Problems with EDF opening elec reading

Yashara

I switched to EDF in August from Ovo Energy for reasons I won't bore you with here but when asked to give my opening reading for electricty I made an error reading the numbers which I have addmited at all stages of this problem and apologised for (starting to wish I had photographed it which I'll be doing from now on!). I'm only 5 feet tall, my electricity meter is about 8 foot off the floor, even on a stool I can only see the top half of the numbers, I mistook a 2 for a 7 and it's caused no end of issues.

The resulting incorrect opening reading is 50,000 units out as it was the start number that was wrong, and as such EDF sent an estimate to Ovo to close my account with as they could see there was a problem with the inflated reading. However, the estimate is a lot higher than my actual reading resulting in Ovo sending me an esitmated final bill for electricity for a little under £350 for 3 months of electricity, (as was only with them for 3 months as it was a previous tenents choice of supplier and I decided to switch when I moved in, I'm very careful with energy usage, my gas bill for the same period was only £91, baring in mind that I heat and cook with gas too)

I reported the problem to EDF on 31st of August when I got my final bill from Ovo as this prompted me to check the meter again, the reading they had on the estimate is 31247 but on 31st of August the first number still had not even ticked over to 3 from 2. I was told by EDF that it could take up to 28 days to fix the reading, it has now been 3 and half months and all they have done in that time is sent another incorrect esitmated reading to Ovo on which to close my account.They don't seem to want to take me on, I have been in touch a few times over the 3 months and every time I tell them the correct reading!

Ovo have kindly put my electricty account with them on hold while the dispute is resolved (although I have had a letter from the collections department demanding the £350 payment which I've had to spend the last three days sorting out, Ovo said it was a mistake and my account is still on hold which was a relief)

I want to get this sorted and pay off Ovo for the correct amount as soon as possible (I paid off my correct gas portion of the bill as soon as I received it). How can I get EDF to take me on and enter the correct reading on my account and therefore send the correct reading to Ovo?

Wywth

Yashara wrote: »

I switched to EDF in August from Ovo Energy for reasons I won't bore you with here but when asked to give my opening reading for electricty I made an error reading the numbers which I have addmited at all stages of this problem and apologised for (starting to wish I had photographed it which I'll be doing from now on!). I'm only 5 feet tall, my electricity meter is about 8 foot off the floor, even on a stool I can only see the top half of the numbers, I mistook a 2 for a 7 and it's caused no end of issues.

The resulting incorrect opening reading is 50,000 units out as it was the start number that was wrong, and as such EDF sent an estimate to Ovo to close my account with as they could see there was a problem with the inflated reading. However, the estimate is a lot higher than my actual reading resulting in Ovo sending me an esitmated final bill for electricity for a little under £350 for 3 months of electricity, (as was only with them for 3 months as it was a previous tenents choice of supplier and I decided to switch when I moved in, I'm very careful with energy usage, my gas bill for the same period was only £91, baring in mind that I heat and cook with gas too)

I reported the problem to EDF on 31st of August when I got my final bill from Ovo as this prompted me to check the meter again, the reading they had on the estimate is 31247 but on 31st of August the first number still had not even ticked over to 3 from 2. I was told by EDF that it could take up to 28 days to fix the reading, it has now been 3 and half months and all they have done in that time is sent another incorrect esitmated reading to Ovo on which to close my account.They don't seem to want to take me on, I have been in touch a few times over the 3 months and every time I tell them the correct reading!

Ovo have kindly put my electricty account with them on hold while the dispute is resolved (although I have had a letter from the collections department demanding the £350 payment which I've had to spend the last three days sorting out, Ovo said it was a mistake and my account is still on hold which was a relief)

I want to get this sorted and pay off Ovo for the correct amount as soon as possible (I paid off my correct gas portion of the bill as soon as I received it). How can I get EDF to take me on and enter the correct reading on my account and therefore send the correct reading to Ovo?

You should expect the closing reading from Ovo to be the same as the opening reading from EDF.

