Refund from EDF - after 6 years...?

TotalNoob

I have received a refund cheque from EDF today with a "Sorry to hear you're leaving" letter.
But, my account was closed in 2014, shortly after I moved in (and switched to a cheaper supplier).
I'm still at the same address with the same phone number, mobile number and email, so there should be no issues contacting me.
After 6 years, shouldn't there be some interest involved?

MWT

So after 6 years a company does the right thing, utterly unprompted, and sends you a cheque you were not expecting and your first reaction is to ask for interest... ?

... perhaps the first question should be if you are actually owed anything at all, perhaps it is a complete mistake, especially since you obviously didn't expect it...

TotalNoob

Of course that wasn't my first reaction. I don't know what the people you usually mix with are like, but I'm pretty sure that most would have figured that out. Talk about stating the bleeding obvious!
I managed to get in touch with them (even though the phone number on their letter didn't work) and they confirmed that this was the balance of my account when closed.
Why did you even bother to respond, if you had nothing helpful to add?

Gerry1

If your account was closed shortly after you moved in, presumably the overpayment will have been small and the interest only few pennies?

MWT

... the helpful bit was to check that the refund was actually yours, which you neglected to mention you had already done in your post...

TotalNoob

MWT said:

... the helpful bit was to check that the refund was actually yours, which you neglected to mention you had already done in your post...

Why would I do that, as it had nothing to do with the question?
I suggest you hesitate from leaping to judgements.

TotalNoob

Gerry1 said:

If your account was closed shortly after you moved in, presumably the overpayment will have been small and the interest only few pennies?

Actually £35, as the payment was in advance for an estimated bill.
You could be right, maybe it would be insignificant, but it would be good to know.

Neil_Jones

TotalNoob said:

I have received a refund cheque from EDF today with a "Sorry to hear you're leaving" letter.
But, my account was closed in 2014, shortly after I moved in (and switched to a cheaper supplier).
I'm still at the same address with the same phone number, mobile number and email, so there should be no issues contacting me.
After 6 years, shouldn't there be some interest involved?

No.  No different to when you "lose" money through dormant bank accounts, they all go into an account somewhere which doesn't get any interest and you get it back as it was when you last touched it 15 years previously.

Of course it could be argued if you'd monitored your energy account in 2014 you would have noticed the credit after your final bill had been generated and chased its return up sooner, and then it would have gained interest...

TotalNoob

Neil_Jones said:

Of course it could be argued if you'd monitored your energy account in 2014 you would have noticed the credit after your final bill had been generated and chased its return up sooner, and then it would have gained interest...

Very true, although I had a lot going on at the time (that's my excuse...)