compensation advice re EDF engery power cut

puddy

I had a power cut for 14 hours yesterday (along with the rest of South London).
My fridge and freezer contents are ruined as is some expensive medication for my cat which needs to be kept at a stable fridge temperature.

I have just phoned EDF who are the suppliers (my contact is with British Gas). EDF say they dont compensate for cuts of under 18 hours and in any case wont compensate food loss as that should be covered under home contents insurance.

I havent got contents insurance (never have had) and thats my perogitive and even if I did have, I feel that I should not be told to claim from a company who have nothing to do with the initial problem (ie the power cut) and lose a no claims bonus.
Im really annoyed about this. Any advice?

dellxps

If someone broke into your home you'd claim with your insurer even though they didn't cause the problem, in the same way your insurer is there to pay out after such problems. I understand that you don't have contents insurance so I would try edf again and they may at their discretion give compo. I doubt it will be much,probably 20 quid. Wouldn't get my hopes up.

dellxps

Edf are responsible for electricity distribution in the London area.

puddy

but surely this cant be right. EDF are the suppliers, they are responsible for the supply in south london. unfortunately there was a fire at their sub station so the power was cut off. therefore, why have they set their compensation period for over 18 hours and what about my food? i dont understand how they can set the time scale at 18 hours?

dellxps

Have a look at this page, particularly standard 2.

http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/networks/customer-services/standards-of-service.shtml

Looking at what it says on edf's website it is ofgem that has set the standard.

dellxps

have a look at ofgem's site
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation.aspx?docid=41&refer=Networks/ElecDist/QualofServ/GuarStandds

it is them that has set this standard. It is the length of time that can be 'reasonably' expected for a company to get the supply back on, and to be honest in the circumstances it was a reasonable length of time.

SwanJon

jenner wrote: »

I had a power cut for 14 hours yesterday (along with the rest of South London).
My fridge and freezer contents are ruined as is some expensive medication for my cat which needs to be kept at a stable fridge temperature.

If you check your terms & conditions you'll find that you are not guaranteed a permenant electricity supply, and they have to draw the line somewhere. If you have medical equipment you can register with your supplier's* Priority Services Register and they will pass the details on to the distributor** for situations like this.

As to your freezer defrosting in 14 hours, what happened? Even with the door wide open mine takes encouragement to defrost in 3. Did you keep opening it to check if it had defrosted?

---
* By Supplier I mean the company you pay (for you British Gas)
** By Distributor I mean the company that owns the wires (EDF Energy Networks for you)

MrSkipsey

My girlfriend was part of the South London EDF powercut and was without power from Monday 1pm - Thursday 4:30am.
She lives with her 2 children who were all without power although EDF managed to get some homes on a generator she was not one of the fortunate ones.

She phoned EDF to let them know that she lost some perishables in the fridge/freezer and how to apply for compensation for....

1) Perished goods.
2) Inconveinience for 3 people not having power for 63.5 hours straight.

She was told that EDF would write to her with details of the compensation.
The power was then connected and on the Friday it cut out again. She called EDF who explained that they had cut the power to get those homes on a generator back onto the main grid. Once the power came back on [roughly 15/20min] her youngest sons Xbox 360 developed the 3 red rings.

She then phoned Microsoft who explained that it was out of warranty and that a power surge could damage the motherboard.

Another phonecall to EDF to ask report yet another problem and although the woman was helpful she advised my girlfriend to wait for the letter.

The letter arrived this morning.........
A page of A4 explaining what happened. How the security works. How hard they worked with their contractors etc etc.

Finally a 'goodwill' gesture of £50 to those who were without power for more than 24 hours from 1pm Monday afternoon.

Contact them if you choose to recive it. Then they go on to state that liability is excluded from them under their terms and conditions and any further losses should go through your own insurance company. Which, she doesnt have.

Can anyone shed any light as to if she can seek to increase the offer?

Vestra

MrSkipsey wrote: »

My girlfriend was part of the South London EDF powercut and was without power from Monday 1pm - Thursday 4:30am.
She lives with her 2 children who were all without power although EDF managed to get some homes on a generator she was not one of the fortunate ones.

She phoned EDF to let them know that she lost some perishables in the fridge/freezer and how to apply for compensation for....

1) Perished goods.
2) Inconveinience for 3 people not having power for 63.5 hours straight.

She was told that EDF would write to her with details of the compensation.
The power was then connected and on the Friday it cut out again. She called EDF who explained that they had cut the power to get those homes on a generator back onto the main grid. Once the power came back on [roughly 15/20min] her youngest sons Xbox 360 developed the 3 red rings.

She then phoned Microsoft who explained that it was out of warranty and that a power surge could damage the motherboard.

Another phonecall to EDF to ask report yet another problem and although the woman was helpful she advised my girlfriend to wait for the letter.

The letter arrived this morning.........
A page of A4 explaining what happened. How the security works. How hard they worked with their contractors etc etc.

Finally a 'goodwill' gesture of £50 to those who were without power for more than 24 hours from 1pm Monday afternoon.

Contact them if you choose to recive it. Then they go on to state that liability is excluded from them under their terms and conditions and any further losses should go through your own insurance company. Which, she doesnt have.

Can anyone shed any light as to if she can seek to increase the offer?

So your wanting EDF to restock your girlfriends fridge and freezer and buy her an xbox 360?

MrSkipsey

I havent said anything about getting anything replaced. just about having the offer increased. I was simply replying to the 1st post and listing my girlfriends position so that the initial poster can see what type of offer people are receiving.

63.5 hours of inconveinence without power for 3 people in the house
Some perished goods
A damaged 360 due to the power surge/cut

EDF's offer of £50 to cover it.

If I wanted the fridge/freezer restocked I would of said. But Im sure the fizzy drinks, soft drinks, eggs and other items will be good enogh to consume.
If I wanted the 360 replaced I would of said. Im sure its cheaper to have it repaired professionally anyway.

My post, as already stated was to show what others have been offered for the length of the powercut they received and what they incurred.

If you want me to go into detail as to why I feel its EDF's responsilbility then I shall but thats a matter for myself and EDF and not to be publicised on a public forum.

SwanJon

MrSkipsey wrote: »

I havent said anything about getting anything replaced. just about having the offer increased. I was simply replying to the 1st post and listing my girlfriends position so that the initial poster can see what type of offer people are receiving.

You know the original post was over 12 months ago, right?

MrSkipsey wrote: »

63.5 hours of inconveinence without power for 3 people in the house
Some perished goods
A damaged 360 due to the power surge/cut

EDF's offer of £50 to cover it.

No, not an offer to cover it - a goodwill gesture. There are standard compensation levels which she may also get.

MrSkipsey wrote: »

If I wanted the fridge/freezer restocked I would of said. But Im sure the fizzy drinks, soft drinks, eggs and other items will be good enogh to consume.
If I wanted the 360 replaced I would of said. Im sure its cheaper to have it repaired professionally anyway.

AFAIK 3 red rings is the end of an xbox - no repair possible - but I could be wrong.

MrSkipsey wrote: »

My post, as already stated was to show what others have been offered for the length of the powercut they received and what they incurred.

If you want me to go into detail as to why I feel its EDF's responsilbility then I shall but thats a matter for myself and EDF and not to be publicised on a public forum.

It is all laid out in the T&C's what they a liable for, and it doesn't include damage form power surges, or defrosted food.

If your gf didn't have insurance, did she 'self insure'?