Unless the difference in that reading (the same one on both bills) is sizeable compared to the actual you believe it should be, then it won't be changed usually as any difference in cost to you will be tiny.

Raise a formal complaint. An account should not be in dispute for over 3 months, and the fact collection action had occurred suggests it may not have been (at least continually) After 8 weeks you could take the matter to the ombudsman if they don't have it sorted out.

Yashara

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

The problem is the the readings from Ovo and EDF are both estimates for closing and opening bills, they are not only differnet from each other, they are both too high. I'll gladly pay for what I have actually used, if it was a matter of £20 different then I'd say what the heck and just pay it to get rid of it, but we're talking 100's of pounds different to what it should be, that is not something I can afford! Not only that I've only had this verbally confirmed by OVO, EDF are still displaying my initial incorrect reading on my online account, not their estimate.

It infuriates me that they will take a customers word on an opening reading but if there is a problem as in my case then I'm suddenly untrustworthy! They will be getting another phone call when I get home from work!

Wywth

Yashara wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

The problem is the the readings from Ovo and EDF are both estimates for closing and opening bills, they are not only differnet from each other, they are both too high. I'll gladly pay for what I have actually used, if it was a matter of £20 different then I'd say what the heck and just pay it to get rid of it, but we're talking 100's of pounds different to what it should be, that is not something I can afford! Not only that I've only had this verbally confirmed by OVO, EDF are still displaying my initial incorrect reading on my online account, not their estimate.

It infuriates me that they will take a customers word on an opening reading but if there is a problem as in my case then I'm suddenly untrustworthy! They will be getting another phone call when I get home from work!

The readings should be at least the same. As they are not, make a complaint to either supplier.

I can't believe the difference in the two tariffs can be £100's - that would equate to the figure being out an the equivilent to your annual consumption or more (which would be more than what the current reading is)

Yashara

The difference between what Ovo have estimated and what EDF have estimated is not massive but it is different. However the difference between what the actual reading should be and their estimates is where the extra 100's of pounds have come from.

I used an online calcualtor to enter my energy supplier, tariff and opening and closing readings and it estimated, give or take, a bill for the three months I was with Ovo of around £78. Ovo's/EDF's estimates for closing/opening reading means that they say I owe somewhere around £350 to Ovo.

Basically EDF are doing themselves out of money by not correcting my opening reading and instead using an estimate, because if I end up having to pay the £350 bill to Ovo, then the start reading for EDF will be further along than it was on the day I switched to them. That will mean energy I've actually used under EDF will have instead been charged to Ovo.

This is really hurting my head with how complex it's becoming and how long it's taking

Wywth

Yashara wrote: »

The difference between what Ovo have estimated and what EDF have estimated is not massive but it is different. However the difference between what the actual reading should be and their estimates is where the extra 100's of pounds have come from.

I used an online calcualtor to enter my energy supplier, tariff and opening and closing readings and it estimated, give or take, a bill for the three months I was with Ovo of around £78. Ovo's/EDF's estimates for closing/opening reading means that they say I owe somewhere around £350 to Ovo.

Basically EDF are doing themselves out of money by not correcting my opening reading and instead using an estimate, because if I end up having to pay the £350 bill to Ovo, then the start reading for EDF will be further along than it was on the day I switched to them. That will mean energy I've actually used under EDF will have instead been charged to Ovo.

This is really hurting my head with how complex it's becoming and how long it's taking

As I said, the closing meter reading of your former supplier should be excatly the same as the opening reading of your new supplier.
That should be easy to correct - just contact either supplier and they will agree what the meter reading should be.

More difficult is the suggestion that such meter reading is grossly incorrect.
However, as I also said, for a difference of £100's to be true then the reading would need to be out by they typical annual consumption of a user at least.
Your calculation is incorrect because whatever is debited from one supplier's account will be credited to the other ... so it's the difference in tariff charges that will make a difference not just the difference one particular supplier may adjsut their bill by.

Anyhow, when you complain about the readings not being the same, you can also complain about what that reading is, and as I said, if it's out by a significant amount, then a revised, agreed meter reading will be established.

... but don't expect to save £100s