £150+ taken in lump sum) ... I just panicked and said, as previously with Npower, I'd use the absolute minimum and make sure it balanced out over the summer ... I've used the heating about 10 times in the last 6 months and minimum usage of anything else, deliberately. This is what scared me so much, that I have deliberately been so careful, and am confused as to whether prices have risen hugely or something, as usually very low summer usage balances out the winter.

It's not that I don't want to pay the bill ... I can't, and can only do it in payments.

I'm on standard tariff ... they'd switched me to that when I spoke to them about the winter bill (had been on the capped, but the girl I spoke to said it would be cheaper for me to be put onto the standard earlier than October and that there'd not be a charge for this).

Thanks for telling me about the Online Tariff Version 5 .. will check about that. And will shop around once debt clear.

Thanks, Cat

catalina66

ex-energywatch_adviser wrote: »

EDF provide help to consumers who are having energy and other debt problems but they tend not to advertise this or even refer consumers to it. Have a look at the application form at http://www.edfenergytrust.org.uk/grantsindsappform.html and see if you qualify.

Hi ex-energywatch adviser

Many thanks for telling me about this; will look it up straightaway.

Best regards, Cat