EDFs ability to fail to do anything

Gerry1

Guss said:

So is there a third party check on the handover or does the new supplier's data collector (in this case it will be Octopus) do the reading and then pass it on to EDF by established portals.

@Alnat1 is 100% correct. The meter reading produced by the data collector may not match what is shown on your meter. For electricity, the industry allows a discrepancy of +/- 250 kWh.

Why allow a discrepancy of 250 units!!?  Our discrepancy is over 4000 units!

Rightly or wrongly, this is the way that The Mysterious Third Party works and you can't change it.

https://help.so.energy/support/solutions/articles/7000046447

But whatever the opening reading for the new supplier is determined to be, the closing reading used by the old supplier must be the same.  If not, make a formal complaint and go to the ombudsman upon receipt of a deadlock letter or after eight weeks if they don't send one.

Guss

QrizB said:

Guss said:

So is there a third party check on the handover or does the new supplier's data collector (in this case it will be Octopus) do the reading and then pass it on to EDF by established portals.

@Alnat1 is 100% correct. The meter reading produced by the data collector may not match what is shown on your meter. For electricity, the industry allows a discrepancy of +/- 250 kWh.

Why allow a discrepancy of 250 units!!?  Our discrepancy is over 4000 units!

If the discrepancy between the agreed reading and the actual reading is greater than 250 kWh, you can challenge it and (usually) get it changed. A smaller discrepancy can't usually be disputed.

Guss said:

If the switch reading is higher than your meter reading, then you overpay EDF. Octopus only charges you the daily standing charge until your meter reading passes the switch reading. If the switch reading is lower then you underpay EDF.

Dolor, what exactly are you defining as the switch reading?

Curently, you say your Rate 1 meter reading is 27399 but EDF have estimated it as 31583. If you were switching today, you would provide 27399 to Octopus. There are three ways this could then go:

1. 27399 is accepted. Everyone is happy. EDF close your old account on 27399, and Octopus open on that.
2. 27399 is amended by the 3rd party to, say, 27500. This is only a discrepancy of 101 so you can't dispute it. EDF close on 27500, so you pay them for 101 units you haven't yet used. Octopus open on 27500 and don't charge you for additional usage until your meter passes that number.
3. 27399 is amended by the 3rd party to, say, 28500.This is a discrepancy of 1101 and you can dispute it with Octopus (not with EDF). EDF might initially charge you for 1101 extra units but this will be refunded once the dispute is resolved.
   

Does that make sense?

All 3 options make sense when taken in isolation. But they've over-estimated our bill by over 4000 units. How is that dealt with? So for example in our situation and using option 1:

• EDF closes our account on 27399
• EDF repays our credit balance
• EDF converts the 4000 over-read as credit and pays us back

QrizB

Guss said:
All 3 options make sense when taken in isolation. But they've over-estimated our bill by over 4000 units. How is that dealt with? So for example in our situation and using option 1:

• EDF closes our account on 27399
• EDF repays our credit balance
• EDF converts the 4000 over-read as credit and pays us back

Pretty much, yes.

Because your current EDF "reading" is an estimate, EDF will recalculate your bill based on the agreed meter reading and then repay whatever the credit balance i.

Mobtr

either supplier can raise the dispute. If the old supplier is not happy with the incoming reading they can dispute it or if the customer is not happy with the final bill they can contact the old supplier who can raise it on their behalf. 

Easiest way to solve this issue is just book a smart meter appointment & get it exchanged. The engineer will take the final reads & they should get used for the final reads of the old meter & a corrected bill sent. 

When was the last time a correct reading showed on your account? 

Guss

Mobtr said:

either supplier can raise the dispute. If the old supplier is not happy with the incoming reading they can dispute it or if the customer is not happy with the final bill they can contact the old supplier who can raise it on their behalf. 

Easiest way to solve this issue is just book a smart meter appointment & get it exchanged. The engineer will take the final reads & they should get used for the final reads of the old meter & a corrected bill sent. 

When was the last time a correct reading showed on your account? 

I don't know off hand bit it was quite some time. 

That's the crux of the matter. Even Octopus can't guarantee a new meter and have said they may treat our meter as a traditional one where we send in readings. If Octopus say that then, and even though we've booked a call from the meter team in EDF, that they never even called us back as promised.

I will try EDF again as regards getting a new meter and if no luck then we'll just switch to Octopus. But we'd prefer to have it sorted out with EDF before the switch.

Guss

Incidentally can we ask EDF to provide a log of all contacts between us and them? And if so are they legally obliged to provide it? And what is the process called?

ArbitraryRandom

That would be a subject access request. 

Here's a guide to how to submit a request: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/your-right-to-get-copies-of-your-data/preparing-and-submitting-your-subject-access-request/ 

If you have been contacting them by phone, I would recommend specifically asking for call recordings and agent notes (if you have the date and times of the calls that can make things easier/faster). They may have only kept recordings for between 90-120 days but all calls should have generated system notes re the purpose of the call and any actions. 

Mobtr

What type of meter do you have, is it already a smart meter?  If it’s not you should be able to book an appointment via your online account. If you want to get it dealt with by someone in the UK then email complaintresolution@edfenergy.com. Email photos of your meter showing the readings & you should get things corrected. 

Guss

Mobtr said:

What type of meter do you have, is it already a smart meter?  If it’s not you should be able to book an appointment via your online account. If you want to get it dealt with by someone in the UK then email complaintresolution@edfenergy.com. Email photos of your meter showing the readings & you should get things corrected. 

Unfortunately it's a  SMETS1 Landis+Gyr E470.

Guss

ArbitraryRandom said:

That would be a subject access request. 

Here's a guide to how to submit a request: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/your-right-to-get-copies-of-your-data/preparing-and-submitting-your-subject-access-request/ 

If you have been contacting them by phone, I would recommend specifically asking for call recordings and agent notes (if you have the date and times of the calls that can make things easier/faster). They may have only kept recordings for between 90-120 days but all calls should have generated system notes re the purpose of the call and any actions. 

Excellent will give that a go.