How do they get away with it?

Legacy_user

I have just switched out of EDF. Prior to leaving, I was paying about £750 pa for gas and electricity. We have PV Solar and a wood-burning stove. This has just appeared on my final bill:

Over the next 12 months
Gas personal projection: £889.34
This calculation uses a mix of UK typical consumption (3,200kWh electricity and 13,500kWh gas) and estimates of your own usage last year based on available information. It includes your current tariff until 30 Apr 2014 and our current Standard (Variable) prices thereafter, as well as discounts or charges, like VAT.

Our cheapest overall tariff
Over the next year you could save £417.44 by choosing Direct Debit with Blue+Price Promise August 2015, our cheapest fixed gas tariff available for your meter.

To say this claim is misleading is something of an understatement. I was an EDF customer for over 4 years so my past consumption is on record.

If further evidence was needed then EDF might like to explain (a) why I received a letter from them today with my Annual Gas Summary (quote it feels better when you are in control unquote) and (b) the letter gives an annual gas consumption 9443KWh with estimated gas costs of £480.91. More realistically, it suggests that I could save £46 pa if I changed my tariff. Just to add to the confusion, after receiving my Final Bill which has a credit balance, I agreed with EDF Customer Services 2 days ago that I would cancel my DD. I then received an e-mail from them stating that in future that I would have to pay all future bills on demand!

All this is academic as I switched on the 13 April. Now if EDF and my new supplier (Ovo) could just agree the switch over meter readings then I would be a very content chap.

brewerdave

I had a similar missive from EDF on my final bill (I switched to OVO on 29th April) -they were "estimating" my gas and electric usage to both be ~ £1.3k+ for the next year and claimed I could "save" over £1k by moving to their Blue price promise!:rotfl:

If you have had a final bill, then presumably these use the closing meter reads you gave OVO -or are they estimated???

stampede

I was an EDF customer once, my experience meant I was never going to be an EDF customer again.

System

brewerdave wrote: »

I had a similar missive from EDF on my final bill (I switched to OVO on 29th April) -they were "estimating" my gas and electric usage to both be ~ £1.3k+ for the next year and claimed I could "save" over £1k by moving to their Blue price promise!:rotfl:

If you have had a final bill, then presumably these use the closing meter reads you gave OVO -or are they estimated???

I copied both Ovo and EDF my final meter readings but the 2 companies are working to different figures. The Ovo team say that will take it forward with EDF.

brewerdave

I have an email "query" with OVO at the moment. The changeover readings I gave OVO have appeared as the final readings on my closing EDF bills,which presumably means that they have passed "verification" -but they don't appear anywhere on the OVO website - @Hengus-where are you getting these different OVO readings from??

System

brewerdave wrote: »

I have an email "query" with OVO at the moment. The changeover readings I gave OVO have appeared as the final readings on my closing EDF bills,which presumably means that they have passed "verification" -but they don't appear anywhere on the OVO website - @Hengus-where are you getting these different OVO readings from??

I gave both EDF and OVO the same figures on the 10th April. Switchover date was the 13th. My opening electricity on the OVO account (My OVO) shows a figure which is different from the figure on EDF's Final Bill. EDF are adamant that they will only have used the figures given to them by OVO.

Today I received a further 2 letters from EDF: my 4th Annual Gas Summary and a Final Electricity Bill. The Final Electricity Bill has a different charge from that shown on the Final Gas and Electricity Bill: EDF are making the appropriate credit. I also have a range of projected savings had I stayed with EDF ranging from £46 to £417 per annum. CS tried to play this down by saying that no figures are valid until they have provided a quote. If that is the case, then why do they bother and why does OFGEM allow them to act in this way?

Edit: I should have added that after this latest series of events, EDF has lost me as a future customer.

System

The plot gets even more confused. An EDF rep has just phoned to say that the transfer figure for Electricity is their error not OVOs!! (something that EDF CS said could not happen - apparently, it can when auto systems fail and mankind gets involved). They are also saying that the gas figure - provided by the gas transporter - should have been disputed. They will now agree a figure with OVO. It really shouldn't be that difficult, as I provided actual readings 3 days before the transfer. EDF will now issue a final bill and refund the amount due.

I need to go and lie down.

System

To close this one down - I hope. I have just had another call from EDF to inform me that I will get a revised final bill with a corrected repayment amounting to an additional £18.

My advice - check your final bill carefully, and ensure that your old and new suppliers are working to agreed meter readings.

Oh I forgot to mention. I will also be getting further estimates of annual gas and electricity usage as this is now an OFGEM requirement every time a bill is issued. This is hardly progress and the associated cost of this madness will no doubt be an extra on future bills. What was wrong with a single Annual Statement with a plus/minus cushion?