Ridiculously Large Gas and Electricity Bill

evo

Hi this is my first post so please bear with me.

I am a customer with EDF energy who supply me with both Gas and Electricity which is on a monthly direct debit. Everything was going fine until I supplied my meter readings via the internet. After 3 months I noticed that I was £277 in credit, I contacted EDF and said that I didn't particularly want to be that much in credit and as such, would cancel my DD until my account was in balance.

I continued to submit meter readings and had independent meter readings but never received any bills until 2 weeks ago, when I received a bill for over £1200!!

I have written to them and complained, and said that I will pay back the amount over time. Am I doing the right thing? Has anybody else had a similar experience?

daveyjp

Do you understand how DD for energy works?

Unless you were in credit after 12 months you were foolish to cancel you direct debit. The account gains credit in summer when useage is low to offset higher useage over winter, it helps to smooth payments, you will be in credit, but you pay a lower charge.

After 12 months the account should be close to zero, if it isn't an adjustment will be made to the DD.

nic_santorini

£1200 is still a huge bill, how large is your house. I am with EDF and they tried to increase my dd today and I said no - I would stay the same because the winter was higher use than summer and I would be in credit in the summer. They calculated my dd and readings for gas and electricity and I only owe them £1.58 - so the summer does offset the winter, but £1200! that is still way too much - is anyone nicking your electricity? You have had independent readings - who did these?

macman

What is your annual kWh usage and how do you heat and hot water the property?

Terrylw1

Is it billed to readings you gave or are inline with your meter. What period does the bill cover and does it match your agreed bill frequency. If they have not been billing you when they should have, they have actd poorly and added to putting you in debt.

Don't cancel your DD, simply reduce it and keep an eye so you don't get any unexpected increases later.

Have you lost any dual fuel bonuses and did they make you aware this would happen when you said you were going o cancel your DD since they should have advised you to simply lower it rather than cancel it in your circumstances.

Andy_WSM

nic_santorini wrote: »

but £1200! that is still way too much -

How do you know?

- How do you know you are not addressing Lord Bath of Longleat House or the Queens Butler?

First thing that needs to be done is a list of readings and when they were taken. Without that no one can possibly know whether the bill is right or wrong.

jalexa

evo wrote: »

I contacted EDF and said that I didn't particularly want to be that much in credit and as such, would cancel my DD until my account was in balance.

Did you cancel the DD? So for how many months did you not make any payments?

Although I don't advocate unilaterally cancelling a payment arrangement, I am intrigued that the readings you subsequently "submitted" didn't generate a bill. Are you on a 67* account number? Most people on that get a bill generated every meter reading.