EDF increased my DD from £54 to £172 per month!! HELP!

ElleWoods

Funnily enough yesterday I received a letter from EDF telling me they are going to increase my gas/elec DD from £63 per month to £98 starting 1st March. Needless to say I'm not impressed. I wouldn't mind but I'm in credit - ok, only £13.99 but still in credit - and I live in a little terrace not a huge mansion! I've been with them for 13 months and they are basing this judgement on the amount of fuel I'm supposedly going to be using over the next 12 months.

Think I'll ring them to see if I can negotiate down to say £70 per month (am struggling so really can't afford to pay more than that). If not, it'll be a few hours spent on the comparison websites I think.

nessy39

I rang up with meter readings this week so I could budget for an extra payment on top of my standard £80 monthly dd. The advisor called me back saying it was £175. I said I would pay £50 instantly by bank transfer and that my next £80 dd came out next week. That leaves a balance of £45, which I was pleased about.

Today the bill of £175 arrived, along with a letter saying the whole lot was coming out 8th Feb!! And if that wasn't bad enough, another £80 on top of that!!

I've rung them, but they insist I'm in arrears. OK strictly speaking I am, but I just don't get it! They can see I will only owe £45 next week, but they won't budge. I've cancelled DD and done a manual £80 bank transfer.

I've fired off an email to complaints, and by the time they respond next week they will see I only owe a poxy £45!


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!:mad:

jalexa

nessy39 wrote: »

I've rung them, but they insist I'm in arrears. OK strictly speaking I am

No you are not in arrears. A fixed regular payment account debit balance is not "in arrears" if you have not missed any payments.

Though it is a ponderous process and may not deliver immediate results, in cases like this the Edf complaint's process is your friend.

nessy39

What really bugs me is the fact that if I hadn't have rung mid-way between bills, they would not have known how much I owed.

I was only doing what they wish all people did, and that's to pay more off my bill than what the agreed dd amount is.

becksfaz

Read this thread as I'm with EDF - this is my EDF situation....
Had a big bill in Dec so rang EDF and requested to increase my DD (I'd rather voluntarily increase my DD to an amount I can afford rather than get into lots of debit and then they increase it to a ridiculous amount as with the OP). Now, I paid my new £100 DD payment on 8th Jan. On 22nd Jan I updated my meter readings online. I then got my bill through yesterday and my account balance is -£148.00 yet on my bill they sent me, they are changing my DD to £69 a month as of Feb.... Confused! I'm in debit much more than the OP but they are reducing my payment... Why?

dude89

becksfaz wrote: »

Read this thread as I'm with EDF - this is my EDF situation....
Had a big bill in Dec so rang EDF and requested to increase my DD (I'd rather voluntarily increase my DD to an amount I can afford rather than get into lots of debit and then they increase it to a ridiculous amount as with the OP). Now, I paid my new £100 DD payment on 8th Jan. On 22nd Jan I updated my meter readings online. I then got my bill through yesterday and my account balance is -£148.00 yet on my bill they sent me, they are changing my DD to £69 a month as of Feb.... Confused! I'm in debit much more than the OP but they are reducing my payment... Why?

Knowing EDF there is probably a wacky explanation that doesnt fit with the normal dd arrangments.

How it should work is at your years reassessment point they look at how much you are expected to use over the 12 months, add on the current debit or credit balance and divide by 12. That should give your dd amount.

So if your reassessment point was:

1. in november, you would spend most of the year in debit playing catch up all year with the aim of getting to a £0 balance in the next november.

2. In april, you would spend most of the year in credit in anticipation of it being used up in the winter with it getting back to a £0 balance in the following april.

So it all should depend on your reassessment point

jalexa

dude89 wrote: »

How it should work is at your years reassessment point they look at how much you are expected to use over the 12 months, add on the current debit or credit balance and divide by 12. That should give your dd amount.

Good post except it has been undermined by Ofgem's Direct Debit guidance released today which clearly states that (accurate at Nov 2011) Edf review after every meter reading (even if last time I checked post Nov 2011) the Edf version of their own guidance (but not practice) was what you (quite reasonably) posted, i.e. twice a year.

That's either an Ofgem or an Edf fail.

becksfaz

I've just rang EDF to ask why my DD has been decreased when I have an account balance of -£148 and have been informed that the DD amount is changed by comparing the last 2 submitted meter readings. It does NOT take into account any actual debit or credit on a customers account. So even though most of you on here have a credit balance on your account as your useage this time was (presumably) higher than your previous bill, your DD has been increased. Yet because my last bill was big and I've reduced my useage, even though I have a debit on my account, my DD has been decreased = absolute stupidity!!!!!!!!

dude89

jalexa wrote: »

Good post except it has been undermined by Ofgem's Direct Debit guidance released today which clearly states that (accurate at Nov 2011) Edf review after every meter reading (even if last time I checked post Nov 2011) the Edf version of their own guidance (but not practice) was what you (quite reasonably) posted, i.e. twice a year.

That's either an Ofgem or an Edf fail.

Unfortunatley, due to recent posts on this forum, it does appear to be an EDF fail, especially with their marvelous computer system. As has been posted recently, customers are having monthly recalculations when they submit meter readings.

The problem i see with this is, is more to do with 1st year customers. For all the company knows, the customer may spend 3 months of the year abroad with no usage. Though it does not say it on this update, i believe all 1st year customers payment plans should not be changed, except for price rices or decreases. Only after a customer has been with a company for 12months, can that company accuratly predict usage, and recognise any changes.

dude89

becksfaz wrote: »

I've just rang EDF to ask why my DD has been decreased when I have an account balance of -£148 and have been informed that the DD amount is changed by comparing the last 2 submitted meter readings. It does NOT take into account any actual debit or credit on a customers account. So even though most of you on here have a credit balance on your account as your useage this time was (presumably) higher than your previous bill, your DD has been increased. Yet because my last bill was big and I've reduced my useage, even though I have a debit on my account, my DD has been decreased = absolute stupidity!!!!!!!!

Do you know how many KwH you use in a year? If so pop these into a comparison website and find out the year cost. If it shows you are underpaying, put extra aside in savings account ready for that catch up bill, and if it shows the assessment is correct, dont worry.