Confusing EDF situation

joew1

Apologies for the long message, but I need some help and don't have anyone else to ask

I have lived in my rented studio since August of 2022. I was originally with eon but changed to edf in October 2022. I have had issues with my energy since the beginning, as I am the first to live in my flat as it is newly renovated (townhouse split into 7 or so flats). My initial suspicion is that the landlord has not split the flats properly, meaning there is not enough electricity meters for each flat which is very strange in itself. However all seemed well until around December, until I got a letter from Edf saying "sorry to see you go", as though I had changed supplier, when I had done nothing of the sort. I spoke with Edf who told me it had been changed to a company called "Pozitive Energy" and Edf were useless and told me I had to ring and find out why and how it had been changed. So I spoke with Pozitive Energy who said it had been changed, they then gave me the name of the new account holder. I ran this past my Landlord and he said no one lives in the building with that name, so I rang again and asked Edf to get my get my account back, which took from the the 20th December to the 9th February.

I submitted meter readings on the 17th of March and received a bill of £795 for my energy usage between the dates of 9/02 and 17/03- so little over a month. I live in a studio flat, not a mansion and I work long hours meaning I spend more time out of the house so I knew this bill was incorrect. So I rang up Edf and they have been genuinely useless. I get connected to a different person each time and am promised a call back which never happens. if you add up the total time I have spent on the phone to them in the past week it is at least 15 hours, 2 of them being from today only. They all say different things to me. One says that the reason it is such a large bill is because it includes the usage from the time I didn't have the account-between December and February- but surely I am not liable for these costs as I was not the bill payer or the account holder at the time. This was mentioned to me by an edf employee when I first had the problem but that seems to have been forgotten. I have said that I will need an amended bill before I pay anything, but I am hesitant to pay for someone else's energy.

I have now spoken to someone today who says that I am not responsible to pay for the usage between December and February, and that the £795 is purely from February and half of March, which is crazy as this equates to around 2200 Kwh. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated as I am only 18 and this is my first flat. I have been estranged from my family for some time now, otherwise I would have asked them first. 

Once again, Thank you very much

Robin9

Contact complaintresolution@edfenergy.com

But first a few questions 

1) when you moved in did you contact the existing supplier ? Who was it ?

2) Did you you then contact EDF and give them a meter reading ?

3) Are you 100% sure the meter you are reading  is yours ? Is it one of a row of meters ?

4) To test if its your meter - switch off the consumer unit by the side of your meter .   Check in your flat - no lights, no power ?  Have any of your neighbours come out complaining?

5)  I assume all electric  -  some heaters are very expensive to run.  1000 Kwh is not impossible.

Are these simple Argos type panel heaters or fancy magic dust ones.  Give us make and model please/

pochase

I understand your post that there is no question that the energy has been used by you and you just think you should not pay for it because the the account was in the name of soembody else due to this person switching your account into their name and a different supplier?

Why do you believe this person should pay for the energy you used? 

EssexHebridean

pochase said:

I understand your post that there is no question that the energy has been used by you and you just think you should not pay for it because the the account was in the name of soembody else due to this person switching your account into their name and a different supplier?

Why do you believe this person should pay for the energy you used? 

2000+kWh in 5 weeks? That would be a huge amount of use. 

The OP made clear that the account was back with EDF from the beginning of the billing period they are questioning - I don't read it that they are trying not to pay, more that they simply feel they are being charged for more than they could possible have used? 

Alnat1

What was the meter reading when you opened your account with EDF in October? What is the meter reading now? You are responsible for paying EDF for all those units.

The account was switched in error and EDF have now put it back to how it was, as if it never happened. Nobody else has used those units (assuming the correct meter is being billed, see Robin's post above) so you need to pay for them.

pochase

EssexHebridean said:

pochase said:

I understand your post that there is no question that the energy has been used by you and you just think you should not pay for it because the the account was in the name of soembody else due to this person switching your account into their name and a different supplier?

Why do you believe this person should pay for the energy you used? 

2000+kWh in 5 weeks? That would be a huge amount of use. 

