Do I need to pay?

flyingdancer

Last August I moved into my new home. I was 6 months pregnant. We rang EDF straight away to get everything sorted and switched over into our name. We also gave metre readings. Since then it’s been hell! The gas metre turned out to have a fault so it was supplying gas but wasn’t connecting to EDF so they could generate any bills so we had no idea how much we were using or spending. It was supposed to be a smart metre but again wasn’t connecting to the display unit. We rang and rang and rang over months each time to be told we’d get a phone call back but it never came. Eventually about 6 months later they told us that it was a fault metre and they couldn’t fix it and wouldn’t replace it. So we changed over to Octopus who surprise surprise sorted the issue straight away and replaced the metre. Problem solved. Or so we thought. We then got a massive bill through from EDF of over £1000. Obviously it was a bit of a shock and we queried the amount as it’s only a 3 bedroom house and only 3 of us living here. But nonetheless we paid it, after borrowing money off a family member. Then a while later we got sent two refunds one for around £800 and one for around £200. We rang multiple times to query this as we couldn’t understand it and we were also being sent letters saying we owed them random small amounts of money but each time we were told it was a system error and that our accounts were closed and finalised. Then a few more months later we got hit with another £1000 bill. Again we couldn’t understand it so we rang to find out what was going on and they told us that this was the final bill and that the refunds were generated from an estimated final bill. We asked to take it further with a manager and we’re told we’d get a call back. But obviously that didn’t happen. We then recently got an email from someone responding to our online query we did to try and get it sorted who said we could pay in instalments. Fine that was great and they said to email back to confirm. We’ve emailed this person 5 separate times to try and arrange this and still had no reply. I’m at the end of my tether and really feel this whole experience has been incredibly stressful. Especially while I was pregnant and now with a baby. In my latest email I’ve asked for a discount on the bill due to this whole mess. Basically is there anything else I can do because it’s now gone to a debt recovery agency and I have no idea where I stand. 

Newbie_John

What's your assumed gas cost over that period of time?

The way I understand you message is that due to faulty meter - you haven't paid for gas usage for at least 6 months in a 3 bed house. Then they sent you a bill for £1000 which you paid, then they refunded it, then sent a final bill for £1000? That's about £160 a month - does this sound reasonable to you? 

If the numbers are about right, then if you pay the problem will be solved - otherwise it could drag forever adding more stress. They could potentially issue some good will gesture along the battle but up to you if you want to go that way.

Google says, it's £80 average gas cost per month for 3 bed house, but obviously it will be higher in winter than summer - so this also depends which months the bill was for.

jimjames

What happened to the £1000 you borrowed? It sounds like you paid it and were refunded? Did you then spend it so you didn't have it when the bill came in?

EssexHebridean

flyingdancer said:

Last August I moved into my new home. I was 6 months pregnant. We rang EDF straight away to get everything sorted and switched over into our name. We also gave metre readings. Since then it’s been hell!
The gas metre turned out to have a fault so it was supplying gas but wasn’t connecting to EDF so they could generate any bills so we had no idea how much we were using or spending. It was supposed to be a smart metre but again wasn’t connecting to the display unit. We rang and rang and rang over months each time to be told we’d get a phone call back but it never came. Eventually about 6 months later they told us that it was a fault metre and they couldn’t fix it and wouldn’t replace it. So we changed over to Octopus who surprise surprise sorted the issue straight away and replaced the metre. Problem solved. Or so we thought. We then got a massive bill through from EDF of over £1000. Obviously it was a bit of a shock and we queried the amount as it’s only a 3 bedroom house and only 3 of us living here. But nonetheless we paid it, after borrowing money off a family member. Then a while later we got sent two refunds one for around £800 and one for around £200. We rang multiple times to query this as we couldn’t understand it and we were also being sent letters saying we owed them random small amounts of money but each time we were told it was a system error and that our accounts were closed and finalised. Then a few more months later we got hit with another £1000 bill. Again we couldn’t understand it so we rang to find out what was going on and they told us that this was the final bill and that the refunds were generated from an estimated final bill. We asked to take it further with a manager and we’re told we’d get a call back. But obviously that didn’t happen. We then recently got an email from someone responding to our online query we did to try and get it sorted who said we could pay in instalments. Fine that was great and they said to email back to confirm. We’ve emailed this person 5 separate times to try and arrange this and still had no reply. I’m at the end of my tether and really feel this whole experience has been incredibly stressful. Especially while I was pregnant and now with a baby. In my latest email I’ve asked for a discount on the bill due to this whole mess. Basically is there anything else I can do because it’s now gone to a debt recovery agency and I have no idea where I stand. 

Do you have the opening reading that you gave when you moved in, and the closing reading that you took when you changed supplier, and have you worked those figures through to establish whether you think the amount you are being charged is somewhere close to correct? (I say "somewhere close" as without knowing exactly what calorific value was being used throughout, it might not be possible to be exact). 

For clarity, a smart meter not sending readings is exactly the same as not having a smart meter at all - it just means that you really should have continued to give regular readings to EDF during the time you were with them. For you now though that is hindsight, and so not all that helpful - it might assist someone else in a similar situation, though! (And going forwards, even if you do now have a communicating smart meter, it is good practise to still take your own readings on at least an occasional basis so you keep your own records and can check you are being charged correctly. 

Did you raise an official complaint with EDF earlier in the process? If so, if that was more than 8 weeks ago you could potentially go to the Ombudsman with your grievance - but bear in mind you will need to ensure that you clearly present all the evidence leading to your feeling that some form of goodwill payment is due, and even then they may still decide that nothing unreasonable has taken place. I will say that in my experience EDF are generally quite keep to avoid Ombudsman escalations though, so just threatening them with that might even  prompt an offer of some form of payment from them.