cheaper energy:

if your looking for move away from major suppliers heres a link worth looking at one bill for all utilities, honestly worth a look,

Except Telecomplus only guarantees to be cheaper against "standard tariffs". The OP has been guaranteed the "lowest tariff possible" on a social tariff basis, and others can choose a wide range of "cheaper than standard" tariffs from the usual suspects.

So sorry my probable Telecomplus "agent".

Leeh123:

...have offered/opend me a direct payment scheme where I'm on the lowest tariff...

You can read here about Social tariffs and whether you qualify for other suppliers versions...

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/get-advice/energy/households/energy-tariffs-explained/social-tariffs

These are always "the lowest tariff available" so nothing unique there. I'm not 100% sure what they mean by "direct payment scheme". I though you were already on monthly direct debit. I just hope its not a scheme to claw back any account surplus resulting from their admitted "we have estimated bills for years now". In respect of that statement and the Billing Code I would say to them "now talk your way out of that".

I looked at the thread again and see that I did after all mention the Billing Code in my post of 22 May 2010. It's possible that the £700 is their (first) offer to settle that but you should scrupulously follow the Code FAQ and your old bills to see if that is reasonable. But it couldn't be reasonable without a worksheet explaining the calculation and accurate knowledge of you annual consumption.

As you realise it's important to find out once and for all what is your typical annual electricity consumption. Also to ensure that your house is well insulated. There are generous grants available to improve insulation standards.

Thankyou for prompt reply, I shall have a good read of the code and practice, I tried to contact the ombudsman they said they would look into it and contact me within 5 days that was three weeks ago.I had set an agreement with edf I would pay £ 69 a month while they run a consumption report, that is why it was so important that the last one was a accurate reading, so we could work out from that reading what my normal consumption would be so can adjust direct debit to find after all that they estimated it, sounds just wrong, as the customer I've done everything by the book, I pay on time each month via direct debit, I always let them in to read meter so this couldn't happen again, on a brighter note, I hope...after all the phone calls and communication from citizens advice, they have only just sussed I'm wheelchair bound and on benefits even though I was on there care register lol,so have offered/opend me a direct payment scheme where I'm on the lowest tariff, god knows what that is all about, got a lot of reading to catch up with, to be honest I can't make any sence out of there facts or figures perhaps if you could get time explain what this direct payment thing is all about, is it a good move or have I hung my self even lower big thanks and thoughts...lee.

Leeh123:

It's tough that you are still having problems and its not evident that EDF are behaving as they should with a customer on their care register.

I note that you mentioned you had taken the issue to the Ombudsman. Did you get a response?

I have also looked again at the thread, and again inexplicably, I do not seem to have mentioned the Code of Practice for Accurate Billing...

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/customerbilling.html

...and in particular the FAQ. On the face of it it is very relevant to your situation. The gist of the "Billing Code", if it applies in your particular circumstances, is that energy consumed more than 12 months prior cannot be charged for.

First you should do some fact finding, gather together all your bills and examine them for evidence of estimated or actual readings. Normally a able-bodied customer would be expected to correct estimated readings but I do not think than can apply to someone on the care register.

If you do not have the bills to hand, you may need to ask EDF. They are allowed to charge, but if they will not provide 6 years of bills free of charge you would be better making a £10 Subject Access Request, requiring all your previous bills, and all the information they hold about you including correspondence, file notes, call logs and call recordings or transcripts. That might be the best £10 you have spent. And it costs EDF an administrative fortune.

There is still a lot which can be done if you keep the thread updated.

Hi EDF have sent me a letter stating that they took a actual reading but thought it was so high they decided to estimate it instead leaving me £700 out of pocket, The reason i wanted that reading to be accurate is so we know how much electric I'm actually using so i could adjust my monthly direct debit from £69 a month to what i am using, because they "unfortunately estimated it"....There words, this debt had racked up, ive been to citizens advice and all ive achieved there is working out some price plan to pay it back, i kind of guessed if you let the guy come in to read my meter it would be a actual reading not guess work, can anyone help as paying this back will leave me in real financial difficulties ive hardly got enough to live on as it is without edf energy doing this twice in one year.

