Another EDF thread - call to reject DD or just switch?

blue_monkey_2

I admit, for the sake of a few ££ I'd not bother switching to someone else but EDF have just sent noticed of our DD being increased to £181 a month.

We started with them 29th December so have had 3/4 months of the central heating being on full (24/7 more or less) and 3 months of usual gas/electric. The CH will no doubt go on in November now.

We have paid 4 x £67, 2 x 62, received £100 welcome bonus and, to bring the account up to 4th Aug, owe £101. This means we have spent £593 in 7 months including half of the winter. £84 a month is our actual usage.

They have sent us a bill and state our DD will now rise to £181 a month. Well, they can stick that where the sun does not shine!! Only I tried to call yesterday and tell them this but could not get through. I now understand I might not get through.

And if I do, will they put the DD down anyway? I am not paying them £100 extra a month until they decide in 6 months time we have paid too much, I'd rather put that in my own account.

Should I just switch online and be done with it or just keep on trying to call them. Opinions would be appreciated, thanks.

HappyMJ

How much energy have you used in kWh and what is the unit rate for your electricity and gas. In my area EDF is at the top of the comparison list so you may already be on a good tariff.

Having the central heating on 24/7 is quite wasteful. You only need it on whilst awake and at home. Turn it off or at least turn the thermostat down to the lowest setting at night and turn it off during the day when you are all out.

Saying that though £84 is reasonable for a family home. You were underpaying by an average £20 per month and missed 1 month completely to cause £101 of arrears so they are just recovering that over the next few months then making sure you are ahead before winter starts. The welcome discount of £100 does not get taken into account with the monthly direct debit.

If you wish to pay the £101 of arrears now they will reduce your direct debit to around the £84 mark as you request.

Mrs_Arcanum

EDF are OTT when it comes to arrears. We had a similar problem with them (why I am now with E-On) and when we left they owed me money as a result.

Would ask them how much you actually owe, pay that off then set a more realistic DD or just switch.

blue_monkey_2

Here is the problem. You cannot get through to either make the payment or discuss the DD and that is my issue. I was hold for half an hour yesterday. And what (if like others report) they do not do it and I have to call again and again.

During the spring/summer/autumn months we are only using £40-£60 a month, if that, and they want £181 a month??!! No way, that is way too excessive. By the time September comes and they take the payment we will be in credit again.

Yes, they took less than they originally said, when we switched they said the DD was going to be £92 a month but they never took that. I have no issue with owing, or paying, the £101. I have issue with the £181 a month they want, and can take, and not being able to discuss it with anyone.

When they take Septembers payment that will offset the £101 so I am not too bothered about that, that will then be paid so if we switch now there will be no arrears. But we do not even use £181 a month in the winter - around £110 - and the winter does not start for another 3 months in this house - by November we would have paid almost all of our winter gas and electric. As I said, I would rather the money be in MY account.

I have to dig out the actual usage, but the comparison sites are just asking for the amount we pay in money. Npower are coming out at much cheaper - although they have not put their prices up yet either.

Can I actually cancel the DD without telling them and let them bill me instead or will I get charged by EDF for the refused DD?

And yes I agree about the CH not being on but as I live with my husband who does want it on, it is on. He says it is cold in the morning when he gets up early for work but when the CH comes on at 5am it wakes me up, and once awake I cannot get back to sleep so I'd rather it be on (low) all night as then it does not wake me up and it is warm in the morning. But as we are paying for it and can afford it, that is our choice. However, I am not paying £181 to EDF just because they can change me what they like, when they like, by way of DD even when I am not using that amount of fuel.

Mrs_Arcanum

AFAIK you can cancel the DD but you may get charged for missed payments if they are not advised.

Is there any on-line method of contact? Might be worth tying this just to let them know how cheesed off you are.

Left an e-mail with E-On and a nice chap rang me later. Really are a much better company to deal with.

blue_monkey_2

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

AFAIK you can cancel the DD but you may get charged for missed payments if they are not advised.

Is there any on-line method of contact? Might be worth tying this just to let them know how cheesed off you are.

I have emailed them before but it took 2 weeks for them to reply. We was only a few days in then, maybe it should have been a warning sign. It was about my log on - and they never answered the question. By the time they reply we'll be in credit with another payment due and I do not want to get charged for the DD being refused by them. I've never cancelled DD before.

I am just thinking it'll be easier to dump them and pay a few ££ more to someone else, even to get decent customer service. That is all I want, good customer service. I think people signed up to V7 and they have been inundated and cannot keep up.

Npower were comparable. EON were quite a bit more but I am not sure if this is with their new higher prices. I guess I've got today to dig all the prices out.

HappyMJ

It took Npower 6 months, 5 emails and 3 phone calls to get the £100 that was owed to me so if you are looking for customer service I wouldn't exactly go there. Cheap though I must admit.

You can cancel the DD and pay by cash if you want. It'll cost you a little more so check it out first. I am with you though I hate monthly direct debit as much as you. I have agreed this with Npower when switching to a compulsory monthly direct debit plan and we have agreed at £5 per fuel per month and I have to clear the bill before the end of each quarter (before the bill is issued) in full to keep the DD at £5 per month.

I figure out the bill by taking meter readings when requested and put them through UKPower to calculate the bill then pay that amount before giving them to Npower to issue the bill.

macman

Th problem is going to be replicated with another supplier unless you can reduce your consumption from 24/7!
What is your actual annual kWh usage?-quoting monthly DD amounts is meaningless, it's the usage that matters.

jalexa

blue_monkey wrote: »

I have to dig out the actual usage, but the comparison sites are just asking for the amount we pay in money...

Oh no they don't. You can enter your typical annual consumption (in kWhrs) into Consumer Focus accredited comparison websites.


Your issue has arisen (I believe) because you switched on the basis of (inaccurate) "monthly spend" not on the basis of (accurate) "annual consumption". Has Edf asked for or taken any readings? Have you submitted *any* customer readings? What is your consumption (in Kwhrs) to date? What do you *consider* to be your typical annual consumption in kWhrs?

There is an Edf web page describing Direct Debit review. You need to study that closely and ensure that Edf is operating *strictly* in accordance with that procedure. To have been able to calcuate "£181" per month they would have needed to use readings (either actual or estimated) and "assumptions" about your (projected) annual consumption. Your challenge is to ensure they have actual readings to use and the usage "assumptions" are accurate and they have observed their own DD review process as posted on their website.

But without answers to my questions I cannot speculate whether the calculation is right or wrong.

macman

Spot on. Comp sites only produce accurate results if you feed them accurate figures. Using monthly DD's forces them to make (differing) assumptions about your actual consumption.
Sorry to state the obvious, but you can't begin to address the issue of excessive consumption unless you first know what your actual consumption is. That has no relation whatsoever to what your current monthly DD is.