Huge bill from old supplier

Jubilee_corner

I've just switched from EDF to Cooperative energy, who but the way have frozen their prices at the moment, worked out cheapest and you can give to charity when you switch!
Anyway, I've now got my final bill from EDF for £200, I was shocked, I'm trying to save money not spend it!
Presume this is because my direct debit wasn't enough and we've just gone into the winter period. However, I can't afford £200, what should I do?
Will they let me pay some more month? Is there any argument I can use against them, I don't feel like they've managed my account properly if I owe this much?
Thanks

macman

Did you submit regular readings? Did you receive estimated bills and fail to supply actual updated readings to correct them. The supplier is only required to read your meter every two years. If not, then the supplier has no idea of your actual usage.
EDF are entitled to have the bill settled upon closure of the account, so you'll have to negotiate a repayment schedule with them if you can. You have to pay for what you have used, all you can argue is the repayment. If the debt is over £200 then they may block the transfer
Your account should have some credit going into winter, not a large debit.

spiro

macman wrote: »

If the debt is over 3200 then they may block the transfer

I think you mean £200 not £3200. :rotfl:

ValHaller

Jubilee_corner wrote: »

Is there any argument I can use against them, I don't feel like they've managed my account properly if I owe this much?
Thanks

It is the down side of DD rather than paying on reciept of bill.

The best you can hope for is to continue to pay the full monthly DD amount until the bill is cleared.

zzzLazyDaisy

You may well find that they will not allow you to switch unless you clear the outstanding debt.

The issue of whether the DD was sufficient to cover the bills is entirely down to you. If you accept estimated readings, do not check the meter and inform them of the correct readings, and allow the account to slide into the red as a result, then you can hardly blame the supplier for 'mis-management' of your account.

Meadows

You manage you account and should not rely on others to do it for you! Utility accounts are normally reviewed annually but there is nothing to stop you asking for a change of payment at any point during the year!

Do / Did you not regularly check your own readings and just accept that they were charging you a correct amount for you monthly DD?
Did you not calculate how much you might owe when you submitted final readings?

It all depends when your annual review is due as to what your monthly DD is, they would look at annual use at this time and assess whether you are paying too much or too little and adjust accordingly.
Really the onus is on you to look at your usage and tell them to up the DD rather than bury your head in the sand and assume you are paying enough (especially in winter months and with constant prices rises - unless you have a fixed rate plan).

Will they let you pay over a period of time? I doubt it as you are no longer a customer of theirs but better to ask them that to ask us.

macman

spiro wrote: »

I think you mean £200 not £3200. :rotfl:

Thanks, I did-now edited.

ValHaller

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

You may well find that they will not allow you to switch unless you clear the outstanding debt.

The issue of whether the DD was sufficient to cover the bills is entirely down to you. If you accept estimated readings, do not check the meter and inform them of the correct readings, and allow the account to slide into the red as a result, then you can hardly blame the supplier for 'mis-management' of your account.

£200 is the threshold at which transfer can be blocked, I believe.

I think it is fair enough to blame the supplier in some respects in that the DD schemes are sold on the premise that you don't need to worry. It is infantilisation of the customer base.

zzzLazyDaisy

ValHaller wrote: »

£200 is the threshold at which transfer can be blocked, I believe..

That is very interesting, thanks for that information.

When I changed from BG (after months of problems and being messed about) I read my meter and brought both gas and electric bills up to date, and then applied to switch. Gas went through without a hitch, but electric was blocked because there was 'a balance on the account'. Well, yes, of course there was because in the time between paying off the previous bill and the switch, I had been using electricity - and although the gas sent me a final bill, the electric did not - just blocked the switch! The balance owing was a lot less than £200 - from memory it was around £35 but it is about 3 years ago now. So the £200 threshold is worth knowing about.

Jubilee_corner

Thanks for your responses. The switch has gone through and the final bill has only just been issued which did surprise me. I've already cancelled my direct debit with EDF (just a admin thing, tidying up the account), so EDF won't be ale to take the funds, so I guess I will get in touch and see if I can take a few months to pay.
I never really feel like I'm better off after switching, think ill be Coop for life now!

macman

By cancelling the DD you are potentially starting a process by which EDF can trash your credit record when the DD fails, so you need to get in touch with them immediately to try and negotiate a staged payment.
But you have no automatic right to this-the full amount is now due.
In future supply regular readings to avoid a big catch-up bill.