EDF doubling monthly DD

amyyy_brown

Hi all,

I’ve just submitted meter readings to EDF and they’ve moved my DD up from £58/month to £118/month. 

Our monthly charge for gas and electric combined when we’ve looked at our bill has been £117 in total for the past three months and we’ve build up about £60 of credit. 

We only moved into our flat four months ago, so have no idea if £118/month seems reasonable over winter or not. It just seems a lot when we’ve only spent £58 a month previously (and then kept some of that as credit!)

For reference, we have a two bed upstairs flat. Two people, who both work full time and are out of the flat between 7am-6pm every day. We will use a timer for the heating in winter (half hour in the morning, and maybe an hour in the evening - but haven’t needed to switch it on yet, other than for the odd half hour). We use combi fuel - gas oven and boiler. Shower is only on once a day for approx 10mins.

I’ve asked for a smart meter - but it’s like getting blood from a stone!

Does £118 a month sound reasonable or am I being ripped off?

Thanks in advance. 

[Deleted User]

In truth, £60 of credit is unlikely to see you through the Winter without going into a debit balance situation. The monthly DD payment is not as many suggest a ‘rip off’. All monies paid are credited to your account and charges for the energy used are deducted from the balance on your account.

The first thing to check is whether you are being billed on estimated or actual meter readings? If estimates have been used then you need to read the meters and provide the energy supplier with actual meter readings. Ask them to raise a statement based on these readings. You can then see how much energy you are using and what the cost of this consumption has been.

If you have been billed on actual meter readings, then £20 a month of savings in the summer isn’t that great given that you don’t have the heating on. £20 a month will buy about 66p/day’s worth of heating or 15 to 18kWhs a day. When your boiler starts up it will probably use 18 to 24kWs in the first hour before it modulates down. I live in a well insulated home and my gas usage in Winter is c.£3 a day.

Finally, to put some meat on the bones it looks like your annual energy cost was assessed as 12 x £58 or £696 per year. This is low for dual fuel. EDF is now asking you to pay 3 x £58 plus 9 x £118 or £1236 for the year. Yes, this is a large increase but without knowing more about your flat; the tariff that you are on and the property’s historical usage, it is difficult to know whether you are overpaying. All you can do is provide monthly readings and monitor your credit/debit balance. If the balance is building up, then ask for some of it to be repaid.

Robin9

Has EDF been estimating readings ? Look for the letter E.  Even if your meters were once Smart they may not be so now and you need to read your own meters.


Do your own sums - you know the reading you gave EDF when you moved in - read your meter s today.

Electricity is easy ; gas takes care - make sure you are reading the m3 screen and don't attempt any conversions .

You know the unit rates and standing charges - now its simple sums.

JJ_Egan

OP says just  given readings so as said probable debt .

amyyy_brown

Thanks for replies.

I pay my DD in advance monthly and get my bill once the quarter ends. They didn’t bill me until I submitted readings, so the bill for the past three months is accurate at £117 total. Because I’ve paid in advance, £58 monthly, I’ve built up £57 in credit.

Despite me using under what they expected so far, they’ve estimated I’ll use £118/month through winter. I haven’t paid my own utilities before so don’t know if that seems right or not. It’s fine them taking that much now, but I feel like it will sharp add up as credit if I don’t use as much as they think, like the past three months. It’s better off in my pocket, rather than theirs, right?

Brie

You can always go back to them and agree to disagree.  Suggest an amount in the middle while you get a chance to better judge what your use will be.

Maybe they will agree to £80 with you allowing that should come January you find that you are slipping into arrears you might make a one off payment to help bring the account up to date.  Then again - you should slip into arrears later in the winter with the higher usage which you then can catch up on in the summer.  

Energy companies seem to have a desire to have you in credit year round when it shouldn't be necessary.  After all it's your money and would be better off in your bank account rather than theirs.  Unless you know that you have a real issue with money management of course.

[Deleted User]

Brie said:

You can always go back to them and agree to disagree.  Suggest an amount in the middle while you get a chance to better judge what your use will be.

Maybe they will agree to £80 with you allowing that should come January you find that you are slipping into arrears you might make a one off payment to help bring the account up to date.  Then again - you should slip into arrears later in the winter with the higher usage which you then can catch up on in the summer.  

Energy companies seem to have a desire to have you in credit year round when it shouldn't be necessary.  After all it's your money and would be better off in your bank account rather than theirs.  Unless you know that you have a real issue with money management of course.

The reason that suppliers are falling over is because Ofgem is forcing suppliers not to pursue consumer debt, and along with higher wholesale prices, cashflow - the lifeblood of any company - is being hit. Suppliers are required to pay their wholesalers in advance of supply so, in my opinion,  it is not unreasonable for suppliers to insist that there should be a minimum of one month’s credit on customer accounts: they are not banks. That said, it is evident that some suppliers are playing  ‘fast and loose’ with DD changes in an attempt to keep their businesses afloat.

razord

Are you on a fixed rate tariff?