EDF rejecting quarterly payments

EssexHebridean

Howe about leaving the judgement aside here folks - there are two people in this situation and the OP may not want to force her husband to a payment method he isn't comfortable with, and nor should she if they can afford to pay the extra and they are happy with this. 

dunstonh

We have been with EDF for our electricity for well over thirty years and have always paid quarterly, either by cheque or over the phone. (Sorry, but we don't do direct debits....we've seen far too many problems with that method, including with mother-in-law many years back, who spent months trying to claw back huge overpayments)

Most consumers never suffer any issues with direct debits.     You say you have seen far too many problems.   Have you considered that you may be the problem here and not the direct debit method?

Until a bill arrived on our doorstep in September. We had already paid a quarterly bill in August and therefore were not expecting another one yet. We rang EDF and they gave us a right run-around on the phone, patronising comments such as if you have problems paying, we can help, blah blah blah. They told us we were down on their lists as paying monthly, but we never have done so.

Have you moved to Kraken?   your account number changing to A- format is a clue.   Kraken is monthly billing.   They are all heading that way.

We have given EDF meter readings when asked, so there has never been an issue there, and the payments have been accepted quarterly, so I don't know what has suddenly triggered them.

Moving to Kraken is usually the trigger.   For most people, Kraken is a breath of fresh air and long overdue.   You should not perceive it as a negative.  However, EDF appear to have it pretty locked down in configuration and frontend at the moment but hopefully that will improve once everyone has been moved over and become used to it.

As others have said move to British gas for pay quarterly in receipt of bill.

BG is moving to Kraken.

sillyolddog

Direct debits have caused us numerous problems over many years, I'm afraid, running to several thousands of pounds. I wouldnt bore people with it, but we had several stressful years trying to recoup money. And as regards EDF, I have to re-iterate that they NEVER informed their customers of the changes. I have this afternoon discovered a whole load more who were never informed of the changes, on various forums and websites. It seems EDF just shoved the changes through without telling anyone. That may mean nothing to most of you, but acquiescence is something we don't do lightly.
Direct debit is the way almost everyone has gone, but some of us retain healthy scepticism about allowing others to get their fingers into our accounts, especially uber-wealthy energy companies who are already taking more money from people than they are entitled to. I guess this is a forum I dont really belong to.

la531983

You have heard of the Direct Debit Guarantee, haven't you?

And it's been explained to you numerous times now. You can go onto variable direct debit and you are only charged what you owe. 
No more, no less. 

Other than that there is little else to say. 

dunstonh

Direct debit is the way almost everyone has gone, but some of us retain healthy scepticism about allowing others to get their fingers into our accounts, especially uber-wealthy energy companies who are already taking more money from people than they are entitled to. I guess this is a forum I dont really belong to.

I wouldn't call it healthy.  I would call it paranoia.   Probably based on a lack of understanding how it works.

The direct debit rules require at least 10 days notification in a change of amount on a direct debit.  Failure to do so requires the bank to refund the same day it is brought to their attention.     10 days is sufficient for you to raise any query if the amount does not tally.

EDF will only take a budget payment based on your estimated use or full-use payment.  You get to choose which.  If you cannot get the budget method to work for you then the full use method should suffice.    That way you only pay for exactly what you use.  

EDF also allow you to pay online using your card or by bank transfer.  Or at local paypoint, payzone or post office.  All of these are explained on the last page of the bill.

So, you can do without direct debit and pay by other means albeit on a monthly basis rather than quarterly.

. I have this afternoon discovered a whole load more who were never informed of the changes, on various forums and websites. It seems EDF just shoved the changes through without telling anyone.

I got my email from EDF telling me about the changes on 20th September.  6 days later, I received the first bill using Kraken.

 especially uber-wealthy energy companies who are already taking more money from people than they are entitled to.

Except they are not uber wealthy and they have their margins capped.  
The only people paying more than they are "entitled to" are those that fail to supply meter readings and fail to control their budgeting.   Plus 2022 was a very mild year.  So, real use was much lower than estimated use.    

I guess this is a forum I dont really belong to.

Probably not.  This is a money saving forum.  You are paying more for your energy than you need to because you don't want to use direct debit.  That isn't very money saving.    