Hello again and thank you for your prompt reply, I would have switched but its took them all this time to get sorted, and not sure if i could switch energy providers while in supposed debt, I had complained and they sent a guy round to do a consumption report, all he did was fit a energy monitor so i could see what i was using, they would make there decision after he had been, it took him three weeks to turn up, so as you can see the problem was still not addressed, i got another letter two days ago saying i still owe it, i have also gone to the ombudsman with my complaint they said it would take five working days to get back to me, so again another nerve testing week may i recommend to every body to keep well away from E.D.F energy.

Leeh123:

Hi Lee

Very disappointing that EDF should be so inept.

I looked back over my previous contributions to the thread and unusually I cannot see that I recommended recourse to the complaints procedure. Find it here...

http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-your-home/customer-services/making-a-complaint.shtml

I strongly recommend you keep calm and focussed and submit a complaint strictly in accordance with the procedure. Once you have a formal complaint reference you have the upper hand because only you can agree you are satisfied with the response. In the event that you do not agree with EDF's response, or after 8 week the absence of any response, you are entitled to ask the Energy Ombudsman to consider the complaint. That costs you nothing, EDF will incur a hefty case fee and a black mark, irrespective of the outcome.

May I also ask why you stick with EDF? Have you thought about switching to a supplier with better customer service? While I cannot guarantee the service, Southern Electric (Scottish Hydro-Electric in Scotland) trumpet their industry leading service standards.

I cannot guarantee good service but the best way to reward poor service is (1) to complain and (2) to switch to better service and/or cheaper energy.

Hi all good news and bad news......i managed to get the above sorted, agreed my payments should go up to £69 month and a promise this would never happen again, there emergency fund had paid the outstanding bill, and they were set to read my metre on a monthly basis, so this problem doesn't arise again,Only problem is they have just done it to me again even though my electric this month came to £49 there trying to charge me £700 they reckon it had accumulated over last winter, yet again this has made me sick with worry they reckon my payments need to go up to £250 a month to cover this, that's roughly all i get on disability benefits, also there emergency fund will only cover a one off payment previously so now at a real loss of what to do, i let them in to read my metre every time, lady on the phone said, yes we did get actual readings but we estimated it as we thought it was to high. I know for a fact my electric bill wont get any higher this winter as will be using my gas heater, ive also had a consumption monitor installed so i can see what I'm using and when, im sorry to hastle you guys again over the same problem but I'm sure they cant do this, Ive pleaded my case to them, but all they want is me to make some sort of payment to cover outstanding on top of the £69 a month ive already been paying, She even said if you are on disability payments we can directly take the outstanding directly from your benefits, At this point i kind of broke down and hung the phone up, i then got a call from my GP asking if i was OK, turns out E.D.F had rung my GP saying i was going to harm myself, i would but the luck im having lately the rope would probably snap, I have never been in debt with anyone ever but twice now E.D.F have left me in severe financial difficulties.

Im not living the life of luxury, I have no car no washing machine/tumble drier/dishwasher I don't drink and cant go out if i wanted to, my last holiday was well over 29 years ago on a school trip, i have no plasma tv iphone or iother, the money i receive only just covers my food laundry transport and utility bills and even then its a struggle so for a multi billion pound company to do this to someone twice is downright hurtful and soul destroying, Any answers would be of great value thankyou again for reading.........Lee.

Leeh123:

Hi i have just had same problem I'm disabled wheelchair bound so cant get into electric cupboard if i knew how to read it in the first place so i kept on getting estimated bills i thought it would have gone in there favour and probably got charged a bit extra, i spend because of my condition a lot of time in hospitals i always paid by debit and thought the bills to be right as only me living in a one bedroom bungalow but got a electric bill from EDF this morning for £3,473.90. where it is normally around £104.90. I'm sick with worry as only get disability benefits i can just about survive on what i get there is so there's no way i can afford to pay any more than what i was paying.

