Is this unhelpful practice by EDF allowed/legal

tokumaru1

I was transferred to EDF from the unfortunately failed Zog for my gas supply. Having set up my account online with them I was initially a 'pay-as-you-go' billed monthly customer.

I was then advised that I would get a cheaper tariff by switching to their direct debit system/rate, which is indeed a little cheaper than their 'standard' tariff for customers transferred from failed providers.

The problem is that with this tariff customers are only billed once every 6 months, you still need to submit a meter reading every month and they take a fixed direct debit payment each month.

Nowhere on their website can you see the status of your account, you can see your direct debit payments that have gone in but you are unable to see how your account rates in credit/debit and how that sits against the energy you have used.

I called them and asked them to send me an account summary showing what I had used and what I had paid for to date, or at least a bill where I could see that information. I was told that I had to provide a meter reading for them to generate a bill. I have done this but am yet to receive a current bill.

The point here is that in these difficult times it is very unhelpful to be unable to see and follow the status of your account with only a bill every 6 months, which could leave many getting a frighteningly high bill unexpectedly as they have been unable to monitor the state of their account (as most companies do allow). It also does not allow timely questioning of any rises in costs or requests to raise direct debit amounts.

Surely a customer should be able to see the status of their account at any time?

I did ask how I could get a monthly bill, either online or on paper so I could follow my usage and billing and match that with the direct debit payments I am making. I was told that to do this I would need to change to another tariff that is 4% more expensive.

Putting aside the question of whether 4% is a fair cost for the production of a monthly bill, is it right to charge to be able to see your account status, usage and billing amounts?

Should energy suppliers, or indeed any company, deny you access to your account status?

Carrieandco

I keep a spreadsheet of my usage so that I always know exactly where I stand with gas, electricity and feed in payments.  My system is always more up to date than theirs!