Help Please! EDf!! where do I stand??

sara2006

Hey was wondering if anyone could help me on where I stand?!
I moved into my current address in Oct 2008. Phoned up with EDF gave meter readings for Gas and Electric. Then about 6 weeks maybe 8 weeks had a letter hand delivered about a warrant to cut off Gas put a meter in?! Well I sat down and realised that I hadn't been billed for Gas during all this time, no prior warning that the debt had escalated to such a high bill. Me being part to blame as I was paying my electric bill under the impression that it was both my electric and Gas...yes stupid I know but am young and didnt realise! well so I rang EDF up to get abit more indepth, the guy told me that for some reason bills for my gas had been being sent to the wrong address and had no explanation as to why?! but informed me he had put a complaint in on my behalf. next thing was to arrange a payment plan so I was told on the phone to pay £100 a month for the gas, £50 a month for my usage and £50 off the £900 debt.....ok so I payed £50 last month whilst I tried to gather my finances together as things are abit tight at the moment..It will be a real struggle to afford the whole £100 pound per month. I have not rang up to try haggle the payment plan down as it was said when it was arranged that was as low it could go!

So I still havn't had any acknowlegement of this complaint put in and EDF are constantly sending me bills, I really dont like the idea of a prepay meter as have been told its more costly?! where do I satnd in this matter, as I know I'm partly to blame in not realising that the bills where seperate and totally understand that the gas is what I have used! But do EDF not have to accept some kind of responsibility for this huge debt from sending letters to a wrong address?#

many thanks, I hope someones here who can give me advice!!

*depressed*

Hi

The reason its £50 a month is beacause they have shared the £900 over 18 months which is how long it has taken to accumulate the balance. Have you gave a reading now and is the actual bill £900 or has this been estimated? as £50 is estimated as average for gas.

I would call back and ask for a hold to be put on the account so that you dont recieve any more letters re the balance as long as you are making the payment (this is known as a suspend collection if they try to fob you off) you could ask for some compensation off the amount you owe 15% is around the average reduction offered if it can be given and if they have added a different mail address it may be something you can do

In regards to the prepayment meter, the standard prices are the same as a normal credit meter, edf energy do not charge more for a prepayment meter, however the downfall is you then cant get discounted tariffs such as online tariff prices, you will however still get dual fuel discounts. Do you currently pay by monthly direct debit? if not you get a 6% reduction for paying this way, i am not sure if collections can set up a mdd for the gas with the balance, but definatly will be able to for the gas

I hope this helps, if you have any questions please feel free to ask

xxx

Cardew

There is provision in the Billing code that EDF can only back-bill for 12 months if you haven't received a bill and it is the company's fault.

However there is a caveat that the occupant must have taken steps to contact the company about the account, and the fact that you didn't realise you were not paying for gas is, I suggest, not the most watertight excuse.

Nevertheless if they have wrongly addressed the bills, and all the susequent correspondence, then you might well have grounds under the 12 month back-billing rule - which if upheld would reduce your debt. Note: EDF only have to prove the correspondence was correctly addressed; not correctly delivered.

I think you now have to write(not phone) EDF and ask the position on the complaint the man you spoke to "had put in on your behalf".

sara2006

Hey guys!! Thanks for the replies! so should I still phone them up first for the hold onto the account, aslong as im paying the £50 a month of usage then thats got to count for something surely? My gas meter is outside of the building, when I rang up they said they had done a meter reading. As for the complaint, could I Email them? what about changing gas suppliers? or should I stick it out with EDF in hope that they acknowledge my complaint?

Thanks again Guys for the help! x

Cardew

Firstly you cannot change supplier with that sort of debt; EDF can, and will, block the transfer.

I would email and also send a hard copy by snail mail.

As they have got a warrant already* I wouldn't stop paying the additional money. Even if you get somewhere with your complaint - and it is far from certain you will - you will still have to pay them the 12 months gas you owe.

It doesn't matter where your meter is situated as that is read by an agency not EDF. To repeat what I said above, the only thing in your favour will be if they have wrongly addressed bills and even then, you are at fault for not contacting them for 18 months about not getting a gas bill.

* If they have been to court and taken out a warrant against you, then you will be liable for court/baliff costs etc as well; and this judgement will badly affect your credit record. So you will need to get this sorted and get EDF to have the judgement set aside if they admit they were at fault.

Put simply, you are not in a strong position and you need the co-operation of EDF and not get into a further dispute - especially as you agreed verbally to a repayment scheme.