EssexHebridean

sillyolddog said:

Direct debits have caused us numerous problems over many years, I'm afraid, running to several thousands of pounds. I wouldnt bore people with it, but we had several stressful years trying to recoup money. And as regards EDF, I have to re-iterate that they NEVER informed their customers of the changes. I have this afternoon discovered a whole load more who were never informed of the changes, on various forums and websites. It seems EDF just shoved the changes through without telling anyone. That may mean nothing to most of you, but acquiescence is something we don't do lightly.
Direct debit is the way almost everyone has gone, but some of us retain healthy scepticism about allowing others to get their fingers into our accounts, especially uber-wealthy energy companies who are already taking more money from people than they are entitled to. I guess this is a forum I dont really belong to.

Absolutely understand your reluctance on the DD front - but the bit in bold really does  need a gentle challenge as it may well give others a false impression. The only people who "get their fingers into" your bank account when you set up a DD are your bank - who already have exactly the same access anyway. The person who you set up the DD to pay has no access - at the relevant time of the month they must give you notice that they plan to ask for the payment. Then on the agreed date - or perhaps a few days one side of it if a weekend is involved, they instruct your bank to pay them the relevant amount. If the amount is not what they informed you of, or they haven't notified you, you have comeback against that via your bank under the DD guarantee. the idea of a "whole amount monthly" is that EDF (in this case) would email you with your bill, which confirms how much you are due to pay, and will then on the agreed day in the month that that amount by DD. So you have notice in advance, and most importantly could challenge anything you felt was wrong on that bill. (And if you have a smart meter, then they will use SM readings for this too - so al you would need to do would be to just confirm that the numbers match up). If any issues you find can't be resolved, you could even, if you wished, cancel the DD a few days ahead of it being taken - at which point you should notify them you have done this to avoid a fine for a missed payment.

As for not belonging here - you absolutely do - it's a public forum where you have every right to be. It IS a money saving forum though, which is why people are trying to encourage you to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money that you can! 

twopenny

Absoloutly with you Sillyolddog and posted here about the same.

I had no prior notification of EDFs intentions to change.

Pure chance that a conversation in a queue at the bank someone mentioned it and told me to check my Junk Email.....and there were two bills.

Email is not easily available to me so having to ramp up the computer to keep checking and going to the library to print a bill to pay at the bank was crazy.

It is a disgrace to do this with no notice or choice or information of options or of how you should pay in future.

I am now getting paper bills through the post so that's a relief...........except neither email or bill has come for well over a month and they, like BG, have changed our accounts and as yet the bills can't be viewed so no way of paying. I was told to wait 4 weeks or so.

I find 3 monthly better for my circumstances

I will because I'm forced to, go onto variable direct debit but having dealt with 4 meters at work all different companies using direct debit  where I had to keep contacting for a refund because they wouldn't stick to the agreed amount longer than 1mt I would not be happy with them having me in credit.

I personally can't afford for someone to have more of my money than is needed. I've budgeted carefully and it has worked for me for decades.

But first and formost with it being so difficult to contact them is the most worrying thing. Go on the chat site and I was 249th in the queue.

Just wondering with EDF and BG who have given me new accounts that won't take a reading or give a bill just what is going to happen next.

dunstonh

Email is not easily available to me so having to ramp up the computer to keep checking and going to the library to print a bill to pay at the bank was crazy.

You dont need to print the bill to pay at the bank.  

It is a disgrace to do this with no notice or choice or information of options or of how you should pay in future.

You would think they would put payment options on the bill.....  Except they do.

Robin9

If the OP's husband really wants to pay quarterly  

Receive month 1 bill ignore

Receive red reminder (do they do these any more?)   Ignore

Receive month 2 bill (which will include month1) ignore

Receive red reminder (do they do these any more?)   Ignore

Receive month 3 bill 


Pay

Personally not recommended 

EssexHebridean

twopenny said:

<snip>

But first and formost with it being so difficult to contact them is the most worrying thing. Go on the chat site and I was 249th in the queue.

<snip>

It was the difficulties in contacting EDF that were the last straw for me. A shift to Octopus has been like a breath of fresh air - genuinely, it's incredibly rare that you have any issues getting a reply from them in one way or another. 

They still won't do quarterly billing I'm afraid, but the ability to amend your own DD amount is there, and works. They appear to have the level of human involvement that means they can actively judge whether someone with a DD set below the amount they recommend has a handle on things, and if that is the case, they give leeway on you setting it below that suggested amount.