Just got a bizzare email from EDF

AutumnM

Honestly just baffled here. I just got an email from EDF energy saying that I have outstanding bills at an address from the years 2011 - 2013. Apparently I was sent a final bill in July 2013, but have only got round to sending me an email today. A few problems with this though;

The letter is headed as "Mrs". I've never been married before.
I have also never owned a house before. I still don't own a house, and I am certainly not a customer of EDF's.
I didn't even move into the addressed property until 2015
In 2011, I was 14 years old.
I've checked the account number given - and it doesn't match up with... well, with anything. None of my relatives recognise that number.
At the very least, EDF got my email address right. That being said, how on earth did they get my university email address?

At first I thought this was a scam, but the account number and phone numbers seem to come up as legit on a quick google search. I figured that if this goes any further then common sense would prevail (no EDF, I don't owe you anything between the ages of 14 and 16 years old), but just to check, is there anything left to do on my end or can I just ignore this?

anniecave

What phone number does it ask to call back on? Sounds strange that they are emailing you, normally suppliers try to contact you via letter? Is it actually from EDF, not another company on behalf of them?



It sounds possibly like a case of incorrect information, that they they have been given your details as the responsible person for the time period, even though you were not.



I personally would probably contact them and tell them that you were not living at the address in question during the time period in question. I assume you would maybe have a tenancy agreement or something to back up as confirmation of when you did start living there, if they wanted this.

twotonealex

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5844054

Don't know if this has anything to do with it?

D_M_E

It's an email so just ignore it - maybe save it in a folder somewhere and put any further of the same thing in the folder with it for future reference.

Only when they write to you - an actual letter in an envelope delivered through your door - is the time to do something about it.

If they still persist, send them the provit letter, available here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2607247

and see what they come back with.

You have a solid defence against this if they do pursue it - you were underage at the time and so therefore could not have legally entered into a contract of any sort as a minor, besides the fact that you did not take up residence at the address until well after the billed period.

Keep any evidence of the start of your occupancy just in case.

AutumnM

The numbers I've got are 0800 015 1736 and 0800 096 8926. The email seems to be from EDF themselves, not a third party. They might have sent a letter, but I don't live at this address for most of the year, so I'm not sure.

I've clicked on the link but I don't see anything to do with the name "Lowell" in my email. Everything is headed as EDF themselves, so I am not sure if it is related? (Side note - I like how EDF makes a major blunder, then expects the general public to clear up after it's mess.)

EDIT: D_M_E, great idea. I'll double check to see if any letters have been sent - if so, I'm going with this.

Skools_Out

AutumnM wrote: »

Honestly just baffled here. I just got an email from EDF energy saying that I have outstanding bills at an address from the years 2011 - 2013. Apparently I was sent a final bill in July 2013, but have only got round to sending me an email today. A few problems with this though;

The letter is headed as "Mrs". I've never been married before.
I have also never owned a house before. I still don't own a house, and I am certainly not a customer of EDF's.
I didn't even move into the addressed property until 2015
In 2011, I was 14 years old.
I've checked the account number given - and it doesn't match up with... well, with anything. None of my relatives recognise that number.
At the very least, EDF got my email address right. That being said, how on earth did they get my university email address?

At first I thought this was a scam, but the account number and phone numbers seem to come up as legit on a quick google search. I figured that if this goes any further then common sense would prevail (no EDF, I don't owe you anything between the ages of 14 and 16 years old), but just to check, is there anything left to do on my end or can I just ignore this?

How do you check the legitimacy or otherwise of energy account numbers via google? :eek:

Oh, and welcome to MSE btw.

buglawton

Looks like EDF need to be reported to
https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/make-a-complaint

When several official complaints roll in, they'll soon sharpen up their act.

Skools_Out

I remember Hengus recommending people shouild report their complaints to Ofgem.

I hope he won't be too offended, in his current absence, if I were to post their email address again
consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk

If they get enough complaints, they could ultimately shut the supplier down.