I wonder if you could help with this query? In March 2006 I became an EDF
Dual Fuel customer and have always paid by direct debit. Other than having a
couple of disagreements regarding the amount to pay each month by direct debit when
they attempted to double my payments (which I won) the relationship appeared
to be OK.

Earlier this year I decided to check that I was getting the best deal and
visited a couple of comparison sites. Both of these were unable to deal with
my requests as they stated that I had entered the incorrect details for my
Electricity tariff. I had entered Online V3 for Gas and Standard Domestic
Tariff for Electricity which was shown on my bill. Totally confused, I
contacted EDF's Customer Services department and spoke to a guy who informed
me that Standard Domestic Tariff is a Single Fuel Tariff and that I had
obviously been put on the wrong tariff in error. I was informed this wasn't
a problem and that he would rectify the problem, put me on the correct
tariff and arrange a refund for the overpayment. Great news I thought and
waited for the cheque!

However when I received the following quarter's bill indicating that I was
still on the same tariff and I hadn't heard anything regarding the
overpayment, I rung EDF's Customer Service department again to be informed
that Standard tariff isn't a single fuel tariff and there wasn't a problem
with my account. However when I asked about the online tariff she did admit
that that would be a cheaper option and didn't know why I had been put on
the Standard tariff initially. That made two of us then!

On 4th August I emailed EDF, stating the above and asking them to
investigate the matter, and have just received a letter of apology dated
21st September together with an updated Electricity bill showing that
between April 06 and Aug 09 I have been overcharged by £563.79.

I am very unhappy that I have been paying for a much more expensive single
fuel tariff since 2006 rather than the online tariff that I signed up for
and also that, had I not queried it in writing, it appears that their error
would not have been admitted. What makes it worse is that this period was
also a very difficult time for me as I'd just been made redundant and really
struggled to pay my bills - often having to accept loans from my parents to
help me. Paying over the odds for my electricity was something I could have
done without at this time.

They have confirmed that this amount will be credited to my account but I
intend to ask for the overpayment to be repaid to my bank account. However
as they have had an interest free loan from me for almost 3.5 years, what I
would really like to ask you is, could I also ask EDF for interest on the
£563.79 they have overcharged me during the past few years? I have seen
several items on forums whereby utility companies have had to pay
compensation when similar issues have been taken through the courts. This
isn't a route a particularly want to go down but feel really hacked off that
I've been subsidizing EDF (albeit in a very small way) for the past 3.5
years.

Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Best wishes.

Cudeth:

Well of course you can ask for anything you like but perhaps you are asking what chance you have?

First of all I would suggest you drop the interest question but ask for an ex-gratia payment in respect of your "Distress and Inconvenience". The mechanism to do this is to raise a formal complaint strictly in accordance with the EDF code of practice of complaints (possibly you already have done). If you remain disatisfied 8 (or 12?) weeks after first raising the issue you can ask the energy ombudsman to consider your complaint.

You are fully entitled to ask for a refund to your bank account. Make that one of your complaint issues.

The other way of getting your money back is to switch to another supplier. If you have now been confirmed on Online Dual Fuel V3 there is plenty of choice to make quite big savings. EDF Online Dual Fuel V5 is very competitive in most areas though I note than some comparison sites don't offer it to an existing EDF V3 customer. If you want it go direct and ask. I mean insist.

Switching doesn't affect your entitlement to ask for a D&I payment, though it might affect EDF's discretion in making an award. Switching wouldn't affect your entitlement to refer your disatisfaction to the energy ombudsman.

Its up to you. Now that you are wised up to this switching problem you should have nothing to fear from switching and everything to gain.

Many thanks for your help and advice Jalexa.

Best wishes.