Here we go again with EDF

in_my_bumble_opinion

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

If you open your EDF account there is a link to change your dd (up or down). 

I've found that if you put in a new amount of no more than approx 20% (+ or -) from the current dd, it's automatically accepted. You can play around with it to see the maximum change allowed.

Any bigger change then use the web 'chat' option. Via chat I've never been refused any new amount I've suggested and it holds at that rate till your next dd review (every 6 months). That's my experience anyway.

Not in mine or my daughter's.

After you log in, click on 'My Direct Debit' from the menu on the left.

You'll then see your current direct debit amount displayed. Below that there is a box that says 'Increase Payments Now'. Click on that and you'll be on a screen inviting you to increase OR decrease your direct debit. The rest is just playing around till you have a decrease/increase that will be accepted.

I suppose they are a bit sneaky to say 'Increase Payments Now' on the box that you click, but behind that is the option to decrease.  

K2rool

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

If you open your EDF account there is a link to change your dd (up or down). 

I've found that if you put in a new amount of no more than approx 20% (+ or -) from the current dd, it's automatically accepted. You can play around with it to see the maximum change allowed.

Any bigger change then use the web 'chat' option. Via chat I've never been refused any new amount I've suggested and it holds at that rate till your next dd review (every 6 months). That's my experience anyway.

Not in mine or my daughter's.

After you log in, click on 'My Direct Debit' from the menu on the left.

You'll then see your current direct debit amount displayed. Below that there is a box that says 'Increase Payments Now'. Click on that and you'll be on a screen inviting you to increase OR decrease your direct debit. The rest is just playing around till you have a decrease/increase that will be accepted.

I suppose they are a bit sneaky to say 'Increase Payments Now' on the box that you click, but behind that is the option to decrease.  

That's a bit sneaky I called them 2 months ago to lower it, It's a bit weird that the link saying increase payments now allows you to lower it, I've left EDF anyway since then so will remember that if I ever end up back on EDF.

Staffordian11

I have been trying to fathom EDFs logic too.

I submitted readings as requested yesterday. I knew the resulting bill would reveal a credit of c £180 depending on the average calorific value since the last bill in March and it was just over this; ideal as a slight cushion towards the winter bills. But they without prompting, refunded the balance to me leaving a £0.00 balance to carry forward.

That in itself isn't a problem. I'd far sooner owe them money than vice versa.

But they also told me they were putting up my DD from the figure of £161pm agreed last month to £215 which they say will cover the £2700 odd estimated cost of my energy over the next 12 months.  Now I know that at the EPG figure, my next 12 months energy will actually come to around £1980. And the wierd thing is, if I log into my EDF account and click on change tariff*, it says they estimate that if I move to the Standard Variable, it will cost me £163 per month, which is roughly what I estimate. So why given they know my usage, they suggest a direct debit 30% above their own estimate beats me...

As a footnote, I too clicked the "Increase direct debit" button to reduce mine to £163. It wouldn't allow that but did allow a change to £172, subsequently confirmed by an email containing all sorts of dire warnings about underpaying, so I've stuck with that rather than argue further.

*I'm on a fix, but one which EDF themselves have said will drop to the EPG cap price from 1 October, so for the next 12 months (or 24 months to be more precise) I shall be on a tariff equal to the one they say will cost me £163pm but for which they want me to pay £215pm

[Deleted User]

Staffordian11 said:

I have been trying to fathom EDFs logic too.

I submitted readings as requested yesterday. I knew the resulting bill would reveal a credit of c £180 depending on the average calorific value since the last bill in March and it was just over this; ideal as a slight cushion towards the winter bills. But they without prompting, refunded the balance to me leaving a £0.00 balance to carry forward.

That in itself isn't a problem. I'd far sooner owe them money than vice versa.