The OP made clear that the account was back with EDF from the beginning of the billing period they are questioning - I don't read it that they are trying not to pay, more that they simply feel they are being charged for more than they could possible have used? 

Look at the follwoing statements from the OP

One says that the reason it is such a large bill is because it includes the usage from the time I didn't have the account-between December and February- but surely I am not liable for these costs as I was not the bill payer or the account holder at the time.

My guess would be here that the account was moved to the other supplier in December and was only taken back February,

The account was in the name of somebody else, so OP never paid for the energy and now that the account is back EDF will be billing for all energy used between the last meter reading before the account was moved and and the current one.

markin

Someone has to pay for 7 months of use and that is you, No matter what the person on the phone at edf thinks.

The latest bill will be a catch up bill with them lumping all the lost months use into 1 months use.

EssexHebridean

pochase said:

EssexHebridean said:

pochase said:

I understand your post that there is no question that the energy has been used by you and you just think you should not pay for it because the the account was in the name of soembody else due to this person switching your account into their name and a different supplier?

Why do you believe this person should pay for the energy you used? 

2000+kWh in 5 weeks? That would be a huge amount of use. 

The OP made clear that the account was back with EDF from the beginning of the billing period they are questioning - I don't read it that they are trying not to pay, more that they simply feel they are being charged for more than they could possible have used? 

Look at the follwoing statements from the OP

One says that the reason it is such a large bill is because it includes the usage from the time I didn't have the account-between December and February- but surely I am not liable for these costs as I was not the bill payer or the account holder at the time.

My guess would be here that the account was moved to the other supplier in December and was only taken back February,

The account was in the name of somebody else, so OP never paid for the energy and now that the account is back EDF will be billing for all energy used between the last meter reading before the account was moved and and the current one.

I think we need the OP to clarify what the bill actually states - is it:

joew1 said:

<snip>

I submitted meter readings on the 17th of March and received a bill of £795 for my energy usage between the dates of 9/02 and 17/03- so little over a month. 

<Snip>

or does the bill state use from December > March - in which case allowing for it being middle of winter, that use seems far more likely/possible. 

Alnat1

The meter reading when the account was re-opened on 9th February should be exactly the same as the closing meter reading from EDF when the account was switched in error in December.

So, although the bill might appear to only be from February, it also includes all your usage from the time the account was not with EDF.

I am assuming that the OP did not pay Pozitive Energy for any units

joew1

Robin9 said:

Contact complaintresolution@edfenergy.com

But first a few questions 

1) when you moved in did you contact the existing supplier ? Who was it ?

2) Did you you then contact EDF and give them a meter reading ?

3) Are you 100% sure the meter you are reading  is yours ? Is it one of a row of meters ?

4) To test if its your meter - switch off the consumer unit by the side of your meter .   Check in your flat - no lights, no power ?  Have any of your neighbours come out complaining?

5)  I assume all electric  -  some heaters are very expensive to run.  1000 Kwh is not impossible.

Are these simple Argos type panel heaters or fancy magic dust ones.  Give us make and model please/

Hi Robin,

The existing supplier was eon, the switch was very simple, and both companies were contacted. 

2) edf received a meter reading on the day I moved in

3/4) that is something I will try. I didnt realise that was possible. I will try when home from work and report back

5) all electric with no rads. only underfloor heating in bathroom which doesn't get turned on. I have a small heater which I use to dry washing so not on all the time. Im unable to post links on here as I am new. but it is from Argos and called "

Challenge 2kW Convector Heater"

thanks again

joew1

pochase said:

I understand your post that there is no question that the energy has been used by you and you just think you should not pay for it because the the account was in the name of soembody else due to this person switching your account into their name and a different supplier?

Why do you believe this person should pay for the energy you used? 

I should have made this clearer in the original post, I am not disputing whether I should pay for it or not, more the fact that I need a clearer bill before I pay it. as the billing period I have for the £795 is for the 9/02 to the 17/03, so before I pay for usage between December and January I need a bill clearly outlining my usage. when this is supplied I am more than happy to pay it, but the fact they can't/won't supply an accurate bill worries me.