EDF Billing

iosullivan

Hello,
I was originally with Utility point and such moved to EDF. I am struggling to understand my billing with them and also if I can go onto monthly direct debit.

When utility point went bust, I cancelled my DD as was very much in credit - Now with EDF they have put me on to a cycle of monthly billing/Cash payment. I took a meter reading at time of EDF taking over and all seems ok until my first and 2nd bill arrived. First bill I nearly passed out when they suggested I used nearly £146 for 1 Month useage but I can see it covers me from meter reading done in September till reading in December (Smart meter reading) So I paid up as required. Now in January I get a bill that they have then credited the original bill and then invoiced me from my reading when I joined till bill date and shows I now owe £125.00. No idea why they credited the original bill.
I have figured out that I am roughly paying around £85.00 a mouth (Give or take) 
Question is can I ask to be changed to DD but they are suggesting on there page I need to pay a DD of £125 per month (£1400 a year) but I can prove differently. Or could go on to there fixed deal (£265 a month - Let me think...) I have still yet to get my credit from Utility point and don't know when I will get this. Another question as my Gas is with British Gas I suppose there is no point in trying to change to have both supplied by one company? Also has any one else had issues with billing from EDF? Oh and trying to get through to them is near enough impossible

QrizB

EDF offer the option to pay the bill in full each month by DD. This gets you the lower DD tariff but means you're only billed for what you've used (so long as you remember to submit monthly meter readings).

If you switch to budget DD (where you pay the same amount every month) you'll only get billed every 6 months, so you'll have 6 months before you know if you're paying too much or not.

Gerry1

iosullivan said:

Oh and trying to get through to them is near enough impossible

Try customer_correspondence@EDFEnergy.com or write to FREEPOST: EDF ENERGY - PLYMOUTH.

booshya

iosullivan said:

Hello,
I was originally with Utility point and such moved to EDF. I am struggling to understand my billing with them and also if I can go onto monthly direct debit.

When utility point went bust, I cancelled my DD as was very much in credit - Now with EDF they have put me on to a cycle of monthly billing/Cash payment. I took a meter reading at time of EDF taking over and all seems ok until my first and 2nd bill arrived. First bill I nearly passed out when they suggested I used nearly £146 for 1 Month useage but I can see it covers me from meter reading done in September till reading in December (Smart meter reading) So I paid up as required. Now in January I get a bill that they have then credited the original bill and then invoiced me from my reading when I joined till bill date and shows I now owe £125.00. No idea why they credited the original bill.
I have figured out that I am roughly paying around £85.00 a mouth (Give or take) 
Question is can I ask to be changed to DD but they are suggesting on there page I need to pay a DD of £125 per month (£1400 a year) but I can prove differently. Or could go on to there fixed deal (£265 a month - Let me think...) I have still yet to get my credit from Utility point and don't know when I will get this. Another question as my Gas is with British Gas I suppose there is no point in trying to change to have both supplied by one company? Also has any one else had issues with billing from EDF? Oh and trying to get through to them is near enough impossible

To answer your questions in order:

1. Yes you can switch to payment by DD as you have already discovered.
But you don't set the level of the DD, just as you didn't when you were supplied by failed supplier, Utility Point.
EDF will set the level of DD as the estimated annual cost of the lower priced tariff you will gain by agreeing to payment by DD, divided by 12. (just as UP did)
The estimated annual cost is based upon an estimate of the annual usage based upon your previous usage, which you are advised.
If you think that usage estimate is wrong, you will need to contact EDF with evidence.
(from what I've seen, the estimated usage is very similar to the figures UP would have quoted on your recent bills from them, so proving otherwise may be difficult. You may need to double check your own sums)
EDF will review your amount paid at laest every 6 months to ensure you are not paying too much or too little.

2. Yes, you could also switch to EDF's fixed rate offering if you desire the surety of fixed rates for the duration. (Remember, it is the tariff rates that are fixed, .not the price you will pay or the level of DD. The more you use, the more you will pay)
Plenty of advice on this site about this, much of which is based on what Martin Lewis has been saying.
Even EDF say:
"You may be better off staying with your current supplier for the winter and remaining on their Standard Variable tariff, so your prices are protected by the Ofgem Price Cap."
So yes, do think about it carefully before opting for a fixed rate tariff.