But they also told me they were putting up my DD from the figure of £161pm agreed last month to £215 which they say will cover the £2700 odd estimated cost of my energy over the next 12 months.  Now I know that at the EPG figure, my next 12 months energy will actually come to around £1980. And the wierd thing is, if I log into my EDF account and click on change tariff*, it says they estimate that if I move to the Standard Variable, it will cost me £163 per month, which is roughly what I estimate. So why given they know my usage, they suggest a direct debit 30% above their own estimate beats me...

As a footnote, I too clicked the "Increase direct debit" button to reduce mine to £163. It wouldn't allow that but did allow a change to £172, subsequently confirmed by an email containing all sorts of dire warnings about underpaying, so I've stuck with that rather than argue further.

*I'm on a fix, but one which EDF themselves have said will drop to the EPG cap price from 1 October, so for the next 12 months (or 24 months to be more precise) I shall be on a tariff equal to the one they say will cost me £163pm but for which they want me to pay £215pm

Simply sounds like they're not taking account of the tariff drop on the auto-estimate yet.

And for some reason you're on a September tariff year-end for DD review, hence the auto-refund because you should be at £0 balance at tariff year-end.

molerat

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

If you open your EDF account there is a link to change your dd (up or down). 

I've found that if you put in a new amount of no more than approx 20% (+ or -) from the current dd, it's automatically accepted. You can play around with it to see the maximum change allowed.

Any bigger change then use the web 'chat' option. Via chat I've never been refused any new amount I've suggested and it holds at that rate till your next dd review (every 6 months). That's my experience anyway.

Not in mine or my daughter's.

After you log in, click on 'My Direct Debit' from the menu on the left.

You'll then see your current direct debit amount displayed. Below that there is a box that says 'Increase Payments Now'. Click on that and you'll be on a screen inviting you to increase OR decrease your direct debit. The rest is just playing around till you have a decrease/increase that will be accepted.

I suppose they are a bit sneaky to say 'Increase Payments Now' on the box that you click, but behind that is the option to decrease.  

Nope !

I have changed DD amounts before and the only way was to fill in an on line form.

I think this discussion was had shortly after Zog's demise, some accounts had the option, others not.

Staffordian11

[Deleted User] said:

Staffordian11 said:

I have been trying to fathom EDFs logic too.

I submitted readings as requested yesterday. I knew the resulting bill would reveal a credit of c £180 depending on the average calorific value since the last bill in March and it was just over this; ideal as a slight cushion towards the winter bills. But they without prompting, refunded the balance to me leaving a £0.00 balance to carry forward.

That in itself isn't a problem. I'd far sooner owe them money than vice versa.

But they also told me they were putting up my DD from the figure of £161pm agreed last month to £215 which they say will cover the £2700 odd estimated cost of my energy over the next 12 months.  Now I know that at the EPG figure, my next 12 months energy will actually come to around £1980. And the wierd thing is, if I log into my EDF account and click on change tariff*, it says they estimate that if I move to the Standard Variable, it will cost me £163 per month, which is roughly what I estimate. So why given they know my usage, they suggest a direct debit 30% above their own estimate beats me...

As a footnote, I too clicked the "Increase direct debit" button to reduce mine to £163. It wouldn't allow that but did allow a change to £172, subsequently confirmed by an email containing all sorts of dire warnings about underpaying, so I've stuck with that rather than argue further.

*I'm on a fix, but one which EDF themselves have said will drop to the EPG cap price from 1 October, so for the next 12 months (or 24 months to be more precise) I shall be on a tariff equal to the one they say will cost me £163pm but for which they want me to pay £215pm

Simply sounds like they're not taking account of the tariff drop on the auto-estimate yet.

And for some reason you're on a September tariff year-end for DD review, hence the auto-refund because you should be at £0 balance at tariff year-end.

