Has anyone else had a bad experience with EDF?

Question

They owe me £900!! They over estimated my gas and electricity readings, and over a period of 3 months they took nearly £600 out of my account, plus when I signed up with them and arranged the direct debits they gave me duff information so my direct debit payments have been too high for a year and a half. So all in all they owe me just over £900.

I was promised a cheque in the post, but when it didn't turn up, I phoned them only to find out that they had to follow "procedure" and send someone out to read my meters even though I'd given them accurate readings!

What's the best way of dealing with this sort of thing - I want MY money and I've got a feeling it may be a bit of a battle. Because of them, I'm overdrawn and getting letters from my bank!

Thanks.

Thanks Ian - your answer is extremely helpful. It was when I gave "real" meter readings that they sent me revised bills and they told me they owe me £901! I've been on Uswitch and your company did come out top, plus I'd make a saving of £120 a year so watch this space!

And yes, I'll be contacting Energy Watch when I get home. It's so frustrating that it's MY money, and like you say, by law they have to give it back to me.

Again, thanks for your help - very informative.

Thanks Steve - why do they do it??!! As soon as this is sorted, I'm switching too. Because of them I'm overdrawn and the bank are charging me for it, I'm so angry!!

Answer 1

hi i actually work at sse as a team manager, and this is not an uncommon problem with EDF or indeed BG, the amount owing depends on how long you had been estimated for, because you could have a "catch up bill" where you have been estiamted consistantly, in which case they could be correct. but by the sound of it it looks like as your dd's have been as high as they are,then they possibly owe you!!! if the DD was set up as a budget DD then they should only have taken what you agreed, if however you have a non budget DD then they may have taken it. what you need to do is this:

1) check your opening reads with them, you can do this by taking 5 days worth of reads, and then giving them these to give EDF an idea of exactly what you use over the course of a week. they then should be able to check your opening or COS (change of supply read)

2) check that you have no appliences or electric items such as immersion heaters. at 3 untis an hour these can really rack up the pounds that you owe.

3) change supplier, now i know im going to say come over to sse (scottish and southern energy) but we are the cheapest overall and also have consistantly been voted no 1 supplier by Uswitch, JD Power and we have the lowest energywatch complaints in the industry

this brings me nicley onto....

4) contact energywatch (the energy ombudsman) on 08457 0550760. these guys will sort you out. essentially if you are owed the money then you are entitled to it back BY LAW so call them and see what they can do

ultimatley it is down to you where you go though, but check out Uswitch, as they are the best comparison website
i hope this helps

Answer 2

It would seem that they are also quite incapable of varying their Direct Debits to take the ACTUAL consumption ..

I provided them with meter readings (via the web) and every month they took their 'monthly payment' by direct debit .. and then they calculate your bill every 3 months (how dumb is that ? if they Debit you every month you would think they could bill you every month ... instead you need a degree in maths to understand what they are going on about .. )

I assumed all was OK until after a year or so I noticed my account was about £1,000 "in credit" (because they had been taking an extra £80 every month too much ... )

They DID pay it back (by 'reverse debit' direct to my bank account) as soon as I pointed it out .. ... HOWEVER the very next month they went back to taking £80 too much again ...

The morons on the help desk just ramble on about 'paying extra in the summer so it covers the winter' no matter what you try to tell them .. I just gave up and switched ..