Faulty gas meter and being transfered to different supplier resulting in estimated bill dispute.

Olivia_0103

Hi,

I have landed in a bit grey area so it's a bit long to explain and ask my question. 
I have researched quite a bit but cannot find clear answer. Hope someone here can help.
My last actual meter reading 4400 (we submitted and was validated) was on February and we were automatically transferred from isupply to EDF on May due to isupply is leaving UK market. EDF said in an email they don’t need new meter reading; they will just get everything set up with isupply's record.

On the end of July when I tried to give a meter reading. EDF and I both realised the meter may have been broken as the meter reading is 4330 and not moving up (on the isupply record they had an final estimated meter reading for about 4800). 
After three month they finally installed the new smart meters for us. 

I was told before the new meter installation, EDF will try to get the actual meter reading out from the old machine or work it our somehow. We have also provided the sticker on the new machine which stated the old meter reading on the date it was taken out was 4330.

Basically it means since February our meter reading was all estimate but not actual. EDF have generated two bills on base on the estimated reading from issuply and estimated again on August. Again, now generated an updated bill completely base on the previews estimated reading. I have compared with my previous year summertime usage, the EDF estimated bill for the similar period is nearly double the amount.  I questioned them and they said because the meter was broken, they will not take the final meter reading from the sticker nor estimated from the usage from my previous year at the similar period. If I dispute, they will estimate from my new meter which was just installed two weeks ago and it our wintertime usage. According to our previous year usage we used three times more in the winter and barely used any in the summer when there is no gas heating on.

My question is, what's my legal right when there is no proof of how much I used (under the circumstances that I did not try to break the meter and had tried to enter the meter reading)? What’s EDF’s legal right to ask me to pay an estimate bill or estimate my bill using new meter reading that does not represent my previous usage?

Thank you.

Robin9

@Olivia_0103 What do you think would be fair bearing in mind you have used energy in that period ?

Olivia_0103

Robin9 said:

@Olivia_0103 What do you think would be fair bearing in mind you have used energy in that period ?

Hi Robin, if consider fairness, I would go for using the last year same period's usage as the estimate. However, I want to know what legal stand I have and what legal stand EDF has before filing the complaint as the Citizen Advisor suggested. Thanks. 

Robin9

@Olivia_0103 I agree 

Put in a formal written  - don't email, don't phone - complaint disputing EDF's figures and see how EDF responds.

Olivia_0103

Robin9 said:

@Olivia_0103 I agree 

Put in a formal written  - don't email, don't phone - complaint disputing EDF's figures and see how EDF responds.

Thank you for the sugguestion. May I ask whats the reason you think thats the best way to go forward?
I have this agent who we emailed and phoned for month who sounds helpful and fair but than gave me the final bill and told me the altternative will be using the new meter reading If I dont accept the estimates. Is it in my advance I just drop all communication with her and go for the complaint? I am wonrried I would end of getting the worst bill and have to go futher to the Ombusman. Thanks. 

Robin9

Your choice - either accept the estimate which you say is too high or dispute it

Matthaus73

I had a faulty meter (over charging but same principal applys) through the ombudsman i got edf to monitor my usage over 10 months then use the average to regenerate a bill over the faulty period of the meter.
So my advice would be to tell EDF to use last year's figures or you're going to the ombudsman 

Ectophile

It costs you nothing to go to the ombudsman.  If you do not accept their estimates, the only way forward is to make a complaint.

Olivia_0103

Matthaus73 said:

I had a faulty meter (over charging but same principal applys) through the ombudsman i got edf to monitor my usage over 10 months then use the average to regenerate a bill over the faulty period of the meter.
So my advice would be to tell EDF to use last year's figures or you're going to the ombudsman 

Hi Matthaus,

Thank you for sharing your experience. I though that could be the case (monitor long period from now and regenerate bill again later), it is good to know it has been done like that and if I go forward that is possibaly be the case for me, it will help me to wieght in wheather to go further with Ombudsman as if it's a 10 month average it will include the wintertime and it will probably cost me more. Thank you for the advise I think I will try to get EDF use the last year's figure. 

May I ask is it bacuse EDF managed the complaint badly so you have to go to Ombudsmand? I had eletricity bill issue because of issuply, the other edf customer service was actually really helpful and less harsh. 

Olivia_0103

Ectophile said:

It costs you nothing to go to the ombudsman.  If you do not accept their estimates, the only way forward is to make a complaint.

Hi Ectophile,  Thank you for replying. It can actually cost me if they reganerate the bill again using the wintertime only to estimate it (my wintertime usage is 4 times the summertime usage) and if I have not having a strong legal ground to go forward I am afraind I may have to cut lost here even I know it's more than what I have used according to last summertime. 

Matthaus73

Edf were terrible and wouldn't accept the meter was faulty so I ended up at ombudsman who originally wanted to set the average usage over 6 months but were happy to change it for longer at my request (so it would include more summer to make it realistic)