EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

[Drew]

I moved house before Christmas and I was with EDF for Gas and Electric at the old house.

I had been a customer with them for nearly 1 year and I regularly asked them to send me a bill and they never did.

When I rang to tell them I had moved house, it transpired that my account had a technical glitch with it, which is why I never received any bills and they had to pass it to their IT Department to fix the glitch and I was sent the final bills, which I cannot pay as they are charging me for the whole year!

The debts have now been passed to EOS Solutions UK.

Am I liable to pay the bills as it was EDF's error?

[bluebottle]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

I moved house before Christmas and I was with EDF for Gas and Electric at the old house.

I had been a customer with them for nearly 1 year and I regularly asked them to send me a bill and they never did.

When I rang to tell them I had moved house, it transpired that my account had a technical glitch with it, which is why I never received any bills and they had to pass it to their IT Department to fix the glitch and I was sent the final bills, which I cannot pay as they are charging me for the whole year!

The debts have now been passed to EOS Solutions UK.

Am I liable to pay the bills as it was EDF's error?

Hello Drew,

If you have consumed electricity and gas, you are liable to pay for it. However, in your case, your provider, EDF, didn't send you a bill for a year and are now expecting you to pay for a year's worth in one go, a sum you say you cannot pay. As a result, EDF have involved a DCA, EOS Solutions UK.

There are a number of questions I would be grateful if you could answer in order that other Legal Beagles members and I can see how we can help you -

Does the technical glitch lie with EDF's IT systems or your electricity and gas meters?

Did EDF have the meters read at least twice a year, as required by law, or did you notify them of meter readings online or by phone?

Did you attempt to negotiate a repayment plan with EDF and what was their response?

Bluebottle

[Ihaterbs]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

I'm in a similar position with EDF.

EDF called lat March and I transfered my energy over from NPower. Since March I have requested billing, i've wrote, emailed and made contact by telephone ofeten waiting for 20 minutes a time.

Yesterday I contacted consumer direct and they protracted my complaint to exec level. Just received a phone call from exec level they are to investigate the matter and reduce outstanding balance as goodwill gesture and provide affordable payment regime.

I recomend contacting consumer direct.
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Hello Drew,

If you have consumed electricity and gas, you are liable to pay for it. However, in your case, your provider, EDF, didn't send you a bill for a year and are now expecting you to pay for a year's worth in one go, a sum you say you cannot pay. As a result, EDF have involved a DCA, EOS Solutions UK.

There are a number of questions I would be grateful if you could answer in order that other Legal Beagles members and I can see how we can help you -

Does the technical glitch lie with EDF's IT systems or your electricity and gas meters?

Did EDF have the meters read at least twice a year, as required by law, or did you notify them of meter readings online or by phone?

Did you attempt to negotiate a repayment plan with EDF and what was their response?

Bluebottle

BB

What legislation requires the meter to be read twice per year?

Regards

[bluebottle]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

I'm in a similar position with EDF.

EDF called lat March and I transfered my energy over from NPower. Since March I have requested billing, i've wrote, emailed and made contact by telephone ofeten waiting for 20 minutes a time.

Yesterday I contacted consumer direct and they protracted my complaint to exec level. Just received a phone call from exec level they are to investigate the matter and reduce outstanding balance as goodwill gesture and provide affordable payment regime.

I recomend contacting consumer direct.
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BB

What legislation requires the meter to be read twice per year?

Regards

Right. Made a few enquiries about meter readings. All energy companies have an obligation under health and safety legislation to check meters every two years for safety reasons and meter accuracy. Although there is something that limits energy providers to two estimated readings per year, it is not clear whether this is something OFGEM has imposed on them or whether some statutory provision governs this. Obviously, I will try and find out what and post it up.

[valeriej43]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

I have just received my final bill from EDF for5 Gas and Electricity, i was told that £80 would cover both going by my previous meter readings from my last supplier on how much i had used
I didnt think it was enough so said i would pay £100 a month to ensure no high bills later,
My final gas bill said i was £163 in credit, but they wouldnt pay it back to me until they had my final electricity bill,which i have now got, they have deducted the Government grant of £120, which with VAT off is now only £114. and added the £163 credit i had as part payment for my Electricity bill, but i still owe £283 which they said ,dont worry about it we will take it from your bank account on the 2nd of May, no they wont,i have cancelled my DD, and phoned EDF to make arrangements to pay £10 a month,
The reason i am writing this is because i was given the WRONG info in the first place,and i have only my last few payments i made on my bill,

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

This is sadly oh too common, I had a debt with the hated Atlantic, all because they declined to take a payment for over 6 months, them blamed me and said they wanted over £600 in a lump sum!
3 years later we are out of debt on the gas and leaving them WAHOO!! got a why are you leaving call this morning.. funny as hell

[New_Age_Biker]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

Be carful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Energy companies are all too quick to involve DCA's & it may effect your credit file.
Best to make a formal complaint as soon as you notice trouble
How often do you read your meters? Do you compare your figures with the reads that the energy company bill you for? If so this should prevent you from becoming too far in arrears with out your knowledge.
I work with one of the smaller companies and they allow you to submit a meter reading every month which helps prevent problems

[valeriej43]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

After my first bill from EDF i had £75 in credit on my bill, then they said i wasnt it was a mistake,
As i have always paid by DD i am going to go through all my bank statements as soon as i have the chance, maybe tonight if i can, then after my summer bill i was just under £5 in credit, now i am leaving i am in arrears, but i have no meter readings on my final bills,which i think is strange too

[dogtired]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

Had similar problem with EON two years ago.
We are all electric but was in credit with the winter quarter bill.
Checked the meter myself as I suspected that this was not right.
They took the readings and said that it should have been read by the meter reader but that they could not gain access.
The meter box is on the side of the house!
They apologized and we caught up by paying a bit more on the direct debit,
Since then we have been on one of the on line tariff and I read the meter regularly myself

[valeriej43]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

I think a lot of these companies dont know what they are doing, i have just changed to ageuk, connected with EON so i will be checking the meters from now on, also asking why EDF havent given me a final reading just a final bill, and how they said i was in credit then i wasnt grrr

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

prepay all the way with me

[New_Age_Biker]

Re: EDF didnt bill me for nearly 1 year

Careful with pre pay.
If you go to a shop & buy a £10 credit the shop keeper wants to make a profit too, it costs him time & money to deal with your transaction.
That means you don't get the whole £10 worth of energy
ergo you are paying more
IMHO