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EDF direct debit manipulation

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  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,709 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well - I am astonished!! The CSR accepted my boiler b/down as the reason for elevated elec usage and has restored my DD to its previous value;:j I said that I would make a one off payment at review if I didn't break even by then.:D
    I was prepared to do battle on their assumed usage figs. but didn't have to.:money:
  • jalexa
    jalexa Posts: 3,448 Forumite
    brewerdave wrote: »
    ...my prediction of electric usage even allowing for this, is less than 7000kwh - their new DD for electricity predicts 10,000kwh!!

    Assuming you are a customer of 12 months are you saying the statutory information on statement page 5 states a previous 12 months usage of 10,000kWhrs (and correctly calculated projected cost for 10,000kWhrs).

    Or that the DD hike represents an additional 3,000kWHrs come the 'annual review' date?
  • backfoot
    backfoot Posts: 2,700 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I am pleased to report that following my referral, Ofgem's Enforcement and Competition Policy Team, are now to further investigate EDF's Direct Debit Calculations and communications.
  • victor2
    victor2 Posts: 8,104 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well, I entered meter readings online yesterday. Like most people, my utility usage has been considerably higher lately than for the same time last year, so my rolling annual usage has been creeping up. By my calculations, I should increase my DD by £4 a month to cover the increased usage over the year, so I was curious to see what EDF's system would do, especially with my "annual review" due in May, and they have told me they look for zero balance at that time.
    Got the bill today and no change to the DD at all! I'll probably phone them up and make the increase myself, but I'm thinking maybe they have finally made some improvement to their system - either that or they've got a flag on my account saying that the DD should not be adjusted, as I complain too much! ;)

    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the In My Home MoneySaving, Energy and Techie Stuff boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. 

    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

  • Not in my experience they haven't. Recently had meter reading taken and am a little under £60 in debit at the end of the year (not doubt due to the prolonged cold winter). They also have assumed that I will use the same in the next year so by my workings out my DD should be about £5 a month higher for my actual consumption and about £5 a month to clear the debit balance over the year. So my DD should rise by about £10 a month.

    They wanted to put it up by £24!!!!!!!!

    Clearly their formula is wrong. At the predicted consumption etc with the new DD I would end up over £130 in credit!!!!!

    Soon got them to change that!
  • Nada666
    Nada666 Posts: 5,004 Forumite
    edited 27 March 2013 at 3:57PM
    Not in my experience they haven't. Recently had meter reading taken and am a little under £60 in debit at the end of the year (not doubt due to the prolonged cold winter).

    They wanted to put it up by £24!!!!!!!!

    But if the arrears are paid back over a quarter with a fiver extra then that is £25 more. Now, if, next quarter, they do not lower the debit by £20 then you have a complaint. It depends whether they make quarterly or annual adjustments.

    Added:
    The trouble is which method should suppliers use - vary a 'fixed' direct debit every quarter to avoid large end of year differences or just continue to receive an incorrect sum for three or four quarters? Whichever path is taken then those who would rather the other will complain.

    Of course it is important for EDF to clarify which strategy they are using.
  • melbury
    melbury Posts: 13,251 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    I am not going to put my readings in for the last quarter, but of course if they send someone to read the meter then there is nothing I can do about it.

    It seems crazy because of course the last quarter is going to be the highest of the year, which would undoubtedly result in them doubling the DD, whereas it is supposed to even out over the whole year, which is why we pay by DD in the first place.

    I am not prepared for them to increase my DD, so if a meter reader does appear, I will just have to argue the point again...:mad:
    Stopped smoking 27/12/2007, but could start again at any time :eek:

  • victor2
    victor2 Posts: 8,104 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    melbury wrote: »
    It seems crazy because of course the last quarter is going to be the highest of the year, which would undoubtedly result in them doubling the DD, whereas it is supposed to even out over the whole year, which is why we pay by DD in the first place.

    They haven't even followed that "logic" in the past with me. I have always tracked my own usage and made sure that my DD payments were sufficient to cover my own annual rolling cost. Phoning them up and getting them to put the DD back where it should have been when they have had a reading and increased it by an unfathomable amount, which they always did without any fuss.
    That's what surprised me with the last reading I gave them. I could justify an increase and they did nothing!
    Anyway, I phoned them up and increased the DD to 1/12 of my current annual cost, and I'll worry about the zero balance requirement in May. :)

    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the In My Home MoneySaving, Energy and Techie Stuff boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. 

    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,709 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 28 March 2013 at 10:07AM
    victor2 wrote: »
    They haven't even followed that "logic" in the past with me. I have always tracked my own usage and made sure that my DD payments were sufficient to cover my own annual rolling cost. Phoning them up and getting them to put the DD back where it should have been when they have had a reading and increased it by an unfathomable amount, which they always did without any fuss.
    That's what surprised me with the last reading I gave them. I could justify an increase and they did nothing!
    Anyway, I phoned them up and increased the DD to 1/12 of my current annual cost, and I'll worry about the zero balance requirement in May. :)

    ...I'm not going to have a zero balance in May now due to a bolier breakdown/failure and the prolonged cold Spring. I'm projecting a shortfall of ~ £110.
    ...............However, they seem to have my next bill date down for 22nd June !!!,which doesn't relate to any of start date of this tariff,original start date with EDF or anniversary of last year's "review" (mid May)-so I've made an executive decision to leave my DD alone for now -if the review happens in May I'll pay the shortfall off to minimse any increase in DD from the EDF Dreamworks:rotfl:


    Sorry jalexa -didn't see your reply to my post earlier in the month - to answer your question - the expected annual usage shown on page 5 for the twelve months from 1st Marxh 2013 shows a marginal increase in both gas and electricity usage ,the electricity to ~ £70 pm -nothing like page 1 of the bill which jacked the electric portion of the DD up to £105 pm!!!
  • I am £450 in credit to EDF and have just received a letter saying they are going to increase my direct debit from £74 to £110.

    My DD started off at £100 but my usage has dropped this last year which is why I have so much credit. How can they increase when I am in credit by so much, they don't show how they have calculated the amount, can I force them to give me their calcuations?
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