EDF No bills for 1 year and high bill

mig85

Hey,
Some help or advice required here.

I lived in a small 2 bed flat with my friend from 2012 - 2013, pretty much 1 year exactly. We were with EDF by default but changed the tariff to a better one and updated details etc..

Throughout the year about 6 months we noticed we hadn't received any bills so we called and requested a bill as we had no idea what we we're consuming.. We also gave them an updated reading. We only used elec. no gas at all. Electric heating, cooker, no washing machine and we both worked in the day. So i would so low/med users.

After a few months we still hadn't received any bills after requesting several more times, call after call.. nothing.

We gave up! We moved out and requested a final bill which amazingly came with haste.. funny that! And it was for £1200'00!!
definitely not right at all! We called and queried this, they said they would look into it..

We had moved out by then and I was contacted 2 months later saying the bill was right. I argued saying that was impossible for 2 people over 1 year in a small flat.. They didn't care, so I decided to set up a payment of £90 p/m for 1 year and they agreed..

I then received a bill with a higher amount about 2 weeks later after setting up the DD.. I queried this and they went away and came back and said the initial bill was estimated and that the new one was now accurate readings.. it was now £1400'00!!!! Are they MAD! It's now 2014 and I'm eager to know what I can do to deal with this..

I've now ignored them and refuse to deal with them due to sheer hassle and ridiculous business practices. I also read online loads of people had the same issues around that time. No bills for over a year and crazy high final bills!

I don't agree with the final bill and also not receiving any bills for a year, we would have changed supplier otherwise.

dogshome

The dates you moved in and out of this flat are important

EDF have signed up to a 'Back Billing agreement' which does not allow them to send bills for supplies made over 12 months before they did manage to send out a bill.
To benifit from this agreement, the customer must have made contact with the supplier to chase up a bill, which from your post, you did do.

So if the date on the first bill Final Bill you recieved is a full 12 months later than the date you moved out, then 'Back-Billing' applies to the entire bill
If the Bill Date/Move Out Date is somewhat shorter than 12 months, only the overlap period is payable

Write a letter headed Complaint to EDF, setting out the dates of your tenancy and your contacts with them to get a bill

vuvuzela

mig85 wrote: »

Hey,
Some help or advice required here.

I lived in a small 2 bed flat with my friend from 2012 - 2013, pretty much 1 year exactly. We were with EDF by default but changed the tariff to a better one and updated details etc..

Throughout the year about 6 months we noticed we hadn't received any bills so we called and requested a bill as we had no idea what we we're consuming.. We also gave them an updated reading. We only used elec. no gas at all. Electric heating, cooker, no washing machine and we both worked in the day. So i would so low/med users.

After a few months we still hadn't received any bills after requesting several more times, call after call.. nothing.

We gave up! We moved out and requested a final bill which amazingly came with haste.. funny that! And it was for £1200'00!!
definitely not right at all! We called and queried this, they said they would look into it..

We had moved out by then and I was contacted 2 months later saying the bill was right. I argued saying that was impossible for 2 people over 1 year in a small flat.. They didn't care, so I decided to set up a payment of £90 p/m for 1 year and they agreed..

I then received a bill with a higher amount about 2 weeks later after setting up the DD.. I queried this and they went away and came back and said the initial bill was estimated and that the new one was now accurate readings.. it was now £1400'00!!!! Are they MAD! It's now 2014 and I'm eager to know what I can do to deal with this..

I've now ignored them and refuse to deal with them due to sheer hassle and ridiculous business practices. I also read online loads of people had the same issues around that time. No bills for over a year and crazy high final bills!

I don't agree with the final bill and also not receiving any bills for a year, we would have changed supplier otherwise.

Ignoring them will only harm you in the long run. Do you think that they'll either :
A: Write off the money and give you a cheery wave farewell ?
or
B: Send the bill to debt collectors, issue a default, ruin your credit history for a minimum of 6 years and rack up further charges ?

Do you have the tariff details for the tariff you were on ? Do you have opening and final readings ?
To be honest, £100/month over a year for an electrically heated 2-bedroom flat isn't extortionate.

System

I agree with VVZ. I have gas for CH but, even with PV Solar, our electricity bill is over £400 per year.

The back billing code is here:

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/43-code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills/412-the-code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills-back-billing-for-domestic-customers.html

I left EDF earlier this year. They were by no means perfect but whenever I provided them with meter readings they were available to see in MyAccount.

Presumably, when you moved out you would have given EDF a final meter reading as any sensible consumer would have done?

mig85

Hi,

Thanks for the input.. Actually VVZ £1400 for a year is crazy high, perhaps not extortionate but it's not right at all.. Not for 2 working people.

We moved in and moved out FEB 2012 - FEB 2013.. As per our 1 year contract..

We gave meter readings and requested bills to be sent, nothing ever came.. The only time we got a bill was after we moved out and serval months later..

Upon agreeing to pay £90p/m they sent another bill for an increased £200 totalling £1400.. So I stopped the DD for the £90 in order to investigate the increase.. Turns out it the first final bill was estimated and the final was actual.

Regardless, should we have received bills throughout the year on when we requested them.. We would have noticed the charges and probably changed supplier..

Thanks @dogshome for advice..

nightswimming

What was your total usage in kwh? That is your final reading minus your opening reading. What was your tariff (standing charge and cost per kwh)? Calculate your own bill (make sure you add 5% VAT if it's not already included in the tariff), if it's different to the bill you have been sent you may have a case but if it's correct you will just have to pay what you owe.

£1400 for an electric only 2 bed flat doesn't seem terribly high, to be honest, especially as it doesn't seem you were on economy 7?, electric heaters are the most expensive. But it's really the kwh you need to look at.

To be honest there isn't usually a massive difference between most suppliers' best tariffs and you can't be sure of picking the cheapest one unless you know exactly what your consumption will be.

macman

Assuming you have your opening and closing reads and dates, you can easily work out exactly what the bill should have been for that period, and hence what you owe.
As others have said, £1400 for 12m in all electric property is not excessive at all if not on E7-it's the most expensive way to heat and hot water.

Robisere

I have to agree that the amount is not excessive, especially if you were only using electricity and your supply was Economy 7, and your heaters were Night Storage Heaters.
We are Sheltered Housing tenants and are currently battling with our Housing Trust landlord, to replace our heating system with gas central heating. We are obviously Seniors and my estimate for 2014/15 is £1550.
If you had those heaters, and they are old models, they are very inefficient. They are not any use whatsoever for anyone who is at home all day, or goes to work but does not set them correctly.
Having said that, I have to say that EDF have always been fine with us: I take a meter reading every month (in fact they email me if I forget) and they have adjusted my payments DOWN twice this year.