EDF Energy DD increased by 40% after 8 Days - Is this a record?

backfoot

HalloweenJack wrote: »

i dont honestly know why EDF need a super squirrel secret agent here instead of an offical presence - would achieve the same thing

I've asked Senior Managers the same question. They prefer other ''social media'' ,like Twitter and Facebook. I explained that this Forum has a much more sophisticated audience and they could have nipped many of the problems in the bud with simple advice.

However,they have not been able to see the advantages. They think it would divert attention away from their preferred communication routes.

The compromise is the 'secret agent'. Sssssh:D

youravinalarrrf

backfoot wrote: »

They think it would divert attention away from their preferred communication routes.

The compromise is the 'secret agent'. Sssssh:D

The only problem with that is that EDF's current preferred method of communication is not to communicate at all with it's customers and they appear to be simply hoping these problems will just go away by themselves.

Laaa Laaaa Laaaaa We're not listening!:mad:

Hence we now have the unanswered phones, the unanswered emails and the lame unbelievable excuses posted on their own website.

Shhhh! Don't tell him, Pike!

tagq2

I made the "mistake" of inputting readings after the first month as I used to do with eon. Usage was less than the same month last year and opening DD amounts had been spot on for the prior 12 months' usage. But the day following the entry, I got a message informing us of a 60% rise to gas DD collection amount.

Called, waited, waited, read out historical readings, corrected, message confirming correction eventually issued. The poor assistant had clearly been instructed not to admit to callers that this happens often. Sometimes it's a matter of, "Any supervisor listening to this call may want to know from reading resource ABC that problem XYZ is well-known."

Britain is not short of either competent accountants or programmers - it is clear that problems like these are intentional. If only abuse of the DD scheme led to penalties at statutory commercial rates for the originator for any amount overcharged (plus liability for any bank charges incurred). I would like to see a hybrid direct debit/standing order payment method where the payee can request an amount and due date and the payer can accept/deny. It's not as if a bad debtor can't just cancel a DD instruction or a trusted business can't be set for auto-accept. But default deny is appropriate policy where any security is concerned.

alanwsg

harrowing. wrote: »

So is the advise with EDF not to input your own readings? Or input them only when they send a bill and an estimated reading?

Seems to be a bit of a lottery.
I input meter readings and it instantly generated a bill that was more-or-less exactly what I was expecting.
The next day a nice man from EDF turned up to read the gas meter (only!) anyway. :rotfl:

youravinalarrrf

harrowing. wrote: »

So is the advise with EDF not to input your own readings? Or input them only when they send a bill and an estimated reading?

EDF will contact you via email & "My messages" in your online account when they want/need you to enter meter readings.

Entering meter readings at any other time at the moment seems to a) generate a new bill and b) an automatic review of your account/usage and amendments to your Direct Debits. In some instances reported on here these amendments have been wildly inaccurate and EDF are unable to explain why the review was carried out or how they have calculated the amendment.

Here's just one example of a tweet I saw today so you can see what can happen!

@edfenergycs £1880 for next months DD! A mistake methinks. Spoke to Oliver. Reassured me it will be sorted within 24hrs. Fingers x'd!

rockin_plumber

I learned the hard way not to submit readings monthly...
They altered my DD (always increasing it!) everytime I did it, then I had to ring to correct it :mad:

Then I had the meter man read my meters last week so they made the stupid increase :mad:

It doesn't even make any sense

Based on my last years consumption, with the cold winter (unless they know this one is going to be even worse)
At current prices £72.50 a month would be ample.
At new prices that start in November £79.00 will be ample

So why do they choose to increase my DD from £66 to £81 even though my account is £110 in credit anyway.

They wont entertain giving me be MY £110 and putting my DD to £80 a month, so I managed to persuade them to set my DD to £70 and keep earing interst on my £110, lets see how long it takes them to mess it up!!

I even submitted readings on the last round of price rises in July but they got ignored and EDF decided to use their own.
SHAMBLES :mad:

Roll on December 31st and I can go without paying £60 for doing so!!

Money_maker

I have been with EDF for a few years. Seem to review DD payments every 6 months. Recently got estimated bill (forgot to read). Cue 13 minutes waiting on the phone. They wanted to increase my DD from £49 month to £70. They said they needed to wait until they had my actual reading before they could review my DD. I said I had been with them a long time and it wasn't rocket science as to my usage - it would be fairly similar to the last few years. Conversation ended with me using their figures to justify the current amount I was paying and that I will not increase my DD. But I went through a similar conversation 6 months ago, looks like it's going to happen again and again.

jalexa

rockin_plumber wrote: »

At new prices that start in November £79.00 will be ample...

...Roll on December 31st and I can go without paying £60 for doing so!!

If you "reject" the increase and then switch promptly you cannot (legally) be charged Early Termination Fees.

alanwsg

Following on from my previous post, I've just realized that my DD's have been changed (although quite reasonably!)
I submitted meter readings on the 13th Sep and each time got a pop-up which gave a "preview" of my new bill with the statement that a detailed bill would be sent to me.
Well ... they didn't send it, I've discovered that the detailed bills are available from the "View of pay bills" sections under each energy account.
They've increased my gas DD, which seems reasonable as the current DD almost exactly matched my usage over Summer.
They've decreased my electricity DD, don't quite follow that as my usage remains pretty constant throughout the year but I guess they'll figure that out at the next review, in the meantime the dosh is earning interest for me, not them!