3. EDF cannot credit any balance you say is owed to you from failed supplier, UP, until UP in administration produce a final bill confirming such amount. As I understand it from post on this very forum, those final bills are only currently being produced and it may be next month before that is complete. Any credit agreed as owed will then be added to your EDF account in due course and will be taken into account when your next DD review takes place. Or you could try and request a change to your monthly payment after the amount is credited, but presumably most credit you accumulated with UP will be used in your high winter usage with EDF in any event.
(If not, why did you allow such a large credit balance to accumulate with UP in the first place???)

4. Correct, there is no point trying to switch your electricity supply to Britsih Gas.

5. Plenty of threads on here discussing EDF, and in particular ex-UP customers now being supplied by EDF.
The general EDF feedback thread can be found here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4415595/edf-energy-reviews-give-your-feedback
You can read for yourself whether anyone has had any billing issues with EDF, No point repeating those comments here.

6. For ways to contact EDF, please refer to the EDF website (and follow the advice given there!):
https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/help-support/contact-us

Or you can write to them using the freepost address posted above

Fairzo

EDF is readily contactable via Twitter Direct Message.

booshya

QrizB said:

EDF offer the option to pay the bill in full each month by DD. This gets you the lower DD tariff but means you're only billed for what you've used (so long as you remember to submit monthly meter readings).

If you switch to budget DD (where you pay the same amount every month) you'll only get billed every 6 months, so you'll have 6 months before you know if you're paying too much or not.

I've not seen the option to pay allowing a customer to pay monthly in full by DD that can be applied for online (but that was for ex-Zog customers, rather than ex-UP customers)
I know EDF say they offer this option, you you may have to contact EDF to specifically  request this.

If you use the budget DD option (that is available online and is presumably all the OP can see) you can monitor how you are progressing by taking regular meter readings and using your own spreadsheet. Many MSE'ers say they do this anyway, whatever their supplier, to ensure the bills their supplier produce are correct

I think EDF produce an online updated statement of account (not a formal statement/bill) whenever you provide them a new meter reading so you can check how you are progressing that way too ... or at least they used to. Been a long time since I was last supplied by EDF.

[Deleted User]

Fairzo said:

EDF is readily contactable via Twitter Direct Message.

Not in my recent experience. Its response times have definitely deteriorated. Moreover, when contact is made, there seems to be little information for the agents to convey. They contend that they do not have closing balances from Zog, or any timescale for same. 

Foxymum1977

Sounds similar to the issue I’m having with British Gas 🙄

Curiousgirl1

surely that’s understandable. They have potentially an extra 234,000 customers trying to contact them to chase up final bills & balances with probably no more staff to handle it. British Gas, EON, Octopus, etc will be all the same. As much as it’s a pain, bills will be sent & balances will be credited, it just all takes time. 

booshya

Deleted_User said:

Fairzo said:

EDF is readily contactable via Twitter Direct Message.

Not in my recent experience. Its response times have definitely deteriorated. Moreover, when contact is made, there seems to be little information for the agents to convey. They contend that they do not have closing balances from Zog, or any timescale for same. 

I don't use twitter, no intention of starting anytime soon, and even if I were so inclined, would not be using it to engage in commercial conversations/negotiation with any supplier.

So I can't comment on that.

With regards to former Zog customers, I believe Zog have now issued final bills to all their customers via email (as they always did issue their bills)

booshya

Curiousgirl1 said:

surely that’s understandable. They have potentially an extra 234,000 customers trying to contact them to chase up final bills & balances with probably no more staff to handle it. British Gas, EON, Octopus, etc will be all the same. As much as it’s a pain, bills will be sent & balances will be credited, it just all takes time. 

As I understand it, Octopus as the appointed SoLR for Avro are authorised and are issuing the final bills of affected ex-Avro customers.

So it's entirely in Octopus's hands.

But I agree, they are making the same pigs ear of it as the other suppliers who are awaiting the information to be provided to them by the suppliers in administration who are issuing their own final bills.