EDF direct debit manipulation

victor2

jalexa wrote: »

In my experience - note to Victor - the energy account shows a credit as soon as Edf requests the amount, normally about 3 days prior.

Thanks jalexa, my misleading wording there. The credit on my account also appears a few days before it actually leaves my bank.

Toxteth_OGrady

jalexa wrote: »

Most of us here have experienced random, premature and unsubstantiated DD recalculation following either a customer or meter reader read. Most of us have found the "easy" way to deal with this is to ask (nicely) for the previous payment amount to be restored.

I have just thankfully left EDF after a year. In my experience, after following advice on here, it was better not to provide any customer readings at all to avoid their DD hysteresis.

I only had to phone them to reset my DD once in 12 months, after they did a meter read. It works if you are confident in your annual consumption and initial agreed DD payment and have budgeted accordingly.

Gold_Rush

GooliesOfFire wrote: »

I'm puzzled... My first direct debit payment is to be taken on 10 December.. So far I see nothing on my bank account but my EDF online account shows I'm 34 quid in credit :think:

I'm meant to pay 34 quid for electricity and 36 quid for gas per month on the 10th each month.

I've been giving them almost monthly readings for the last year after they put my DD up more than it needed to be, but they tried to bump up my DD way too much again just this week. So I suggest you keep a close eye on them.
10.8% increase, but they were in the process of automatically increasing my DD by 39%. Theft IMO and Ofgem where are they on this!

snowcat53

I have noticed new posters raising the same issues so I am bumping this thread up again and would like to return to its original topic - the sudden changes of DD and the lack of clear detailed explanation by EDf of how they have come up with the new figure..

The most fundamental issue here is whether the info EDF give in their bill when notifying a change in DD meets SLC27.14 or not. This states

27.14 The licensee must provide to each such Domestic Customer an explanation in clear, plain and intelligible language of the basis upon which a fixed amount (and any variation of that fixed amount) has been determined.

The Energy Ombudsman office has ruled it does comply, but that the supplier must provide a customer with a more detailed calculation on request. However to many of us on this forum it clearly does not (no calculation is given) and believe the EO has made a perverse and unjustified interpretation that undermines the protection the SLCs are supposed to give to customers.

In almost every cased we know of where a customer challenges the change in DD (always upwards) EDF will back down. and they cannot properly justify their figure. However many probably never do challenge EDF. The failure to give a calculaltion allows EDF to hide the dysfunctionality of their system.

This fundamental question about whether EDF's information meets the SLC requirement needs a ruling and clarification by Ofgem. How can we force them to do this?

Retrovertigo

Funnily enough I started a thread to have a whinge about EDF's DD antics just last night.

They have meter readings showing my usage, and predicted a yearly bill for gas and elec of around £600. Fair enough based on what I've been using.

I currently pay just over £40 per month and am £80 in credit. A slight increase to £45 per month, plus my credit, should cover me for the next 12 months. But on my latest bill they want to try and increase my DD to £75! This is supposedly based on the fact they "predict" I will use 2 and a 1/2 times the electricity I am currently using. Madness

Obviously I'll be having words with them. But these issues of theirs with billing need to stop. I am not sure how

Jules9669

My elderly mother had a bill in March from EDF stating that that her direct debit would be reduced from £58 to £1 per month as the account was hundreds of pounds in credit. They have continued to collect £58 per month. Of course I have helped her complain, so make sure you check elderly or less able relatives to ensure they do not get overcharged and suffer financial hardship as a result

Retrovertigo

Jules9669 wrote: »

My elderly mother had a bill in March from EDF stating that that her direct debit would be reduced from £58 to £1 per month as the account was hundreds of pounds in credit. They have continued to collect £58 per month. Of course I have helped her complain, so make sure you check elderly or less able relatives to ensure they do not get overcharged and suffer financial hardship as a result

This is what annoys me most about EDF's DD mess ups. There must be a lot of elderly folk out there (not to mention many people who simply can't make head nor tail of EDF's ridiculously over complicated bills) who just take on face value whatever they are told. Only to find months later that in fact EDF have been sitting on a pile of their cash.

I notice that EDF also seem to have the highest threshold (£150) of credit before an automatic refund. Although in my experience - being in credit for much more than that in the past - that they never refund large credit amounts unless you ask.

backfoot

Retrovertigo wrote: »

They have meter readings showing my usage, and predicted a yearly bill for gas and elec of around £600. Fair enough based on what I've been using.

I currently pay just over £40 per month and am £80 in credit. A slight increase to £45 per month, plus my credit, should cover me for the next 12 months. But on my latest bill they want to try and increase my DD to £75! This is supposedly based on the fact they "predict" I will use 2 and a 1/2 times the electricity I am currently using. Madness

Have EDF given you a calculation? How long have you been a customer?

Was this information given in writing or by phone?

jalexa

snowcat53 wrote: »

This fundamental question about whether EDF's information meets the SLC requirement needs a ruling and clarification by Ofgem. How can we force them to do this?

I agree but I think we are a step away from having sufficient grounds for an effective challenge. We first need sight of "the calculation explanation" something which in one final decision the Energy Ombudsman has instructed Edf to provide and in another adjudication has stated it was unreasonable for Edf not to have provided it on request.

There are currently two statement "unknowns" relevant to the accuracy of the calculation, whether the 'payment scheme' is a fixed year or a rolling scheme and the provenance of the future projected consumption.

IMO the current statement format is quite close to being compliant with SLC27.14 subject to satisfactory answers to my two "unknowns" at which point the test becomes simple arithmetic accuracy.

The Energy Ombudsman investigation officer who saw the answers in the current statement format is either extremely perceptive or incompetent.

Retrovertigo

backfoot wrote: »

Have EDF given you a calculation? How long have you been a customer?

Was this information given in writing or by phone?

Information was given to me on my latest ebill (pdf file via their website) I've been with them for around 10+ years now, and the estimated £600 per year is actually showing a slightly decreased usage compared with older bills.

I'm sure when I speak to them, they will say it is an error, as obviously I have been using around £30 per month electricity use for the past 4+ months (and a teeny tiny bit more - the odd kilowatt here and there, over the past few years. In other words, for years my usage has been constant). But I shouldn't have to be phoning them up about this in the first place. They have two estimated electricity usages, that vary wildly, on the same bill!