EDF Energy: upping direct debits by random, huge & unnecessary amounts

backfoot

It is the enormous price rises which has recently brought this to a head. To his eternal credit, DirectDebacle foresaw the problems way ahead of the rest of us and indeed well ahead of the Regulatory bodies.

Eon seem to be driven by issues of cash flow and have developed some of their own methods of manipulation. They are finance driven, not marketing or legally constrained by their own advisors. EDF have ,imho,not done anything deliberately other than operate in incompetence.

We have to be careful, not to overestimate our own press. We have some informative and relevant debates on the forum and the Suppliers pay attention and offer some lip service. They only change when ordered to. Just because you make a killer point in many of your posts doesn't change a thing.

That's why I will keep on repeating that we all have to do what DD and myself have done to represent the big issues with the responsible people. Then it is a matter of whether they react. I am optimistic and keep on trying because DD made it much more fertile ground following his previous significant victory over NP.

I don't want to resurrect it again but I am sure the point isn't lost on regular readers that clear attempts to derail his good work have caused genuine frustration. Luckily, we have a man of principle trying to represent the customer cause.

snowcat53

I have just come off a call to edf on behalf of my mother. They tried to put her DD up 50% when issuing a bill based on estimated readings (tariff change to Fix for 2012). When challenged how that was calculated the guy could only say 'it's based on the most recent usage' but couldnt give any details. When i told him what thge DD should be, based on actual annual kWh figs and the current credit balance he went away to talk to his boss, and said 'we can do that sir, but i wouldnt recommend it, it's better to build up a credit balance' . However he did set it at my figure when i insisted.

What can the rest of us do to help in this campaign? The problem is edf have actually sorted out my personal situation now so I have no real grounds for complaint (apart from wasting hours on the phone)

snowcat53

backfoot wrote: »

That's why I will keep on repeating that we all have to do what DD and myself have done to represent the big issues with the responsible people. .

Just to bump and ask what action would be most useful for the rest of us.

Push for a proper explanation of the DD calculation in writing (SLC 27.14 and 15) and then complain to CF when they don't do it, is unfair or makes no sense?

backfoot

snowcat53 wrote: »

Just to bump and ask what action would be most useful for the rest of us.

Push for a proper explanation of the DD calculation in writing (SLC 27.14 and 15) and then complain to CF when they don't do it, is unfair or makes no sense?

Yes and the contact is Colin Urquhart.

In your case now they have conceded the point you could still write saying a proper explanation wasn't forthcoming with the request and you had to exercise your rights before they conceded.

If you wanted to raise the wider principles of how the Suppliers are flaunting the SLC you could write to Martin Abraham at Ofgem, Consumer Affairs.

Thank you for your support.:T

brewerdave

snowcat53 wrote: »

I have just come off a call to edf on behalf of my mother. They tried to put her DD up 50% when issuing a bill based on estimated readings (tariff change to Fix for 2012). When challenged how that was calculated the guy could only say 'it's based on the most recent usage' but couldnt give any details. When i told him what thge DD should be, based on actual annual kWh figs and the current credit balance he went away to talk to his boss, and said 'we can do that sir, but i wouldnt recommend it, it's better to build up a credit balance' . However he did set it at my figure when i insisted.

Similar to my experience -Even after I had explained that the current DD was going to put me over £60 in credit by April (allowing for a similar Winter to last year) the Customer Service advisor tried to scare me in accepting the higher figure by "threatening" that if I was more than £150 in arrears at review then they would take it in one hit! I can see that frightening some into accepting an excessive DD.:(

DirectDebacle

Even after I had explained that the current DD was going to put me over £60 in credit by April

What is the anniversary date of your DD scheme. If April then your DD would be about right for a zeroish balance.

When you received notification of the proposed increase what was the information they provided explaining the reasons for the increase?

jalexa

brewerdave wrote: »

"threatening" that if I was more than £150 in arrears at review then they would take it in one hit!

If they were applying the "£150" rule then they would not need to recalculate my DD because even by their own questionable short year calculation my alleged deficit would be much less. Yet they persist. Here is the latest idiocy...

I have a general complaint outstanding abut "questionable" process issues. Pending a satisfactory final response (or Energy Ombudsman default:D) I agreed that if I wanted a balance update check (the reason for submitting readings) I could phone or email the readings and ask for a balance update and this would not result in a recalculation.

Advisor 1 loads up a manual spreadsheat seperate from the billing system, manually faffs around for a couple of minutes and pronounces monthly gas costs about x4 actual.:eek:

I phone back a few minutes later and make an identical request of Adviser 2. This time the adviser used the billing system to generate a "statement". I was categorically assured three times (because I asked for confirmation four times) that a recalculation would not be generated, this being an adviser option (but not a MyAccount option which was a "totally different system"). On the fourth time of asking for confirmation of no re-calculation I was chided:( (I presume off-script) for asking four times. I was further patronised that my "annual review" date was April and that was the only "statement" which was a bill which would result in a recalculation.

A few hours later I noticed the DD amount on My Account had increased.:rotfl:

A day later I now have a bill giving notice of an increased DD.:rotfl:

Until now I have been prepared to give the Advisers the benefit of the doubt but how can they appear so incompetent on one of the basic issues which is generating an excess of customer service problems? Why two different approaches minutes apart to an identical issue? Who wrote the "manual spreadsheet" and why did the second adviser not know of it? Why did the manual spreadsheet give a completely wrong result?

I now believe they cannot "not know" and are actively attempting to dupe customers:(.

victor2

It would appear that the advisers have it drilled into them that they should be polite above all else. They always have been to me, but with a similar experience. One told me I would get a DD recalc if I entered readings closer than 28 days apart, another told me that I would get a recalc if I entered readings further apart than 33 days.
I do believe they do not know!:)

jalexa

snowcat53 wrote: »

When challenged how that was calculated the guy could only say 'it's based on the most recent usage'

I can prove from my own data that submitted readings i.e. "the most recent" are not influencing the calculation, therefore I believe what you were told is a "falsehood".

brewerdave

DirectDebacle wrote: »

What is the anniversary date of your DD scheme. If April then your DD would be about right for a zeroish balance.

When you received notification of the proposed increase what was the information they provided explaining the reasons for the increase?

Anniversary date is July - I know that I will have a surplus because the amount of energy used between July and November this year is considerably less than the equivalent period last year.
The notification was on the bill raised after a meter reader visit mid November with its "standard" wording.
"Your energy payments need to change
We’ve just completed your latest review and your Direct
Debit payment has been different to your usage, so
we’ve now calculated your new payment amount which
we’ve summarised for you. We’ll make this change for
you so you don’t need to contact us for this update to be
made.
So, why do my energy payments change?
We calculate your monthly payments using your current
balance and what we expect you to use; we’ll then divide
this into equal payments. Based on your reading(s), if
you’re using more energy than we first forecasted, your
payments will need to go up and if you’re using less,
they’ll go down. We review your payments regularly to
ensure you’re paying the right amount for the energy
you use."
This was to justify a 30% increase in electricity portion of DD (overall increase of 16%)when my heating/hot water is all gas!!!
The Customer services advisor didn't really make any effort to justify the increase - agreed to return it to initial figure - but then issued the "dire" warning about debit balances of more than £150 at annual review being taken in one hit. Got very flustered when I pointed out that my annual review was not til next July.