MSE News: EDF most complained about energy firm

jobdone1

vm2pensioner wrote: »

I have had the same experience. I was eventually told by one of the managers not to update readings!

Forgive the pun but that is clearly NOT managing:rotfl:

snowcat53

This is no surprise at all to the vast majority of EDF's customers. The way they vastly increase DDs at every meter reading is scandalous and has been proved and admitted to be totally unjustifiable in cases well documented on this forum..

The only surprise is why they haven't yet been fined massively by Ofgem for systematic and continuing breaches of the SLCs. Inexplicable.

jerome61

"EDF Energy the worst energy company?" Oh what a suprise. I find it hard to believe they only receive 8,072 complaints per 100,000 customers. I imagine that is one figure they have under recorded. Same story for me. Had the meter read, they set the Direct Debit. Obviously too low. Paid £250 to get in front as I couldn't get them to increase the Direct Debit and then 6 months later I get a bill saying we owe £740+ and my Direct Debit is going upto £405 per month. Re-calculated and I owed £72 but couldn't get them to cancel the new Direct Debit so had to write to my bank. Sick and tired of being put on hold and waiting. Can't get out of my contract as I am tied in till Nov 2013. Can think of hundreds of appropraite expletives.

Yorksport

These comments all emphasise the risks you take when signing up for direct debit deals. If you pay on receipt of a bill you are in control. I'm surprised Ofgem have not ruled on this.

robotrobo

amiehall wrote: »

I had a meter reader visit my house and so have received a bill, I have not been submitting readings. I am in credit, however, I have E7 heating and expect to be using it heavily for another couple of months. My bill states that my DD is being reduced to £1!

I can't decide whether to call them up or just leave it and save the money...

do not give a meter reading .
& do not increase the d/d.
put money to one side.
keep your own check on meter readings for a guide to see if you are in credit.

olly300

robotrobo wrote: »

do not give a meter reading .
& do not increase the d/d.
put money to one side.
keep your own check on meter readings for a guide to see if you are in credit.

If you don't give a meter reading they estimate them, and from being a customer who paid when I received my bills years ago they make the estimate completely wrong.

In my case they over-estimated by a massive margin and were very unhappy with the fact I was a low user. They were so unhappy they wouldn't let me submit automated meter readings by phone or online so I changed supplier.

I am now an EDF customer again due to the large prices rises threatened last year.

I have submitted one meter reading and they have decided to increase my direct debit.

I am waiting to hear what their explanation is and if it's not satisfactory - blaming it on a computers or a computer model with one meter reading isn't a satisfactory explanation - I will be escalating my complaint all the way to the regulator.

I work in IT, deal with data and often deal with computer models. If I worked the way EDF's system works I would have killed some people.

Dorothy2311

I got behind with electricity bills a few years ago and EDF installed a Pre-payment meter. After they put the new meter in they claimed that according to the reading on the old meter I owed them £3968! I could not dispute the reading as the old meter was gone. I must admit that I had not submitted a reading for about a year as I was going through some hard times but still - there is no way I could use this much in 2 years nevermind 1! I live in a 3-bedroom house with my 9-year-old son, I work and he is at school, so the house is empty most of the day. Heating and cooker runs on Gas. I have no Games Consoles, Tumble Dryers, Plasma Tvs, Electric Heaters or any appliances which use a lot of Electricity. I have the habit of switching every Socket off that's not in use, and go around the house at night and turn everything off. Nothing gets left on Standby. Yet this week, I have spent £20 on Electric already in less than 72 hours. Last night before bed I checked the meter and had about £2.21 left. Everything but the bathroom light and my mobile phone charger was switched off yet this morning the electric was gone again! When I call them they fob me off and say there's nothing wrong with my meter and that I am on the lowest Tariff. I feel like they are basically charging what they want knowing there's nothing I can do! I can't switch Providers until the bill is down to under £500... And I still have around £1300 left to pay. They used to charge me £17 a week for the debt but the previous Winter I called them in tears as I had spent £68 on Electric in one week - over a third of my wages and that's without Gas etc. So they have reduced it to £5 per week. But I am still struggling and think it should not cost me £30 - £40 a week for Electric. What can I do?

dollydiva

If you are in debt then they may be taking an amount from your card balance to pay this off as well. I may be wrong, but I also believe that there is a daily amount taken from cards also, depending on the tariff.

DadofAlex

It's a pity that this very negative feedback wasn't available when I decided to switch to EDF in early february via the Cheap Energy Club site. They're making a complete pig's ear of the switch and I wish I hadn't bothered.

Sweey_as_a_nut

Me to, after reading this I AM IN TO MINDS TO CANCEL my change to them. They sound like another bunch of clowns.