UPDATE 16 Sep 24 - EDF E7 tariff but since smart meter fitted they treat it as single rate

BillBrumNew

Dear all

In Sept 2021 I signed up to EDF tariff called Easy Online 3 Year Fix Sep24 (E7).  My system had an old style spinning disc meter with LOW and NORMAL counts, and a time clock next to it (so, not a Radio Teleswitch Service meter).  A smart meter was fitted in October 2023, but since then EDF has been unable to correctly charge my account.  I have received statements showing the tariff name but without the E7, with the wrong per kWh unit rate, sometimes showing just one calculation but other times showing two calculations as if they knew it to be a two-rate tariff - yet using the non-E7 unit rate in each one.  I know that the meter has worked as a two-rate meter as my night storage heaters have switched on/off at the correct times, and because the small in-house display unit has shown (during the last hour of the day rate) that the next period's rate will be the lower one.

On many occasions since this came to light I have contacted EDF to ask them to fix their system so as to collect the correct information, and if they cannot do that to send someone to read the meter.  I have been paying £100 per month, but in the past have always made supplementary payments as and when my account (whichever supplier) showed a debt.  I never want to get to the end of a billing period to be told there is a large sum to pay.  Also, the tariff is due to end at the end of Sept this year.  This is only a few weeks away, and I am getting more and more concerned.

I have tried including EDF UK CEO S Rossi in my emails, but still only get replies from hello@EDF.  One from them on 16 July stated:
"Thank you for contacting us. I have chased the change on the account from the single rate to the dual rate, can take 3-5 working days, once completed as we can only request from today, we will work out the billing difference, we can credit adjust the account.  I appreciate that this has taken longer than I first anticipated. However, please be assured the matter is with the relevant team and I will update you as soon as I hear from them."  I also received this in a letter.

Should I take this to Ofgem?  Maybe a complaint with the regulator would take a while to be dealt with, and with the tariff end coming up I wish something could just be sorted now.  If the account has a large )and possibly unexplained) debt then I will have trouble switching supplier.

I'd be grateful to hear any advice.  Many thanks.

Swipe

Yes, you need to take this to the energy ombudsman. You can do this if still not resolved 8 weeks after your first email to request this change or immediately if they inform you that they are unable to process your request. I would also send EDF another email a week or so before to inform them that you will be raising a case with the ombudsman as that may kick them into life as it will cost them money. You definitely need to get this sorted out before winter.

BillBrumNew

I am adding an update and asking for advice. 

EDF has contacted me to state that the meter and billing problem has been resolved.  I have been making routine £100/month payments, but now understand that I owe over £800.  EDF has offered me a goodwill credit of £100.  I am unsure whether that is adequate, because aside from the annoyance and lack of help with this matter over many months the fact is that I am now being asked to pay a substantial sum with just two weeks to go until the end of the tariff.  Possibly more significantly I have missed opportunities to find and switch to whatever would be my next tariff/deal/provider as tariffs are now not as good as they were a few months or weeks ago.  My questions that I would welcome your thoughts on are:

Is the £100 credit adequate?
Should I ask them to consider a bespoke preferential tariff for me (may or may not be possible)?
If I were to still take this to the Ombudsman, do you think I might get awarded better redress?

I am not just trying to grab more money, but this has been going on for 12 months and I do believe that I have missed opportunities for rates/tariffs that I now cannot get.  Hope to hear from you.  Many thanks.

Ectophile

Is the new bill correct, or is it just different?

Is the £100 credit adequate?

If it's compensation for messing you around, you're unlikely to be awarded more by the ombudsman.

Should I ask them to consider a bespoke preferential tariff for me (may or may not be possible)?

You've got no chance.

If I were to still take this to the Ombudsman, do you think I might get awarded better redress?

Remember that you will need to put your case to the ombudsman to say why you think the bills are wrong.  If the new bill is correct, then you're unlikely to get more than a moderate compensation amount.

If you think the new bill is still wrong, go to the ombudsman.  But you need to be clear why the bill is wrong.  The ombudsman is not an investigator.  They only look at the evidence that you and the energy company supply.