EDF have put my parents in debt!

360g

My parents received a bill the other day for £1300 for outstanding electric ! This amounts to nearly the whole years bill. After a direct debt agreement had been arranged for some unknown reason somebody in the EDF accounts department took it upon themselves to reduce the payments from £150 pm to £1 pm for two months and then £37 pm without any notice .
How a huge company like EDF can make a massive mistake like this is beyond me . If it weren't bad enough both my parents are OAP's and my dad is on the sick ( for the first time in his working career ) and worried about his job.
I don't think they have been treated fairly at all and how this mistake could have happened in the first place . We just don't know what to do, the repayments are pretty unrealistic and whilst there is a debt they can not even looking to find a better company .

Help!!!!!

Sharlord

Call customer services and ask to speak to a manager.

If they're not helpful, ask to speak to THEIR manager.

I had a similar payment pain and just kept on getting names of the next person up in the chain (as well as the name of who I was speaking to). I called every day for about a week!

Finally, they agreed to write off half the payment. I know I probably got lucky and still had to hunt for money I didn't have, but it was a good start.

Keep us posted?

ViolaLass

What happened to the money that EDF didn't take?

victor2

It must have been like that, with substantial underpayments, for quite some time, like at least a year?
Bills must have been generated in that time, showing that the debt was building up, unless unrealistic estimates of usage were also being used?
However, EDF should not have changed the DD amount without advanced notification.
The person whose name is on the account should speak to customer services and get the problem escalated if necessary. If EDF say it was their error, they should at least offer an easy repayment plan and/or some sort of goodwill gesture.
Document all contact with them and read their official complaints procedure on their website to make sure you follow the correct procedure.
If there is an online account, copies of previous statements and emails from EDF should be visible there.

wiogs

It is very easy for any "huge" company to make mistakes.

I had a similar issue with British Gas who suddenly presented me with an enormous bill. Took a lot of phone calls to sort it out although in the end I did owe them money but a lot less than was originally demanded.

Phone up speak to them and try and track down what has gone awry.

themull1

Did your mam and dad not notice the extra money in their account?

Takeaway_Addict

360g wrote: »

My parents received a bill the other day for £1300 for outstanding electric ! This amounts to nearly the whole years bill. After a direct debt agreement had been arranged for some unknown reason somebody in the EDF accounts department took it upon themselves to reduce the payments from £150 pm to £1 pm for two months and then £37 pm without any notice .
How a huge company like EDF can make a massive mistake like this is beyond me . If it weren't bad enough both my parents are OAP's and my dad is on the sick ( for the first time in his working career ) and worried about his job.
I don't think they have been treated fairly at all and how this mistake could have happened in the first place . We just don't know what to do, the repayments are pretty unrealistic and whilst there is a debt they can not even looking to find a better company .

Help!!!!!

You parents have no responsibility on this one?

yangptangkipperbang

ViolaLass wrote: »

What happened to the money that EDF didn't take?

.........don't ask silly questions...............:rotfl:

NowRetired

I'm an OAP and I check my bank account online every day and know to the exact penny how much I have in my account and what my DDs should be.


I would notice if Eon, or anyone else who I pay by DD, changed my DD by a penny.


Don't use the excuse that they are OAPs as a reason for not noticing that something has been changed.

st999

both my parents are OAP's and my dad is on the sick

He will be getting his pension though.

That doesn't stop if you get sick.

victor2

The thread title is a bit misleading. EDF might (or might not) have mismanaged the account, but the parents do not appear to have managed their expenses (i.e. utility usage) either.
It does need sorting out, which is perhaps what the OP should focus on, more than trying to apportion blame.