Dispute with EDF: next step?

CarolineM61

I have had an ongoing dispute with EDF from September last year. Basically the bill they sent me showed that I was over 1k in credit. When I contacted them, they said I could claim a refund, they asked for new meter readings, which I submitted. When I contacted them again, , they said, again, they needed meter readings. I gave them over the phone. They said they would call me back but didn't. This was repeated again, and no call back. They then sent two people out, within a month of each other, to take meter readings. I heard nothing until last week, when a bill dropped through the letter box for, wait for it, over twenty thousand pounds!! This was for three months charges. I called them and they agreed that this was obviously an error. When I gave them my meter reading, I included the meter serial number, which they said was incorrect. I pointed out that my meter was exchanged two years ago by them, they responded that they had no record of this. I had to provide photos of the new meter! They also contacted the contractor who confirmed the exchange.They said initially that the contractor they use had changed the meter without their knowledge. They now accept that the meter in the photos is mine, and there has been an error on their part.
My concern is that they say they are going to go back through two years flows and readjust everything. How will I be able to guarantee that they will do this accurately? I mentioned the
ombudsman and they are now fast tracking it, but I am very uneasy about any information they provide to me. Advice please?

System

Hi . If your meter was changed over 2 years ago, then I would assume that EDF has two years of actual meter readings to refer to? I assume that you have been providing EDF with regular readings? If so, then it should be pretty easy to work out past usage and costs. Why it has taken them so long to notice the meter change is something for EDF to answer.

CarolineM61

Yes they have regularly sent people out to read the meter, so have had at least 8 sets of readings taken by them from a meter which up until this week they refused to accept existed. Thank you for responding.

[Deleted User]

CarolineM61 wrote: »

Yes they have regularly sent people out to read the meter, so have had at least 8 sets of readings taken by them from a meter which up until this week they refused to accept existed. Thank you for responding.

I work for EDF reading their meters and I can confirm they are pretty slack at updating new meters. We never know where we are with EDF with metric or imperial gas meters. Its so bad that many times we don t bother doing a "meter exchange " on our hand computers as they don t update the details promptly.

Rubidium

I was in dispute with EDF last year and had dozens of invoices from them making demands for incorrect bills.

I found that the only way to resolve the situation was to contact complaintresolutionmanager@edfenergy.com as mentioned here.

After doing this my situation was resolved quite quickly to my satisfaction but their initial customer service was dire and I would not want to go back to them.

CarolineM61

sacsquacco wrote: »

I work for EDF reading their meters and I can confirm they are pretty slack at updating new meters. We never know where we are with EDF with metric or imperial gas meters. Its so bad that many times we don t bother doing a "meter exchange " on our hand computers as they don t update the details promptly.

Thankyou, you have virtually said the same as the most recent meter reader said! It was him who prompted me to give them the serial number of my meter.

CarolineM61

cameltoe wrote: »

I was in dispute with EDF last year and had dozens of invoices from them making demands for incorrect bills.



After doing this my situation was resolved quite quickly to my satisfaction but their initial customer service was dire and I would not want to go back to them.

Thankyou, when I mentioned the Ombudsman they fast tracked it to the link you gave. I have lost all trust in them, and will switch supplier as soon as it is resolved. How a company can bill someone for over 20k, when they acknowledged 12 weeks earlier that I was 1k in credit baffles me. 20k for a 3 bed house with two occupants, a bill for that amount is so ridiculous it should have flagged up as incorrect before it was sent. It has caused a shed load of stress and time and worry.

dogshome

When the meter change crew made their visit, they should have left you with a card - Probably tucked inside the meter houseing - which recorded the reading on the old meter as it was removed and that of the new meter as it was installed. This is important as 'New' meters are not always new, but reconditioned and show the reading from the last time they were in service

With these End & Start readings, working out your true consumption isn't difficult - Send EDF a photo or photocopy of the card

[Deleted User]

Good point dogshome, yes a card tucked away on the backboard for the electric meter change details and on a yellow sticky label on the bottom of the new gas meter with all details of old imperial meter. Gas meters may not be new. Electric meters usually are new.

CarolineM61

They left the card taped to the side of the meter. I also watched the installer update it all on his tablet thing, and send it to EDF. I took a photo of the card and sent it to EDF with the photos of the meter. The guy who fitted the new one said he had been requested to do so by EDF, which makes sense. EDF say no instruction was ordered, which makes no sense whatsoever. Unless there are sub contractors who randomly drive around, stop at any old house and fit a meter for the fun of it. Bonkers! He knew my supplier and the details of the meter he was replacing, my name and everything. How EDF can say they didn't instigate the exchange is plain daft.

CarolineM61

So, they assured me I would receive a response by email today at the latest, and so far, nothing!