I don't know where to turn i rang them thinking it was a mistake Ive also applied for the emergency grant but know i wont be able to afford the repayments.

EDF HAVE A TRUST FUND TO HELP YOU.. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY ANY OF THE MONEY BACK

Leeh123:

You should Google for the Code of Practice for Accurate Billing. There are several relevant clauses to your case. Firstly a requirement for estimating based on either previous consumption or average consumption for your type of property. From what you say EDF have totally failed on that clause. Secondly, where there has been supplier error, back billing (legally) cannot be for more than one year. No bill would be a black and white case, this is less clear, but I think they may have failed the spirit of the clause. Other clauses relate to handling of vulnerable customers. From what you say the meter readers (who are probably not EDF employess but meter reading company employees) appear to have been inept at obtaining access to a registered disabled customer. Regardless of employment, EDF are absolutely responsible for managing the customer. In the circumsstances a visit arranged and confirmed by letter or telephone would have been appropriate.

You should ask for proposals for settlement in accordance with the Code of Accurate Billing based on their inaccurate estimating and inept attempts at obtaining access.

Its not impossible that the there is an error in the actual reading which resulted in the huge bill. Try to get a friend to read your meter and ideally take a photograph. Check that the number is close to the bill reading.

Hi Jalexa, Thank You so much for responding, sorry took so long to get back to you this has hit me real hard and has made me ill with worry i simply cant see no way out, i rang EDF few mins ago spoke to a lady called Amy she says Ive been on the care register as disabled since 2000. i also explained to her that Ive never stopped people getting access only on three occasions one i couldn't get into my wheelchair quick enough to get to front door and he drove off and second time i had only just got out of hospital. and the third he had turned up at 8:10 am so real inconvenient he said he would come back and never did, Stupid me really thought they wouldn't undercut themselves so were charging me the reasonable rate for a one bedroom house

I know my meter has been read on a few occasions as have asked the guy to clamber over all the boxes as i cant even get in there, All my gas bills are correct and not estimated as i let them in as well,so why was i still getting estimated bills.

Leeh123:

I replied to your other post. I think Moneysupermarket will probably merge these as they are the same

Mod - Threads now merged.

Leeh123:

OK, first things first. Does EDF know you are disabled? They will have a care register but I do not know if you are on it. If you are they should be managing this issue. If not you need to get on it. Phone and ask how. Explain you are disabled. Don't discuss the bill until you are registered. Its important to make a very careful note of who you spoke with and the time and date.

Do that and report back.

Hi i have just had same problem I'm disabled wheelchair bound so cant get into electric cupboard if i knew how to read it in the first place so i kept on getting estimated bills i thought it would have gone in there favour and probably got charged a bit extra, i spend because of my condition a lot of time in hospitals i always paid by debit and thought the bills to be right as only me living in a one bedroom bungalow but got a electric bill from EDF this morning for £3,473.90. where it is normally around £104.90. I'm sick with worry as only get disability benefits i can just about survive on what i get there is so there's no way i can afford to pay any more than what i was paying.

I don't know where to turn i rang them thinking it was a mistake Ive also applied for the emergency grant but know i wont be able to afford the repayments.

Hi Ive just received my edf electricity bill at £3,479.90p for a one bedroom one disabled person bungalow i rang them up they said they had had estimated bills for a few years now, As being in a wheelchair i cant read my meter as right at back of cupboard, i spend a long time at different hospitals because of my condition so normally get home to a stack of bills in which i felt safe assured my bills get paid as am paying by debit my EDF bill is paid £34, it says last quarter (last year) 10.94. last quarter 11.61 This quarter 324.23 I only get disability benefits as i said I'm wheelchair bound, I have no way what so ever of paying this back. i don't know what to do and am sick with worry i always pay my bills have no credit cards and have never been in debt i have applied for the edf grant thing and am still waiting.

My bill reads..

Amount of last bill....£61.92 cancelled charges -£133.45 Payments -£34.00

Charges this period £3.579.43 Total for this period £3,473.90