EDF Energy, didn't take money and wrong bill!

147Snookerboy

I was with EDF Energy between 12 Apr 2011 and 20 May 2012, I signed up to them via the internet and took out a fixed rate tariff, when I signed up I gave them all my correct details including bank details for direct debiting and I religiously gave them monthly meter readings. After a couple of months I noticed no direct debit payments were being taken so I contacted them, they said it was a system error and would be resolved, this I did another 5 times after which I gave up. EDF energy did send a final bill to me on the 12 June 2012 but it said on it that I didn't need to do anything as I was set up on direct debit and the payment would be collected on 28 June 2012, this as it turns out didn't happen. I heard nothing from them until 16 August 2014 two years later demanding the payment or it will be passed over to a debt collector and I would be taken to court! I then contacted them to complain which they admitted was a fault of theirs and I requested a new bill which also complied with the back billing code of practise which meant they could only bill back a year from 12 June 2012, the new bill that they sent was very confusing so I had to spend a great deal of my time re-calculating the bill fortunately I had all the monthly recordings that I gave them. Suprise suprise the bill was totally wrong but one thing that was very alarming was the direct debit discount of 6% of the total cost of gas & electric (ex VAT) was wrong and equated to 0.5% difference or in my case £3.72 which doesn't sound a lot, I then checked my original final bill from June 2012 which was also wrong, if they do this on everyone's bill this would be millions of pounds extra in their pocket. So my advice is make sure you check your bills especially any direct debit discount percentages, this is a simple calculation that you can do as follows:-

add the gas and electric (exec VAT) / 100 then x 6

I'm still in negotiations with EDF energy as all they have offered me as a form of apology is £50 gesture of goodwill which quite frankly is an insult, especially if this goes to court it will affect my credit ratings all because they can't set an account up properly even though they were given all the details! :mad:

A few questions that I need answering, are they still legally allowed to bill me? and because they still haven't issued me with a correct final bill would the back billing code apply to the latest bill they've sent me, i.e. bill is dated 18 September 2014 but I left them in 2012?

System

I can understand your annoyance but ........ You knew that you were using gas and electricity and that a debit balance was accruing. Most sensible people would have put the money that was not taken by DD into some form of savings account. Under UK law, a debt is a debt and EDF is well within the debt recovery period. In the unlikely event that EDF was minded to apply the back-billing code it would only cover the period 12 Apr to 12 May 2011 - not the whole period which I guess is what you are seeking. The question is whether £50 is reasonable compensation? As you are not out-of-pocket (Ie; EDF is only asking for what they are owed) then £50 is about right when added to the interest accrued on the unpaid account.

McKneff

Don't you feel that you want to pay this, get your £50 and see an end to all the hassle......£50 up and you can go and have a nice meal out on EDF.

147Snookerboy

Yes I know that I owe them the money and I have never tried to dodge this, I tried my hardest to get them to bill me while I was a customer with them because I didn't want to end up with a huge bill, this is one reason we all pay by monthly direct debit isn't it?, It's just frustrating and annoying when you are treated like a criminal two years later with a threatening letter with threats of debt collectors and court procedures.