EDF have messed up, I have a feeling I am facing a massive bill.

tinamoo

I joined EDF a couple of years ago and was on one of there price cap tarriffs. I moved from a flat to a house last November and stayed with EDF mainly because I was worried about getting penalised with me being on a price cap. About three months ago I started getting phone calls off EDF asking for my meter serial number. I was never home at the time or it was at a really awkward time they would ring. They never made it sound urgent but after the third call I decided to call them and find out what exactly they wanted and why.
I was astonished to be told that I had my gas meter changed in April of this year which it had not. The meter had been changed in 2004. They told me that they had been basing my meter readings on a four figure meter rather than a five figure one and had to scrap all my previous bills and recalculate them (although it has only occured to me this minute that seeing as the meter has never been changed they should have been recalculated from the dates that I moved in). In short we ended up £47 in credit which made me happy after all the hassle.
I have had quite a few hassles with them mainly chasing up bills over the time I have been with them. Also last quarter the electric bill was double what it was the quarter before and neither myself or EDF could find a reason but the final straw came when a representative slammed the phone down on me because I asked her what her name was because she was quite rude. I decided to take my business elsewhere at this point because I was then at the end of the price cap,
I phoned through my final reading to my new supplier a couple of weeks ago. I decided this evening to chase up my bills with EDF or at least get an idea of the final bill so we know how much money we will have left for christmas. EDF could not help because they said that the final reading had not got through to them yet. I rang my new supplier to see how long it would take to send the readings through. The man who spoke to me said that if I gave him my last reading he could work out what the bill would be.
It then came to light that the readings on my gas bill was three digits and the reading that I gave as my final reading was five. I am not stupid and there is no way for a whole year I would have given a three digit reading. The rep I spoke to at my new supplier said that I needed to ring EDF and try and sort it as the sort of bill I would get based on those figures would be at least £1200.
I spoke to EDF this evening and they are saying that all the readings I gave were three figures. I KNOW that I would not have given three figures I would have given all five but I cannot proove it. Unfortunately after deciding to pay the electricity bill which I had queried last quarter and closing my account I shredded all my previous bills!!!!!! EDF cannot do anything until the morning as the department that could look into it for me is closed.
My husband has told me not to worry my dad has told me not to worry but I am worried.
Has anybody had a similar problem or can offer any advice on how to handle this tomorrow??????

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

I am not sure I fully understand your post.

It looks as if there was confusion originally about a Metric meter or an Imperial meter.

Assuming you have been paying EDF for some gas, it is simply not possible to run up an additional bill of £1,200 since last November.

I don't see how your new supplier can possibly work out how much you owe your old supplier. He would need to know your start reading last November, how much you have paid EDF and what tariff you were on.

EDF will have all the details i.e. what your start meter reading was last Nov and from the current reading they can work out how much gas you have used and how much you have paid.

tinamoo

Yes there was a problem with the meter which they have had down as the wrong one which is where the confusion started (in my opinion) but this only came to light a few months ago.

The problem I have is my current reading is 06032. According to them my last reading I gave them was 591 which cannot possibly be right as my meter has five digits and cannot understand how it can get shortened down to three digits. According to EDF they have always only had three digit readings off me which is not true but I cannot proove that. So according to EDF the reading I gave in April (when my meter according to them was changed) was 515 which would mean according to EDF I have used 5517 units since April.

Also I cannot understand why they have only recalculated my account from April when I have had the same meter from the day I moved in.

Fire_Fox

Welcome to MSE!

You need to put your complaint into writing to EDF, if you don't get satisfaction you will be able to take it to the ombudsman but ONLY once you have exhausted the complaints procedure. Your OP is quite rambling so get your letter edited by someone who is good with bullet points and paragraphs (sorry to appear rude).