Help reclaimingfunds from EDF

MrMatt1234

Hello.

I was a Utility point customer in 2021 when they went bust and EDF took over the account on around the 15th of September 21. It seems I was in around £960(!!!) credit on my account. I was told to sit back and wait whilst they sorted it out. I moved house in October 21 and changed my supplier to Octopus.  I have been waiting ever since. I have been talking with them regularly on Whats App and it has been very tiresome with them re-asking security questions every time.This Spring I got fed up and raised a complaint. The complaint ran for a long time so I escalated it to the ombudsman. EDF challenged the fact that the Ombudsman took the case apparently on the grounds that I'm no an EDF customer. The Ombudsman agreed and closed the case. So now I cannot go to the Ombudsman, EDF seem to have closed the complaint as it went to the Ombudsman. They're still holding nearly 1k of my money after 10 months! Is there anything else I can do? 

[Deleted User]

You could issue a Letter Before Action and take EDF Energy to Court. However, you would need to get all your ‘ducks in a row’ before you do so: stating that you are owed around ‘£960’ is not going convince a Court that you have a valid claim. The onus is you to prove that you are owed this money.

That said, given that EDF Energy does actually owe you a penny in respect of the failure of UP, you should take legal advice before going down this route. Get it wrong and you could well end up paying EDF Energy’s legal costs.

pochase

EDF is the SOLR for Utility Point, so it is strange that the Ombudsman would agree with EDFs argument that they are not your supplier. 

Was your UP account transferred to EDF? Did you received any information from them that an account was created?

Have you received a final bill from UP or any bill at all? Is the £960 maybe just the direct debits you paid?

If you take it to court you might have a problem with the Ofgem decision that you are not a EDF customer. Did either the Ombudsman or EDF give any reason why they believe that to be the case even so EDF is SOLR for UP? There must be something why they believe you were never a customer. 

TheMilkmansDad

Technically you are not a EDF customer as you've moved houses and have a new supplier.  Have you received a final bill from EDF when you gave them you final meter reads and date? What did this bill show as the opening balance?

Have you received a final bill from UP? What does that show as the closing balance?

[Deleted User]

pochase said:

EDF is the SOLR for Utility Point, so it is strange that the Ombudsman would agree with EDFs argument that they are not your supplier. 

I am the last person to defend the Ombudsman but in many respects its hands are tied. The Ombudsman investigates nothing: it just looks at the evidence provided to it by the complainant and supplier. If the SoLR states that it is having issues reconciling the complainant’s final account with the Administrator of UP then there is absolutely nothing that the Ombudsman can rule on. It cannot take enforcement action against a failed supplier.

Thinking about it, the OP’s best action is to contact the Administrator of UP and ask for a final bill. Moreover, by now EDF Energy should have agreed and posted the meter reading for the SoLR appointment date. I would have thought that if would be a pretty simple exercise to look through past UP bills and work out whether £960 is accurate. 

wild666

When EDF took over did you provide an opening reading for the account plus a closing reading when you moved home. Given that EDF are now not your energy provider, if you paid EDF a monthly DD then you are certainly owed any money not used between the first payment and the closing reading being paid to EDF. 

What I would do is take the opening reading and work out the costs to 31/3/22, inc. SC's, at the previous SVR then the costs from 1/4/22 to the time of the closing reading, this should give an amount that you are due from EDF.