EDF - Direct debit too low = huge final bill HELP PLEASE

Murphymoo_2

Evening all,

We've recently moved homes and have just received out final bill from EDF, a scary £558!


It looks like the direct debit that we have been paying (£40 for gas and electric) were too low and weren't covering our usage.

When we first moved to our current home the direct debit that EDF originally set up was for £13 - I knew that this was unrealistic and therefore emailed them explaining that this cannot be right, this resulted in them increasing our DD to £40 p/month.

I have submitted at least a couple of meter readings over the past year and EDF have taken 1 reading. I have been keeping an eye on my online account, which recently said that I was £280 in credit - so I honestly believed that my payments were more than covering our usage!

Is there anything that we can do about this - we're skint as it is and simply don't have this money.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Murphy x

rogerblack

Very little.
Check that the figures are in fact correct.
For it to have 'recently' gone 800 quid up, you've got to have been using a fair amount.
Is this plausible?

Murphymoo_2

Thanks for your response.

I checked my online balance at around three weeks ago, which stated £280 in credit so it has very suddenly shot up! This is not at all plausible...

A daft question perhaps but do EDF not have to alter the DD amount in line with the meter readings?

It seems so wrong that I can get a bill asking for £500+ out of the blue when I truly believed that I have been paying the correct amount.

Would you say the best approach would be to complain or initially to ask them openly how this can happen?

Again any words of wisdom would be great...

good_advice

Hiya, £40 for gas and electric is very low.
£558 is a lot to find right on Christmas. I think you will have to set up a repayment plan.

Murphymoo_2

Thanks good advice,

Am I barking up the wrong tree here in thinking that this is unfair?

In hindsight I can see that the DD was low, however, I did draw their attention to this once, and don't they have a responsibility to reduce/increase direct debits according to the meter readings?

I'm really hoping there is a way to reduce this, I don't even have the spare money to pay in a repayment plan...

WestonDave

What sort of period are we talking about here - under a year its going to be harder to suggest they should have reviewed it. If you were there over a year then they really should have done proper bills.

However at the end of the day you've used the energy and give or take possibly a gesture re poor service if that is found, you will end up having to pay it or risk your credit ratings.

amiehall

On the EDF online balance it takes the balance from the last bill then adds on any payments received since then. Any usage since the last bill is not deducted! If your last bill was months ago, even the standing charges will add up to a fair amount let alone your usage.

macman

You can't 'reduce it' if you have used the energy billed for, all you can do is negotiate a longer payback period.
But how did you possibly think you can heat and hot water a property for £40pm?

wakeupalarm

The OP says it's their final bill from EDF, will EDF even allow a payment plan to be set up if the OP is no longer a customer?

backfoot

wakeupalarm wrote: »

The OP says it's their final bill from EDF, will EDF even allow a payment plan to be set up if the OP is no longer a customer?

I was offered such a payment plan after a switch by NPower,( of all people), over a year.

I didn't even ask for it.

I took them up on it, gladly.:)

wakeupalarm

Okay, that's good to know when leaving suppliers. Although still having to deal with EDF when you may no longer even be a customer may not be the best option.