EDF Energy, OMBUDSMAN, UK Power Networks HELP please

2specialangels

I have lived at my address 18years. On using the compare tool. I always pop in my annual usage- without any issues. I swapped to EDF October 18. Agreed a DD of £75 per month. The email states annual review- which always makes sense- as you use less in Summer than Winter. February I received my bank statement to see that EDF had taken out £300 instead of £75!. I called they told me that I had added in incorrect figures to gain a low monthly DD!- this was not the case. I stated that I would carry on paying £75 to them in 4 months. I was concerned on the call that it was highlighted that I had used DOUBLE my usage in 6mnths to usual with no actual changes at our house in usage. I explained I was not in a position for them to just take 4 times our agreed DD- and usually it falls correct after summer months- historically. I stated in all the years before a switch I have NEVER had a huge bill never more than £50 and sometimes a refund!!. I was to investigate and did highlight on the call that UK Power Networks within the period of December had pushed through 2 sheets to say they were carrying out upgrades to our tiny rural village. I had a photo of a workman in my meter with mains cable disconnected. I carried out a tracking sheet, looking at readings, final bills then working out our average usage right back to 2015. It became obvious from the tracking that the period I had questioned 182 days average of 53.24 when comparing similar dates an months was 25.00 !. The most bizarre was that after the upgrades finished... our usage dropped back. I sent this to EDF Executive team- who disregarded this. Told me to contact the Ombudsman- however many times I stated that it was now back... they insisted that we have a check meter fitted- only to prove as I stated- that it was back normal. I contacted our house insurance solicitors to send all the tracking and photo of UK Power Networks- they said we have a case...then retracted as it would cost £25k- £30k for a £2000 outstanding bill. I want to switch as June our term ends- however cant until this is resolved. I really need some help as to what to do now to resolve and move forward. I called the executive team, as a last ditch attempt to withdraw the charges over our usual for the 182 days and the response was no take us to court, you will get nowhere, as the check meter proved that it is correct- the whole reason I did not want one- as I stated it was running back at normal again. HELP/ADVISE please OR anyone had similar, or DIRECTION I need to take next. Thank you, greatly appreciated, in advance.Sandra * I had attached the tracking.

Gerry1

It certainly looks like there's something unusual.  But what a shame that you didn't take monthly readings, it would have made the investigation so much easier.  Have you submitted a formal complaint and asked for a deadlock letter so that you can go to the Ombudsman?

Also see the Rogue Meters thread.

victor2

Your meter went round to zero in the period of reported high usage.

Is it a digital meter and perhaps possible that when the new cable into it was connected it reset your meter to zero, effectively adding up to 5,000 kWh of "usage"? What is the significance of the 19/02/2019 date in your spreadsheet when the meter reading was on 8/6/19?

With no history of readings over that 6 month period, it is impossible to see what happened and when.

Backbiter

We are in a very similar position with EDF. We switched in March 2019 and they set up a DD of £105 for dual fuel, roughly what we were paying with British Gas. We had a BG smart meter, but after switching were told it was not compatible. BG sent them our final readings - taken by them via smart meter - which EDF accepted. The electricity reading was 9888.
Two days later I looked at our smart meter to see if it still functioned, and was startled to notice the reading was 11233 - showing a consumption of 1245 kWh in two days. Our annual electricity consumption averages 5650 kWh dating back to 2015. I have our bills to confirm this. The photo I took shows we used almost a quarter of our annual electricity in the first two days of being EDF customers.
Since that day, our consumption has been totally in line with our prior usage. But EDF have charged us for those two days. Our DD was increased to £155 pm, but has now come down to £125 - still 20% higher than under BG.
We have made numerous complaints to them, which we escalated two weeks ago. They claim they will resolve the matter by the end of this week.
I am not optimistic, as they are not in a position to come out and look at the meter. They have asked for details of EVERY appliance (make, model) from fridge to kettle to toaster to hair dryer to mobiles/ tablets, so they can analyse our usage. That took an age to provide, and we have not yet had acknowledgement. Obviously 5 years of bills showing our usage isn't sufficient for them.
Our tariff ends next month and we are desperate to switch, but can't do so until they resolve the complaint.

Gerry1

Unfortunately your spreadsheet has so many mistakes, missing entries, missing rows and days double counted that it's impossible to see what happened.  Frankly, it's just a mess !  Sorry to sound harsh, but that's what you'll be told if it's analysed in any detail; they'll tear it to shreds.

You need to go back and check it thoroughly, otherwise the conclusions can be very misleading.  In particular. check A3, B3, B11, B19, C3, H18, Row 12, Row 26 and Row 27 (which is chronologically out of sequence).

If you had a monthly reading that had showed a 10-fold increase that might be reasonable evidence, but the greatly varying time intervals make it too vague to be of much use; it's quite possible that cold weather, a leaking hot tap, longer showers or whatever could significantly have increased usage.

Unless you can produce a much more accurate and easy to understand document, it may be best forgotten.  Just ask for a payment plan and vow to take readings on the same day of every month from now on.

Gerry1

Did any neighbours have a similar problem?

2specialangels

Thank you for all your replies. 

Yes it was taken to deadlock. Sadly we are on an old type meter. 

With regards to the spreadsheet- this was our only way to investigate- from looking back at bills- actual readings provided- working out the number of days- to generate at average. We also had to list every single item of electric on our home for EDF. On supply of this- EDF used this against us to the Ombudsman- stating it was correct to our charges and usage. 

In 18years we have never had issues, at the end of the year-,no problems- but now we can’t see a way out- except payment. 

2specialangels

19th Feb was the day I called after identifying a DD for £300 was taken on our bank account. - 4 times the agreed date. 

We are old meter not digital- sadly. 

stewie_griffin

Your readings/usage are all over the place. When you say old meter do you mean the clock face type one? If so then I think you've just been misreading it. The fact the latest reading taken by EDF is lower than your last reading backs this up.

Over the first 3 years you've averaged about 8k a year, but then some years it's about 2k. I suspect your readings in 2018 are wrong. If you look at the overall average per day from the first reading to the latest then it's 26 which is in line with what you expect.

It would be easier if you use the British date format rather than the US one.

stewie_griffin

Can you list all your meter readings and dates again please as there's lots of discrepancies in your spreadsheet.

victor2

stewie_griffin said:

Your readings/usage are all over the place. When you say old meter do you mean the clock face type one? If so then I think you've just been misreading it. The fact the latest reading taken by EDF is lower than your last reading backs this up.
....

It would be easier if you use the British date format rather than the US one.

If you look at the EDF reading date, it does fall in line with the other readings. Dates are in British format as far as I can see, but the spreadsheet is bit of a mess, to put it politely. Apologies OP, presumably you've never used Excel before this, and it is tough for a beginner to come to terms with. I tried to check some of the usage and found a letter O as a leading zero before some of the later readings, perhaps because you found the zero was not being displayed.

I can understand it is being used to document events and communications, but it if you ever want to use it to help explain the situation, it would benefit from someone who understands spreadsheets a little to give it a "once over".