EDF making bizarre changes to monthly DD, landing me in debt

redpola

Thanks for all the responses and for the good advice. It is appreciated. Apologies if I came across as a little bloody minded. Bloody-nosed is perhaps a better description.

In the past three dealings I've had with energy companies in which I've behaved impeccably, I've ended up on "the wrong end".

I'll be switching to "pay as per the actual reading" as soon as I can. Then I can manage my own yearly plan!

macman

I can't comment on the first two instances, but you're deluding yourself it you think you've behaved 'impeccably' over this.
One glance at the first awry bank statement or quarterly bill would have had this sorted 18 months ago without any issues.

redpola

macman wrote: »

I can't comment on the first two instances, but you're deluding yourself it you think you've behaved 'impeccably' over this.
One glance at the first awry bank statement or quarterly bill would have had this sorted 18 months ago without any issues.

I noticed the payments had reduced to £50, but couldn't recall what from and trusted EDF to be doing the right thing. I assumed that I had therefore overpaid and they were reducing my bill until the situation was solved.

Again, I placed my trust in a scheme which is meant to make things easier for me, but actually as everyone seems to say "you need to keep an eye on it yourself" which causes me more effort than just doing it myself.

I thought I could trust a huge company to divide a number by twelve and get it roughly right.

The problem will be solved when I move to a pay-for-what-I've-used scheme and I can do the same kind of calculations are you are suggesting I have to do in the make-it-easy-by-spreading-the-cost-throughout-the-year scheme which is NOT managed by me and me alone.

wakeupalarm

redpola wrote: »

On 3rd November, anxious to draw a line under the situation, I made an offer to them - I reasoned that if they had not suddenly reduced my DD by 2/3 I would have paid some £700 further towards my final bill, and so since this reduction of my DD payment was clearly an error on their part in the face of no evidence that my energy usage had decreased, I suggested that they should reduce my final bill by £700 and I would clear the balance. Whilst this feels reasonable, I expected some "wiggle room" from them and so this was my low offer as I expected them to decline it.

I've received no response to that offer.

If this goes to court, what are my chances? I've offered to pay the balance of the debt after a reasonable £700 deduction, but they're seemingly ignoring me at the moment. I obviously won't be paying the debt collection company unless they can offer me a similar reduction.

What amazes me is that you think knocking £700 off your own bill, (more than half a years usage) is entirely reasonable when all that happened was your DD changed and you didn't notice the reduction which was to your benefit gaining a years interest free credit.

Have a read of past disputes with EDF on this board that end up being settled by the ombudsman and you will see that people go through hell for well over a year with much more complicated and repeated mistakes by EDF and end up with a tiny £50 compensation.

I will be impressed if you managed to negotiate a reduction with the debt collection agency for any amount let alone £700.

ValHaller

zaax wrote: »

I maybe wrong, but if you are in dispute about a bill /account then it should not sent it off to the bailiffs.

I would just write to both them saying you are in dispute with the company and ask how they get to that figure. Then if send any more demanding its harassment.

I can see where you are coming from, but effectively, by suggesting a discount of £700, OP is acknowledging the correctness of the underlying bill.

The appropriate resolution is for OP to pay the amount outstanding over a period similar to that over which the debt accrued. Without damage to credit record.

sniggings

redpola wrote: »

I also immediately switched suppliers and as a consequence received a final bill from EDF.

.

I thought you couldn't switch supplier if you had a debt of more than £500?

I think your best move is, get the debt sent back to EDF and agree a payment plan and any charges the debt company have added be removed, as it shouldn't have been sent to them, write a letter explaining you are willing to continue to discuss the bill when it is back with them as it should never have been sold to a debt agency.

If you do get to court, and I doubt it will get that far, the judge will want to see you have acted reasonably...is it reasonable for them to foot the whole £700 mistake, and for you to want to know why the mistake was made before you are willing to pay, on one hand you agree you used the amount of fuel they are charging you for but then you are also trying to confuse the issue by now saying you want to know why the mistake was made

All I've asked of them for me to pay in full is to tell me why they made the change they did and to help me to understand how we reached this point. That they can't do that makes me believe that they don't know. Would you pay a bill which couldn't be accounted for?

the bill is correct it was the DD that was the mistake, you sound a clever person, using a disingenuous argument when you know the mistake that was made does not mean your bill is incorrect will not get a judge on your side.

You ask do you stand a chance of getting a £700 discount, the answer is no, there are clear guidelines a judge has to follow, a £100 compo might be in oder but is it worth this dragging on for so long for £100? as said arrange a payment plan and put this behind you.

macman

ValHaller wrote: »

I can see where you are coming from, but effectively, by suggesting a discount of £700, OP is acknowledging the correctness of the underlying bill.

The appropriate resolution is for OP to pay the amount outstanding over a period similar to that over which the debt accrued. Without damage to credit record.

That would certainly have worked 6 months ago-but if they've now sold the debt on, the game has changed.

sniggings: if the debt's been sold, then EDF have no interest in retaining the account-completely the opposite.

sniggings

macman wrote: »

That would certainly have worked 6 months ago-but if they've now sold the debt on, the game has changed.

sniggings: if the debt's been sold, then EDF have no interest in retaining the account-completely the opposite.

I understand that, but I thought there were rules on this? if you are in dispute the debt is not allowed to be sold, if the OP says they are willing to settle this with EDF and does not recognize the debt company for the reasons stated, then there is very little the debt company can do, the OP is not refusing to pay but wants to deal with EDF.

ValHaller

sniggings wrote: »

I understand that, but I thought there were rules on this? if you are in dispute the debt is not allowed to be sold, if the OP says they are willing to settle this with EDF and does not recognize the debt company for the reasons stated, then there is very little the debt company can do, the OP is not refusing to pay but wants to deal with EDF.

There is no dispute within the usual interpretation of the word for this situation. OP acknowledges that the £700 is correct.

lillyp0ps

Hiya, Im new to this forum purely for this question, and am unsure about starting a new thread etc.
Anyway, EDF have sent us a bill for £700 ish as we have apparantly been under paying by dd for our electricity for the last 3 years since edf changed our meter. There has apparantly been some confusion their end over our meter which has apparantly not been read at all over the last 3 years even though they should do them yearly.
We've looked back through our bills and realised that we only have gas bills not electricity, but our dd have been consistantly more than the gas payments so we have been paying something for electricity every month.
I guess my main question is can they really claim that for moneys owing that far back if its them that has made mistakes? Surely they should have reviewed our payments yearly, to coinside with actual meter readings
Thankyou to anyone can help