EDF Direct Debit increase despite £130+ credit

Ageing_Stick_Insect

I submitted my meter readings today to EDF for gas and electricity. I have their BlueDeal2016 offer. Previous reading were given in mid-November.

The bill was calculated and the cost shown on the screen. Despite still being over £130 in credit their system still proposed a £5 increase in my payments.

I was livid and rang customer services. Of course the poor sods who take the call know nothing about the company policy to keep the money rolling in but I was firm that there should be no increase. The lad adjusted my payment back to its existing amount.

I asked for a complaint to be registered and he agreed saying it would be a "closed complaint". I asked what that meant and he said it would be dealt with internally and the customer would not be notified of the outcome. Apparently if enough customers complain it will be fed back.

But I insisted on knowing the outcome so he changed it to an "open complaint" and would keep me advised every 3 days until the complaint was addressed.

I said I didn't need advising every 3 days if there was nothing to say but after 3 weeks I would want to know where things were at if I hadn't been contacted.

If anyone is in the same boat I urge you to make a formal complaint. It's outrageous that they should request a higher payment nearing the end of winter when I'm in credit by such an amount.

I don't suppose EDF is any worse than the other 5. Still outrageous though.

energyworker

They carried out the action you requested, I don't understand what resolution you are hoping for?

Not defending their calculations, just genuinely intrigued to know what you expect to happen as a result of your complaint? You had a price suggested and you chose to decline.

Ageing_Stick_Insect

The point is unless I had rung them and complained the DD would have increased when there was no justification for it.

I shouldn't have to get on the phone every time I submit readings and be advised the DD will be increased.

And if you don't complain about their actions they'll think they're behaving in an acceptable manner.

I want an explanation as to why they decided a rise in the DD was justified.

energyworker

It would probably make more sense to put it in writing and direct it to their billing or credit control department managers. I am 99% certain that in this instance it won't be getting any further than a slightly higher paid "complaints executive" or similar.

Ageing_Stick_Insect

You're probably right but I want to see how long and what format the response takes. I also have to consider it was only a £5 increase but the principle is what matters. I'll report back when I get a response.

frank777

energyworker wrote: »

They carried out the action you requested, I don't understand what resolution you are hoping for?

Not defending their calculations, just genuinely intrigued to know what you expect to happen as a result of your complaint? You had a price suggested and you chose to decline.

Sit back and wait for the response - if you don't get one in 28 working days (:() send a secure message marked COMPLAINT - the going rate for a complaint is usually £25 credit - close the COMPLAINT for the £25 payment (:)) I suggest you indicate on the COMPLAINT - please respond by email - otherwise, they usually say they have been trying to contact you and close the COMPLAINT

Don't give a meter reading before a DD payment - always after payment - get the extra payment for the computer to analyse. For information default payment is the 1st of each month, you can change to any day of the month. Why pay on the 1st, let them wait until later in the month for your payment.

SoletraderSteve

Ageing_Stick_Insect wrote: »

The point is unless I had rung them and complained the DD would have increased when there was no justification for it.

I shouldn't have to get on the phone every time I submit readings and be advised the DD will be increased.

And if you don't complain about their actions they'll think they're behaving in an acceptable manner.

I want an explanation as to why they decided a rise in the DD was justified.

As mentioned, you made your dissatisfaction know and this has been logged. Your Direct Debit has been amended back to what you want it to be. What are you hoping to achieve from leaving the complaint open? An open complaint means they will have to keep you informed of any progress regularly until resolved by regulation reasons, and if after 40 days you still have not come to a resolution you have the right to take your case to the Ombudsman as they will have failed to resolve your case in the required time.

Ageing_Stick_Insect

SoletraderSteve wrote: »

As mentioned, you made your dissatisfaction know and this has been logged. Your Direct Debit has been amended back to what you want it to be. What are you hoping to achieve from leaving the complaint open? An open complaint means they will have to keep you informed of any progress regularly until resolved by regulation reasons, and if after 40 days you still have not come to a resolution you have the right to take your case to the Ombudsman as they will have failed to resolve your case in the required time.

I thought I had made it quite clear what I was expecting. An explanation why, when a customer has a healthy credit and winter is almost over, EDF still feel it's necessary to increase my payments.

I also pointed out to you that I did not require an update every 3 days. EDF accepted that and will reply either when there is a resolution or in 3 weeks whatever occurs first.

If you let these companies do what they like without challenge they'll walk all over us.

lvf

Walk all over you? What??

The direct debit is set up in a way so that you, the customer, has already covered your gas and electricity use, so you aren't landed with a bill and get panicked over a large bill. It allows piece of mind of knowing you are covered.

Imagine it was the other way around, and you were in a debit balance, and EDF didn't adjust your payments at all, you'd be as furious, if not more so.

Now what I fail to understand is, if this was on the back of meter readings you have submitted, there must be a reason why they have suggested an increase, such as:
1) You paid a much higher DD in the past, and accrued a large credit balance, meaning they decreased the DD down in line with your use minus the credit balance
2) A change of tariff, that perhaps you were paying a lower price in the past
3) You made a one off payment into your account OR received a Government payment such as the Warm Home Discount, building up the credit but not actually affecting your use
4) Your DD annual review has just taken place, setting your payment schedule out for the next 12 months, not just the next few months
5) Your actual use was greater over the winter months than the use that EDF projected for you

I would agree with the above, your DD was decreased back to the figure you were paying before, so you got what you needed. Now should the lower payments result in your account being in debit at the point of your annual review, I would hope you don't hold EDF responsible, as they have duly complied with your request.

Ageing_Stick_Insect

Ivf,

I take weekly meter readings and enter them in an Excel spreadsheet which then calculates both my bills so there is no surprise about what it would be. The fact that I submitted meter readings without a prompt from EDF shows I'm a responsible customer.

You are correct in items 1-3. Item 4 may have happened but they haven't told me. The increase notification was presented on the screen after I pressed submit readings. It's probably the same for everyone given the reputation of the energy companies.

Item 5? I've had no notification from them as to my expected winter usage. It's been an average winter.

I'm more than capable of working out if I need to increase my DD. I don't need EDF's computers to do that for me.

This is meant to be a forum for the consumer yet you suggest EDF are looking after my best interests in their policies. I disagree. They're maximising their profits at our expense and we need to stand up for ourselves.

scaredofdebt

According to Ofgems licensing conditions, energy providers are not supposed to allow customers to get too far into debt or credit. They reassess DD payments to manage this, their computer (rightly or wrongly) felt an increase was necessary.

Unfortunately not everyone is as astute as you and so if you leave people to manage their own DDs it simply wouldn't work.

Ofgem also insist ALL complaints are logged and resolved in a timely manner. Failure to log a complaint can result in a fine. In your case there is no realistic resolution other than what has happened.

It's hard to say if EDF are looking after their own interests on the back of one person's experience, it's quite possible other customers have had their DD set too low.