EDF Billing Error, Do I have any rights ?

flickster_2

I moved into my new home last April, and having checked around EDF were the lowest, offering Gas and Electric on a Blue Price Promise May 2014 for £77 per month.

I signed up on the basis that, if consumption changed, they could alter the monthly DD payment. There was no change to my DD and I assumed everything was A-OK.

I received my latest bill which said, after monthly DD I still owed £50 on the past 2 quarters, which I thought was excellent, but decided to take a look at my bill to check the monthly payments. On it I found my tariff and my dual fuel discount, but only my gas meter readings, even though the meter reader has been several times in last year and read both meters.

I contacted EDF who said, upon checking, that they did indeed have my electricity meter readings, but that their system hadn't accepted them, resulting in only gas being billed for the last year.

They now tell me that my monthly payment has to go up to £145 per month, and as there is now an additional £700 bill for electricity, an additional £55 per month is needed to pay off the outstanding debt.

I can't afford to pay that, and it wasn't my mistake, it was theirs, they had all of the information needed, yet failed to implement that properly, am I responsible for their errors, or is their anything I can do about it ?

Buzby

Pay it, sadly. It was an Admin error, but you share the responsibility to ensure you are being billed correctly, and you should have noted that no Electricity consumption was being shown - EDF list these on the same bill.

All you can hope for is that they allow you to pay it up, so you will need to peak to them about setting up an arrangement. They will not waive the cost.

jalexa

flickster wrote: »

I can't afford to pay that, and it wasn't my mistake, it was theirs, they had all of the information needed, yet failed to implement that properly, am I responsible for their errors, or is their anything I can do about it ?

You are approaching this wrongly. In relation to energy you consumed there is no scope for billing up to 12 months to be waived regardless of supplier error.

It is normal (but not mandatory) for terms to be offered over at least the same period as the supplier error.

In relation to this forum you cannot get meaningful advice here unless you state your actual consumption as evidenced by the meters. However if you do it may be possible to advise how to get a lower level of payments.

Edf billing has such a poor reputation (here) that I would never take Edf numbers at face value.

flickster_2

Thanks for the replies. The meter numbers are correct, I just "assumed" that my monthly DD was covering for both gas and electric, and it would vary as required, but the advisor I spoke to, said that when I signed up, based on previous consumption of the last home owner, I should have been charged a higher monthly DD of almost double what they asked for to start with, and although it was their mistake not putting the electricity readings onto the bill and therefore not showing me a higher bill, there is nothing they can do except make a repayment plan for me over 18 months instead of 12.

My gas consumption went from 26 to 800 in the period Sep - Feb, not sure of electricity now, as there are no bills to look at to see if the readings they have are correct or what the original meter reading was at the time, stupid I know, but I thought nothing of it after all this time paying the same DD.

Wywth

flickster wrote: »

I moved into my new home last April, and having checked around EDF were the lowest, offering Gas and Electric on a Blue Price Promise May 2014 for £77 per month.

I signed up on the basis that, if consumption changed, they could alter the monthly DD payment. There was no change to my DD and I assumed everything was A-OK.

I received my latest bill which said, after monthly DD I still owed £50 on the past 2 quarters, which I thought was excellent, but decided to take a look at my bill to check the monthly payments. On it I found my tariff and my dual fuel discount, but only my gas meter readings, even though the meter reader has been several times in last year and read both meters.

I contacted EDF who said, upon checking, that they did indeed have my electricity meter readings, but that their system hadn't accepted them, resulting in only gas being billed for the last year.

They now tell me that my monthly payment has to go up to £145 per month, and as there is now an additional £700 bill for electricity, an additional £55 per month is needed to pay off the outstanding debt.

I can't afford to pay that, and it wasn't my mistake, it was theirs, they had all of the information needed, yet failed to implement that properly, am I responsible for their errors, or is their anything I can do about it ?

Oh dear, what a pickle you appear to have got yourself in.

How did you decide on who was your cheapest supplier, and how did EDF come up with the £77 monthly cost?

I know when we moved to EDF, they used the figures we provided, calculated what the annual cost using those figures and then charged us 1/12 of that annual cost per month
(actually they did this for each fuel and then added the two figures together - it was all clearly explained)

I suppose if you didn't have any consumption figures, then they would have estimated them based on an average user according to the detail you provided ... in which case that is a big indicator as to how wasteful you are probably being.

I suggest from now on, you also input your regular meter reads into independent site, imeasure, to keep a closer tab on your usage and hence cost.

http://www.imeasure.org.uk/

As previously advised by Busby you will have to pay for what you consumed and have consumed.

If you are struggling to pay, I suggest you contact the supplier sooner rather than later.
You've already had £700 worth of energy and it appears the supplier is offering you a futher interest free period of at least 12 months in which to repay that

The party's over I'm afraid. You'll need to cut your cloth accordingly if you cannot afford to continue this lifestyle.

Wywth

flickster wrote: »

... stupid I know, but I thought nothing of it ...

You said it

macman

EDF seem to be getting their act together now on customer service. Yesterday I needed to change my DD details to another bank. I messaged them through 'My Account', and got the usual 'we will contact you within 10 days' auto- response.
This morning I have had an email confirmation that the details have been changed, and logging in, I see that they have, and correctly so. So little miracles do happen.

flickster_2

We did the cost comparison websites and EDF offered what was apparently the cheapest deal for the consumption figures we put in from our previous house, which was costing us £98pm with British Gas, when we phoned them the guy on the phone told us that based on those figures, the monthly payment was £76 pm, but there was a £1 upgrade to a blue price promise tariff which we paid and there was no messing about as the previous home owner was also an EDF customer. So we thought we'd be saving around £250 a year

The meter was read about a month after we moved in, and nothing changed, then the meter was read twice in just over a week in Spetember, and apparently thats where the faults began, they say putting in two lots of readings in a short space of time confused their systems and wiped off the electricity account. What annoys me is that they had the meter readings, and didn't do anything with them even though they knew it wasn't accepting them, and even when the meter was read again a few weeks ago, they again ignored the electricity meter reading.

If I hadn't been in touch, then I dread to think what would have happened, especially as my monthly payment was about to drop from £77 to £70

They have said they will extend repayment period from 12 months to 18 months, and given me a goodwill payment of £50 for their error.

Even without the debt, monthly payment seems high for a couple who are out at work all day, and don't seem to use much energy.

I will have to do as you say and monitor energy usage to see what we're using.

jalexa

flickster wrote: »

Even without the debt, monthly payment seems high for a couple who are out at work all day, and don't seem to use much energy.

On the face of it I agree with that but without meter readings you cannot build a case. I repeat what I said earlier "Edf billing has such a poor reputation (here) that I would never take Edf numbers at face value".

Up to you however to build the case. In necessary you can require the supplier to provide copy bills. There may be a charge but never pay more in total than a Subject Access Request £10 fee.

Wywth

flickster wrote: »

...They have said they will extend repayment period from 12 months to 18 months, and given me a goodwill payment of £50 for their error.

That does appear very generous of them.

Congratulations where it is due I believe. Well done EDF. :T

SwanJon

One other avenue maybe the EDF Energy trust, but I'm not sure how they work:
http://www.charisgrants.com/

Part of the issue might have been that the consumption was from your previous house not your current one - there will always be some variation.
You should have opening readings from when you moved in (or EDF will) - if these are real (not estimated), you can check your readings now and double check their figures (you have 10 out of 12 months so can probably multiply up relatively safely).

As above, keep a track of your readings regularly (even if you don't give them to EDF - see other threads) so that you know how much you are using - check each and every bill/statement you get to make sure your DD remains on track.

Good luck,