Electric Meter Change woes

dreamypuma

My current supplier for Gas and Electric is EDF. on 30th October last year, my analogue electric meter was replaced for a new digital type.

EDF appear to be struggling with the concept of updating my account to reflect this change, thus preventing me from supplying updated meter readings. This in turn prevents them from reviewing my account and direct debits.

I have been chasing EDF on an update since January, yet the seem to me making one excuse after the other. Each caller I speak to blames the previous for not processing the change or query adequately.

Each call results in me being told that the everything is now resolved, and my account requiring two to three weeks to update and the changes to appear on my online account.

I contacted EDF yesterday, and found that they still appear to be no further on. My patience is wearing thin and I would now like to start the complaints process.

Can anyone advise on EDF's obligations, or of any regulatory requirements, that they need to adhere to? Surely there must be guidance or some governance on reasonable timescales for making such changes with a degree of competence.

Any advise would be appreciated.

dreamypuma

Bump, anyone?

Man_Overboard_2

I think Complaints Procedures are fairly clearly explained on websites etc

dreamypuma

Man_Overboard wrote: »

I think Complaints Procedures are fairly clearly explained on websites etc

Not really what I was asking though was it? :think:

I know the escalation process, I'm trying to work out if there are any SLAs or timescales that they need to adhere to for updating records of metering.

Man_Overboard_2

dreamypuma wrote: »

Not really what I was asking though was it? :think:

I know the escalation process, I'm trying to work out if there are any SLAs or timescales that they need to adhere to for updating records of metering.

That information is quite likely to be found on the same sort of websites which describe the complaints procedure!

If you have been trying for a year to get some sense out of your energy supplier, then a formal complaint is long overdue

Terrylw1

In terms of meter recertification, there is less.

However, they should always ensure all data is accurate at 14 months from the date of the change. This is due to the payments side of the industry though and call centres won't know about this.

Look up their commitment to billing via the ERA billing code, but this is self regulated.

Whilst Ofgem's Standard Licence Conditions (SLC) don't really cover this situation, they are ones regarding accurate DD's.

See SLC27's detail.

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Licensing/Work/Pages/licence-conditions-consolidated.aspx

Use the supplier .PDF's.

Man_Overboard_2

Terrylw1 wrote: »

In terms of meter recertification, there is less.

However, they should always ensure all data is accurate at 14 months from the date of the change. This is due to the payments side of the industry though and call centres won't know about this.

Look up their commitment to billing via the ERA billing code, but this is self regulated.

Whilst Ofgem's Standard Licence Conditions (SLC) don't really cover this situation, they are ones regarding accurate DD's.

See SLC27's detail.

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Licensing/Work/Pages/licence-conditions-consolidated.aspx

Use the supplier .PDF's.

I have to say that, on an intelligibilty scale of three, my posts score 1, terry's score 3, and everybody else scores 2...

steph100

dreamypuma wrote: »

My current supplier for Gas and Electric is EDF. on 30th October last year, my analogue electric meter was replaced for a new digital type.

EDF appear to be struggling with the concept of updating my account to reflect this change, thus preventing me from supplying updated meter readings. This in turn prevents them from reviewing my account and direct debits.

I have been chasing EDF on an update since January, yet the seem to me making one excuse after the other. Each caller I speak to blames the previous for not processing the change or query adequately.

Each call results in me being told that the everything is now resolved, and my account requiring two to three weeks to update and the changes to appear on my online account.

I contacted EDF yesterday, and found that they still appear to be no further on. My patience is wearing thin and I would now like to start the complaints process.

Can anyone advise on EDF's obligations, or of any regulatory requirements, that they need to adhere to? Surely there must be guidance or some governance on reasonable timescales for making such changes with a degree of competence.

Any advise would be appreciated.

When a meter exchange takes place the industry records should update automatically, which in turn should update the suppliers records. On occassion this doesnt happen and the process to get it resolved can be really long winded, as again Industry records have to be updated before EDF can update their records. It it remains ongoing, tell them to you want another exchange of meter, you will probably find that this will update as normal on all systems and solve the problem.

chanz4

steph100 wrote: »

When a meter exchange takes place the industry records should update automatically, which in turn should update the suppliers records. On occassion this doesnt happen and the process to get it resolved can be really long winded, as again Industry records have to be updated before EDF can update their records. It it remains ongoing, tell them to you want another exchange of meter, you will probably find that this will update as normal on all systems and solve the problem.

This will just cause more problems, for missed mex.

dreamypuma

Cheers guys great input, especially Terrylw. I'll get a letter drafted this weekend

Terrylw1

Just to agree with Chanz, don't ask for another one as it will mean 2 failed/broken processes.

A supplier won't pay for it anyway since the meter is fine, its just a data update issue.

After the engineer does the work, the data comes off his handheld and its sent from his company to your supplier. The readings are sent to the meter reading agent though as only they are allowed to validate/fail them, then they send it to the supplier.

Additionally, the metering company updates the distributor but this stage doesn't impact you.

A meter change taking longer than 30 days has a problem. The problem could be anything from backlogs to incorrect data, missing data or even something else on your account that its the way.

Your timescale is far beyond what it should be though. Very poor management there as it should be hitting a report frequently if its outstanding. This suggests to me that someone has cancelled the rejection out so no one is seeing it to work it. However, every incoming reading from the meter readers after would cause it to resurface as it can't process.