Urgh - Dispute with EDF

Sarah_81

Hi all

I signed a contract for a 6 month tenancy on 30th November 2016 and set up an account with EDF to take over the electric supply to the property on 1st December 2016. The switch happened on the 9th December 2017. The opening reading I gave was the reading on the check-in inventory form (there was a dated picture of the meter read)

I moved in on the 19th December 2016 and everything was fine until 29th January when I went to give an updated meter reading. Noticed on the account that there were 2 readings. Went to have a look at the meter and found out I have a rate 1 and rate 2. The letting agent just took a photo of the 'total' screen which was the only reading I had until then.

I contacted EDF to question why my opening meter readings said what they did on my online account (a higher amount than what my meter currently said). They told me they had taken estimated readings from the previous supplier as I hadn't told them the actual rate 1 and rate 2 readings upon moving in, and the total was useless.

Until the 29th Jan I had no idea meters could even have 2 sets of readings. I hold my hands up and admit that I should have checked this before giving an opening reading (but I'm sure I would have still done it wrong if I didn't know to look at the 2 rates) The meter is a single meter that you can cycle through the screens; rate 1, rate 2, total, date, time. The rate that is currently being charged is 'static' on the meter. So I'm sure even if I HAD checked it on moving in I would have just given the rate currently showing.

Anyway, I have had to take 7 days of readings so they can calculate my average, back date for 6 weeks (from moving in date) and then they can bill me. Until then my account is on hold and they won't/can't issue a bill.

I've been given a dispute number and told to expect an outcome in 28 days.

The thing I find funny is I'm trying to be honest and tell them the readings on my account are estimated higher than the actual readings; in other words, at the moment I'm getting 'free' electric. I could understand a big dispute if I was requesting the opening readings to be made higher, but I'm asking for the opposite.

The figures aren't a huge amount different; if I had waited another month before giving a reading my usage would have gone over what my opening reading is, I would have put the new reading in and wouldn't have even known.

I'm just a bit worried as I'm up against time now; my rented apartment is being sold so I can't stay past the end of May. I was thinking of buying it myself but just had news my department at work is at High Risk of redundancy so last thing I need to now is buy a flat.

I'm sure I will get the bill eventually - they will charge me for the usage and that is fine. But what worries me is if the dispute is not sorted by the time I have to move will it stop me from using them again in the new place? And will it mean they can't close the account here?