Green Energy to EDF - First Bill is massive!!!! Help Please!

[Deleted User]

Hi,

can you check if the final reading from Green is same as opening reading used by EDF?

Keep_pedalling

TooTrusting_2 said:

The contract is for electricity only.   

His house (and water) is heated by oil fired central heating but he mostly uses an open fire in his living room. Electricity is really only for his lighting, TV (and the like), cooking and washing clothes. There is no heating done with electricity.

Presumably his boiler is off most of the time while using the open fire. Hot water tanks also have an electric heating element as a back-up heating option, it would be worth checking to make sure that is not left permanently on.

TooTrusting_2

QrizB said:

His GNE / EDF bill will look something like mine did (link). It should show what his balance was when EDF took over from GNE and how much he's been paying since then.

Thanks for your help. His first EDF statement was very confusing and I'm not trying to be funny but it made yours look very straight forward. It was three or four pages long, made up of calculations that were then used to reset his account from GNE and the recalculate the total for EDF and then there had been some rate changes because they switched him to a variable rate, so the calc was then split down further. I eventually understand what they were doing and why, but it did take me quite a while to work through and fully understand. He stood no chance with that to be fair. Anyway, not to worry.

TooTrusting_2

doodling said:

The way through this is agree with EDF:
1. That the arrears can be paid off over several years rather than just over a year.
2. A new direct debit which reflects the actual consumption, plus an agreed amount to pay off the arrears.

This will probably take some work to arrange as EDF, quite reasonably, will want their money ASAP.  You will need to emphasise the difficult financial circumstances. Ultimately, providing that EDF is getting more money each month than is being spent on electricity then they may be flexible.

Thank you for your help.
 Yes, I agree that seems to be the best way forward. I will sit down with him today and see if I can work out a budget that he can afford and then give EDF a call and see if we can organise a manageable amount on top of his current consumption to pay off the arrears.

TooTrusting_2

t0rt0ise said:

Do make sure the bill is correct. I have, in the past, had a completely made up bill from the new provider. Luckily I could tell them what it should be and they took my word for it. It just depends what the old supplier's records are like.

Thanks for your help.
I am concerned about this part, because I am struggling to find anything from GNE certainly on paper. I have an inkling that it was all online, so will have to scour his emails and see if there is anything there. I have tried his GNE account login and that is no more. He really isn't very switched on with tech and computers and internet things, I'm not sure how he ended up with an online account as he does everything with printed bills through the post normally. 
I wanted to find the last reading from GNE so as to ensure it was passed over correctly, and the first EDF reading (which was an estimate) was correct and not an error. I have done some rough calculations of his very recent usage and it seems quite low tbf.

[Deleted User]

TooTrusting_2 said:

t0rt0ise said:

Do make sure the bill is correct. I have, in the past, had a completely made up bill from the new provider. Luckily I could tell them what it should be and they took my word for it. It just depends what the old supplier's records are like.

Thanks for your help.
I am concerned about this part, because I am struggling to find anything from GNE certainly on paper. I have an inkling that it was all online, so will have to scour his emails and see if there is anything there. I have tried his GNE account login and that is no more. He really isn't very switched on with tech and computers and internet things, I'm not sure how he ended up with an online account as he does everything with printed bills through the post normally. 
I wanted to find the last reading from GNE so as to ensure it was passed over correctly, and the first EDF reading (which was an estimate) was correct and not an error. I have done some rough calculations of his very recent usage and it seems quite low tbf.

How does the opening reading used by EDF compare to what is showing on his meter? Clearly, if they coincide then then there is no argument that the energy has been used. Very few of the smaller (cheaper) suppliers will provide printed statements. Those that do often raise a charge for doing so.

QrizB

TooTrusting_2 said:

t0rt0ise said:

Do make sure the bill is correct. I have, in the past, had a completely made up bill from the new provider. Luckily I could tell them what it should be and they took my word for it. It just depends what the old supplier's records are like.

Thanks for your help.
I am concerned about this part, because I am struggling to find anything from GNE certainly on paper. I have an inkling that it was all online, so will have to scour his emails and see if there is anything there.

In my experience, I didn't receive a GNE bill by email until EDF sent me the closing one. Everything was online. That could just be me, of course; I joined GNE quite late in their life.

TooTrusting_2

ItsComingRome said:

TooTrusting_2 said:

Not everyone is capable of working out these statements, and I must admit that it took me a while to work out what the first EDF statement was actually saying. 

No, but most people are capable of reading the meter and submitting it to their energy provider.
They don't need to have any understanding of what the numbers mean.
It's an interesting definition of "unfair" for someone to pay for the energy they use.

I understand what you are saying and agree in it's simplest form, as the actual reading of a meter is not difficult. But I think that possibly the route of the problem may be that he foolhardy and maybe naively placed his trust in the matter that he was told that if he had a smart meter fitted it would save him having to give readings, as they could see what electricity he has used (and use real reading and not use estimates). That plus it was inferred that if he set up a DD they could change that to adjust how much they needed to take, so he would always be paying for what he used. I have some sympathy with this as I have experienced the sales pitches used, but I have a much better understand of how things work (than he does) and can therefore easily reason with this.
It is important to stipulate, there is no intention of trying to get out of something that is owed, but merely an attempt to ensure it is actually what he owes, and to investigate if he can be allowed to pay it in a manner that is fair and manageable to what money he has on a fixed income of a pension.

TooTrusting_2

MWT said:

Make sure your brother-in-law is on the 'Priority Services Register' at his current supplier and if he switches make sure he registers each time.

It won't fix this problem now, but it will give his provider the chance to know that he may need a little extra help with things like meter readings.

I didn't know this is an option. I will definitely look into this because he would very much benefit from it. Thank you.

TooTrusting_2

Keep_pedalling said:

TooTrusting_2 said:

The contract is for electricity only.   

His house (and water) is heated by oil fired central heating but he mostly uses an open fire in his living room. Electricity is really only for his lighting, TV (and the like), cooking and washing clothes. There is no heating done with electricity.

Presumably his boiler is off most of the time while using the open fire. Hot water tanks also have an electric heating element as a back-up heating option, it would be worth checking to make sure that is not left permanently on.

Yes, he tends to have the fire on once he is sitting in the living room and really only has the heating on when he gets particularly cold to warm the whole house up, etc. The house seems pretty good at holding the heat thankfully. He does heat his water with the boiler on timer a couple of time a day (an hour each morning and early evening). The emersion is switched off (I did check), I don't think he even knows that there is an emersion heater fitted as the switch is well hidden away in the airing cupboard.