EDF cocked up bill told us to pay over £6500 - Advice needed please

newty428

The following is a synposis of what has happened:
Our football club has their electricity with EDF, we kept getting estimates and our treasurer was concerned so we arranged for EDF to come and take a reading. EDF ignored this official reading and sent another estimate. The chairman got onto them again and they gave a !!!! and bull story that the original estimate had been archived. We gave the official reading and they sent a bill which created a credit for the club of £4468.05! We requested a refund and after chasing them several times. they requested another reading. We arranged for them to come down again and this time the EDF man gave an incorrect reading. We arranged a meeting and nobody turnt up. Another meeting was arranged and this time someone turnt up and read the meeting again. The chairman queried the reading and the inspector explained that the meters are 6X digit readings, not 5x and all our bills have been estimated on 5X, going back many years it would seem.
The last bill has been backdated a year and is for £6584.07!
EDF is assessing how long we have been billed on a 5x basis and whilst we may be wrong it could go back some years.
I need some independant advice on how to deal with this problem. Surely EDF should take some of the responsibilty if they have been estimating on a 5x rather than a 6X? What can we do ??
Thanks to anyone who can help.

Cardew

If your football club is Manchester United, sell Rooney(to Spurs) pay it and stop your continual moaning!

If not I suggest you ring energywatch and see if they will take up your case; they might put you in touch with someone at ofgem if they can't deal with the case.

The problem is that commercial accounts do not have the safeguards and protection that domestic customers enjoy.

newty428

I don't think Spurs would be able to afford Rooney, thanks for your advice.

MarkyMarkD

Electricity billing isn't rocket science.

Anyone with a calculator and the ability to read a meter can work out how much they owe.

I don't understand why your treasurer couldn't have accomplished this.

Indeed, I'm not sure why anyone gets into a situation of having mistaken bills without noticing.

newty428

For the past year we have tried to make arrangements with EDF to come and read our meter and they either don't turn up, go to the wrong place or it has been read wrong. If it is so simple to work out how much your bill should be, how come "the professionals" keep getting it wrong??

MarkyMarkD

Because they're misreading the meter or reading the wrong meter, not because they can't work out what A x B is.

newty428

So how can we trust them with this bill ? Can you please expain to me how to work it out??
Thanks

MarkyMarkD

Well, firstly, find the electricity meter which is for your property and read it. Compare the reading on the meter to the reading on your latest bill.

If it agrees, there might have been an error in EDF's original reading when they took over the supply, unless they've been the supplier forever. In which case, you'd have to compare your first EDF bill's opening reading with your last bill from the previous supplier.

Keeping_Positive

To work it out you will need the previous bills back to pre dispute (last paid). Work out the number of units used times the cost. The cost will have changed over time so you will need to use the old bills to see what cost. Thats the tricky part as you dont know what was used in each period only.EDF are probably using latest price. It will take time but can be done. A treasurer should be able to.

I would also look to energywatch for help. I think energy suppliers can only back date so far. Good luck.

MarkyMarkD

They will almost definitely NOT just be using latest price.

They do it properly these days and try to recalculate the bills since the last genuine reading.

fatsam1ton

hi

sounds to me like some one has messed up, it could be a few things

1. the meter was incorrectly registered as a 5 digit from the start therefore not the clubs fault ( but the appointments for the meter checks should have asked for the meter man to check the digits) and any reads provided even as given as 6 digits will have only gone through as 5.

2. the meter men cant read meters(again not the clubs faults) but could relate to point 1.

sound to me it sound like point 1. if you had a previous supplier before EDF check what they were billing in, if 6 dial there has been a !!!! up at change over, could be either supliers but they can check!! but if prev suppliers and EDF show 5 dial def problem at instalation and thats the meter operators fault ( the company that owns the meter)

if you ask EDF to check what the meter men were reading previously in the past and they can go back about 5 years, although they wont admit this to you it will porobaly show that all the readings (actual ones not est's) all fall in line with each other.

Normally with elec and gas companys if the meter man reads dont match the ones they use on the system (the ests) the reads normally have to be checked manually as they create errors,
so they have etheir been ignoring these reads, especially since the law states elec reads every 2 years and gas every year, or belive it or not apperantly 6 digit meters are hard to read so the meter men put it through as 5as they dont know as 6 dial, could well be that is actually 6 dial on system but is reg as 0 infront rather than the correct digit.

your best best is to try enerywatch or under the DPA request all readings and activity on the accountto see what is recorded and if they didnt read it as oftern as the law states why not?? unless the club refused access and that would have resulted in warnings and possible court actions. they have breched the law with that!!

if not ask to speak with a manager and if not take it further they would rather settle it before it went to enerywatch than get a black mark agaisnt the name with energy watch. They are often very helpfull if you say to the manager that u will go to energywatch

sorry about the long post but i hope it helps