EDF - Parents just £21 in debt - want to increase their DD from £91 to £187!

Middy

My parents received their dual fuel winter quarter bill on Saturday and put the updated figures on the automated phoneline.

They received the adjusted balance yesterday and they said as they were £21 in debt (remember the statement was for the most expensive quarter) - they want to increase their DD from £91 to £187! - 105% increase. Only been with them since Aug/Sept. I can't remember what tariff they are on and if they are on a tie-in contract.

Why? My Dad worked it out by paying this DD amount, they would be paying about £800 more than the actual energy used. For a figure like £21 in debt, it would turn into a credit within 6 months if the DDs stayed the same amount.

My parents have tried to phone them as they are closed on Good Friday.

dawn_rose

Hiya ive had this in the past wanting to hike dd up even when i owed less than a tenner. i rang company and paid off the money i owed and asked if they would please leave my dd where they were. Ive never missed a payment and ive done this everytime now. i save up each month and then its there to knock off the bill when it comes in without them messing my budget around. Try it they can only say no. Good luck.

Norman_Castle

It's the annual EDF direct debit increase. They want your money in their bank. Work out your monthly costs and ask them to justify asking for more than this.

jalexa

Middy wrote: »

They received the adjusted balance yesterday and they said as they were £21 in debt (remember the statement was for the most expensive quarter) - they want to increase their DD from £91 to £187! - 105% increase. Only been with them since Aug/Sept.

First of all keep calm. There are at least 10 working days to sort this (and the holiday doesn't count).

Secondly do not use the word "debt". An account "debit balance" is not "debt".

The Edf direct debit system has been "dysfunctional" since I became a customer last July. On the face of it a £21 debit balance in March for a Aug/Sept start suggests £91 is an adequate monthly payment. May even be too much.

IME if you make a firm but polite telephone request that the previous payment amount is reinstated that does not meet with much protest. If it does up the ante with a complaint.

While on the phone (after having agreed reinstatement):D ask two further questions (1) the date of the 'annual review' and (2) the projected annual consumption(s) in kWhrs. (1) is easily answered, some advisers can't answer (2).

Post the answers for further tactical advice.

vax2002

Just pay the £21 and move them to more honest company.

MillicentBystander

On my recommendation my sis in law mentioned she was a MSE forum member when she rang them to query why they had increased her DD by a ridiculous and totally unjustifiable amount. Result? They not only backed down immediately but asked her what amount SHE would like to pay each month?? Luckily, I had already worked out the amount she should be paying (which was £50/mth LESS than their new DD) so she said that. EDF really are utterly useless.

doofy66

I fell for this last year but mine was the summer bill they said i was paying to much and wanted me to drop my payments by almost half.I rang them up and spoke to a lovely guy and i kept my payments the same.I have just changed over to the new tarriff they are doing and i have saved myself £10.00 a month on my direct debits,I think it is called blue+.Just give them a ring and they should let you either keep on the payment you are on or raise it by a few pounds.I keep mine the same summer and winter so i know that switching the heating on in the winter means i know it will be paid for.

wakeupalarm

EDF try this trick with everyone, make a formal complaint and take it to the energy ombudsman as EDF have been called up on this multiple times. The ombudsman was scatthing about EDF's new computer system and is currently investigating their abuse of the direct debit system.

victor2

As everybody says, just phone them up (they answer the phone quite quickly now) and ask them why they have increased it when you are paying enough. The staff know their system is totally screwed up and will almost certainly offer to put the DD back to what it was. Get it sorted, then make an official complaint if you want, but in my experience, that will do nothing for you.
Plan to complete the contract and leave, unless you're happy to phone them after every bill to straighten everything out.

blossomhill_2

In our case, we rang the energy co and paid off the defecit - they wanted to increase the dd payment as we were "underpaying" - I pointed outthat this was admissable and there was no reason to get into credit and they agreed (after some waffle about how we may start using more over the next few months) to leave it the same and reveiw at 6mo. We prefer to underpay and clear the balance later, or if we see too much deficit building up, reduce the heating, turn the lights off a bit more often

j2011

Eon are the opposite, I've got a £60 debit and they've decreased my DD by £10 a month,

I've worked out I should be paying at least £8 a month more.

I'm just putting £10 a month into a high interest bank account specially opened by me for Eon.