Guess you are correct, and their left hand doesnt know what the right is doing. My fix, taken in July, worked out at £201pm, and I raised the DD to this figure when I fixed, only lowering it once EDF published their DD rates recently, so why they alienate (and potentially seriously worry and upset) customers by basing new direct debits on figures they know full well are plain wrong smacks of incompetence or worse. I just feel for those less clued up on their usage and the energy market chaos, who are probably the least able to pay the correct amount, let alone EDF's incorrect and inflated estimated amounts

techno12

Had my first 6 month DD review the other week (I'm ex Utiltiy Point now on the EDF svr).

The DD is going up from £74 to £177 from 1st October, but of course that was calculated prior to the govt stepping in with the price guarantee, so grossly overestimated. Their website does say that they'll have some sort of solution for this so we'll see. It should be around £120.

For me it's easy, as I've used around 2500 kWh elec and 3000 gas annually this past 15 years. It's pretty much the same ballpark each year, though the elec went up a fair bit during the pandemic due to WFH, now back to normal as I'm in the office full time again.

wild666

jimjames said:

brightondave said:

do your calculations and TELL THEM what you'll be paying.
If some little old lady received this revised monthly DD she'll either pay it and worry or keel over?   BEWARE.

Good luck with that. If you TELL THEM an amount that doesn't match your usage they'll then be chasing you for the debt that you owe for energy used but not paid for.

I have NEVER accepted my suppliers DD apart from  when I first move to them, after the first two months payments I work out my usage and what a DD should be using the previous twelve months figures and adjust the DD up or down based on those figures. With my previous supplier, Avro I wasn't able to do this so from the start I estimated around 20% more than I actually used in the previous 12 months and that built up a healthy credit balance by the time they went under.

in_my_bumble_opinion

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

If you open your EDF account there is a link to change your dd (up or down). 

I've found that if you put in a new amount of no more than approx 20% (+ or -) from the current dd, it's automatically accepted. You can play around with it to see the maximum change allowed.

Any bigger change then use the web 'chat' option. Via chat I've never been refused any new amount I've suggested and it holds at that rate till your next dd review (every 6 months). That's my experience anyway.

Not in mine or my daughter's.

After you log in, click on 'My Direct Debit' from the menu on the left.

You'll then see your current direct debit amount displayed. Below that there is a box that says 'Increase Payments Now'. Click on that and you'll be on a screen inviting you to increase OR decrease your direct debit. The rest is just playing around till you have a decrease/increase that will be accepted.

I suppose they are a bit sneaky to say 'Increase Payments Now' on the box that you click, but behind that is the option to decrease.  

Nope !

I have changed DD amounts before and the only way was to fill in an on line form.

I think this discussion was had shortly after Zog's demise, some accounts had the option, others not.

Curious. Perhaps the box only appears at certain times in the payment cycle? Maybe it only appears when they review your dd? It's always been there for me, but perhaps I only ever looked when they notified an upcoming change in dd amount?

What about 'chat', is that option showing? That's been an easy way to adjust by larger amounts for me in the past.

inspectorperez

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

molerat said:

in_my_bumble_opinion said:

If you open your EDF account there is a link to change your dd (up or down). 

I've found that if you put in a new amount of no more than approx 20% (+ or -) from the current dd, it's automatically accepted. You can play around with it to see the maximum change allowed.

Any bigger change then use the web 'chat' option. Via chat I've never been refused any new amount I've suggested and it holds at that rate till your next dd review (every 6 months). That's my experience anyway.

Not in mine or my daughter's.

After you log in, click on 'My Direct Debit' from the menu on the left.

You'll then see your current direct debit amount displayed. Below that there is a box that says 'Increase Payments Now'. Click on that and you'll be on a screen inviting you to increase OR decrease your direct debit. The rest is just playing around till you have a decrease/increase that will be accepted.

I suppose they are a bit sneaky to say 'Increase Payments Now' on the box that you click, but behind that is the option to decrease.  

Nope !

I have changed DD amounts before and the only way was to fill in an on line form.

I think this discussion was had shortly after Zog's demise, some accounts had the option, others not.

I think this link takes you to the form you are referring to.

https://my.edfenergy.com/existing-customers/forms/changedd-amount