We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Back billing

Caddycot345
Caddycot345 Posts: 7 Forumite
First Post
Hello everyone I really need you advice
i had a dispute with EDF reference to how much energy I was paying 2017-2019 they refused to let me have the meter checked .. it turned out that they were charging me economy 7 tariff although I didn’t have a economy meter so I was paying nearly double to what I should have . due to standing charges and tariff changes it was agreed that what I had paid and what was outstanding to be written off. The meter was taken out and a pre payment meter was installed. April 2019 I also received a final bill for my quarterly meter that showed I owe nothing the account was at zero . As the meter reading was taken by the people who installed the pre payment meter.
i decided to leave EDF in 2023 for a cheaper company. I received a letter from EDF stating I could not leave as there was a £330.00 debt on the electric meter that needed paying before I could leave . I called them up asking where this had come from I was advised that the debt was from 2019 and some how had been overlooked and not added to my pre payment meter the advise assured me that she would look into this and came back to say the debt had been written off as it was over 12 months old .
i ended up staying with EDF as it was too much hassle to change and due to family illnesses 
I received another letter December 2024 stating there was a £249.57 debt that was to be added to my meter and will be taken at £5.00 per week until paid. Again I contacted EDF who advised they had changed their systems over and this debt was still there they asked me to check my meter and there was no debt showing in January February or March my complaint was closed as far as EDF were concerned it must have righted its self and I owed nothing .
September 2025 I topped up £50.00 which did not seem to top up the meter so I put the key in and pressed the buttons to see if the top up had registered and there on my meter is £116.55 debt . I called them and asked why has this been added and they said as a gesture of good will they will add credit of £116.00 to cover the outstanding debt . I asked about the £133.06 that I must have paid towards the debt back and they have said no. I feel they have been very underhanded reference this debt and I just don’t know what to do as every week it will be taking £5.00 from me that I don’t owe 
sorry if this is a long thread but it’s upset me so much I live close to the bread line anyway and have been topping up my meters ready for winter any advice will be greatly appreciated 


«1

Comments

  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 19,746 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Welcome to the forum.
    Picking through your post:
     it turned out that they were charging me economy 7 tariff although I didn’t have a economy meter so I was paying nearly double to what I should have .
    That dosesn't make a lot of sense to me, but it was six+ years ago and you then say:
     it was agreed that what I had paid and what was outstanding to be written off. 
    And then you went on to prepayment, and still are?
    i decided to leave EDF in 2023 for a cheaper company. I received a letter from EDF stating I could not leave as there was a £330.00 debt on the electric meter that needed paying before I could leave . I called them up asking where this had come from I was advised that the debt was from 2019 and some how had been overlooked and not added to my pre payment meter the advise assured me that she would look into this and came back to say the debt had been written off as it was over 12 months old 
    So it was agreed that the £330 wasn't a debt you owed.
     I received another letter December 2024 stating there was a £249.57 debt that was to be added to my meter and will be taken at £5.00 per week until paid. Again I contacted EDF who advised they had changed their systems over and this debt was still there they asked me to check my meter and there was no debt showing in January February or March my complaint was closed as far as EDF were concerned it must have righted its self and I owed nothing.
    Another mystery debt that EDF agreed wasn't owed and you haven't had to pay? OK, all good so far (although why you've stuck with EDF for so long, after such poor service, baffles me).
    September 2025 I topped up £50.00 which did not seem to top up the meter so I put the key in and pressed the buttons to see if the top up had registered and there on my meter is £116.55 debt . I called them and asked why has this been added and they said as a gesture of good will they will add credit of £116.00 to cover the outstanding debt.
    OK, so for a fourth time EDF added a mystery debt to your account and then wrote it off when you complained.
      I asked about the £133.06 that I must have paid towards the debt back and they have said no.
    What £133.06? What makes you think you've paid any of this?
    ..  I just don’t know what to do as every week it will be taking £5.00 from me that I don’t owe 
    But you said that they'd wiped the £116 from your account. What makes you think you'll be paying £5 a week in the future?
    ... any advice will be greatly appreciated 
    After more than six years of terrible service from EDF, why not switch to a different supplier?
    Once you've switched, consider whether you can move away from traditional prepayment to a smart prepayment meter. Or even back to a credit account. Either will give you a better view of your transactions and account balance than traditional key-based prepayment does.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill Coop member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • Caddycot345
    Caddycot345 Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Post
    2023 was when I found out about the debt . EDF advised they would credit my account and it will then show zero .
    up till then I have not had any issues with EDF.
    until I received a letter in December 2024 stating the debt was £249.57 
    I know I have paid towards the debt as EDF have told me that £249.57 had been added when I contacted them in September when I found the debt on the meter .
    they will not tell me when it was added but I had a complaint open with them from December 2024 until March 2025 the debt was not on the meter then.
    its only by chance me checking due to a key error that I have found the debt on my meter 
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 19,746 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Time for another complaint to EDF, then, regarding whatever debt they applied to your account after March 2025.
    And then, once that is resolved, switch supplier.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill Coop member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • Caddycot345
    Caddycot345 Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Post
    That’s what I have done and they are not willing to refund what I have paid towards the debt just what is outstanding on the meter which I don’t think is fair 
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 19,746 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    That’s what I have done and they are not willing to refund what I have paid towards the debt just what is outstanding on the meter which I don’t think is fair 
    So you have raised a complaint recently, in the past few weeks? And they've closed it?
    They should have provided an explanation of where the debt came from and why you were still liable for it, as part of their response to your complaint.
    If they haven't done this (or if they have, but you disagree) you will need to escalate your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill Coop member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • Caddycot345
    Caddycot345 Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Post
    Hi yes I raised a complaint in September this week they advised  they will only remove the debt showing on the meter now.which when I took the screen shot it was £116.55. When I asked when it was added ..they would not give me a date but they advised £249.57 was added. 
    They have told me it’s to do with debt from my previous meter 2019 when I was on direct debit.
    It was never added to my account,although I have the final bill from that meter that’s show I owe nothing. I just cannot get through to them that twice previously this was written off because of the length of time it took them to advise me 3 years. I had no knowledge of the debt either and thought all was ok. I was told in December 2024 that they had changed systems and the debt had not been cleared so had resurfaced but as no debt was showing in 3 months of the letter (December 2024) it must have righted itself so complaint was closed in March ..But it’s now on my meter. I have refused their offer of just the £116.00 to be taken off the meter as I have still paid £133.06 towards this debt which they have refused to pay . So now the case is sitting in limbo and I know if I don’t respond they will close stating no update I am struggling what to do ..thanks for your responses also I do appreciate it 
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 19,746 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Take it to the Ombudsman. They can try to decipher whatever EDF are saying.
    See "step 3" here:
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill Coop member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • Caddycot345
    Caddycot345 Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Post
    Thanks will fill in and see what happens 
  • Caddycot345
    Caddycot345 Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Post
    Hi again Just before I fill in the ombudsman complaint form will they take approve me as I have opened a new complaint as less than 8 weeks ? As they will not deal with the issue it says on their website..have also attached the email sent by EDF in March reference there is no debt thanks in advance 
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 19,746 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Hi again Just before I fill in the ombudsman complaint form will they take approve me as I have opened a new complaint as less than 8 weeks ? As they will not deal with the issue it says on their website
    If your latest complaint is less than 8 weeks old, has it completed the internal EDF process? If it has, I think you can ask for a deadlock letter and then go to the Obudsman early.

    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill Coop member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.5K Life & Family
  • 258.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.