EDF are constantly trying to increase my monthly direct debit by far more than is required, I wrote to them last year about this showing that if I had folowed their advice they would owe me £1000, just this week they suggested increasing my monthly amount from £30 to £45, I have e-mailed a spreadsheet to them proving that at the current prices I should not be paying more than £35

To their credit they do reduce when I query but I should not have to and i wonder how many people are being unnecessarily put into fuel poverty by this disreputable and immoral policy.

I have the same trouble as pfg56. Every year EDF send me a letter saying my direct debit for Gas must increase by about 100%. For the last 2 years they increased my payments to so much that I was nearly £100 in credit. So I then have to ring up again a few months later and ask for them to be decreased! This week I got a letter saying my direct debit payments will increase from £15 to £39 nearly 150%! I got all my bills out and worked out that my annual consumption is only £250 for the whole year; so paying £39 x 12 would end up in me paying £468, an overpayment of £218! Nice profit for them earning interest on my hard earned money!

I rang them about this and they proceeded to argue with me for a full 20 minutes insisting that if I did not pay £39 per month I would be seriously in debt! This is aboslutely crazy! They did allow me to set the direct debit price to what I wanted; but only after arguing with me telling me that I would be consuming £500 woth of Gas in the next 12 months representing a 100% increase; depsite me having all my bills in front of me and reading out my annual consumption of only £250!

What worries me is the elderly and infirm and those who are not able to sit down with a calculator and work out the figures or who just believe EDF are being seriously ripped off! My nanna is 102 and would not have a hope in hell of dealing with this situation! Even those people who are handy with a calculator would find it difficult to read an energy bill! There are so many figures on it it is mind boggling! Its a serious headache and I am so fed up of arguing every year with EDF. Despite this I think they are the cheapest so I persist with them at the cost of a migraine! I get a duel fuel rate with them. But the assistants are completely incapable of giving you an acurate cost in ££s of your consumption for the last 12 months! They always try to have you believe you used double what you actually used; even though the figures are there in black and white!

EDF are taking advantage of vulnerable people in society who might have a heart attack when they get a 100% increase in their direct debits and might start switching off their Gas needlessly just because EDF persist in telling people they consume 100% more Gas than they actually do! Energy companies should be regulated to stop them telling lies to their customers. It should be made an offence for them to actually quote inaccurate consumption!

Hello loonytooner,

I wa s trying to find a solution to this EDF problem when i came acorsyour post. I joined this forum to be able to talk to you and see if u could advise me. edf unlawfully took over my gas suply without my consent or awareness. I have been in touch with them once i got a bill from them and they have not been able to proove to me that i signed ny contract or gave them auhority to take over my gas supply. I am really worried and i do not know who to go and report them to. I have a 2year old and i am currently pregnant and al these stress from them is affecting my health.

please advise me about whatyou did to resolve your issue. british gas said they did nt know i did not authorise the transfer,i do not need edf to upply me gas and i need this resolved.please advis em ,,,anyone please help.

Hi, sorry for your problems with EDF. I strongly suggest going to visit your local Citizens advice. They should be able to make phone calls to British Gas and EDF on your behalf and advise you on your rights. Also you could get a free 30 minute consultation with a solicitor to ask advice too. But I would suggest Citizens advice as a first, they have helped me resolve problems in the past with work issues and legal issues. They offer free help too. You might have to make an appointment, but it will be worth the wait. Good luck.

I ended up with EDF as they were the existing supplier when I moved in to my rented flat 2 years ago. Thought I would stick with them as had no idea what the consumption would be, or the prices, so thought I might as well go with the flow, and they've been pretty good. Last September they sent a statement to increase our monthly DD for both gas and electricity (as all the companies were, what with the massive hike in proces generally), but a short phone call made them realise they were looking at seasonal consumption from the winter, not a whole year. And we were in credit!

They took this on board with no argument, offered to move me on to a cheaper tariff and I managed to keep my gas and leccy DDs the same in the face of big general % increase on prices.

They do have a habit of trying to increase DDs on budget scheme as they tried it again last month, but again, a short call to remind them of seasonal consumption did the trick and they kept the monthly payments the same as before. They might not be the cheapest company, but when I phone them I feel like I am talking to a sensible human being and not a robot, which in itself is worth a lot!