EDF chasing for disputed bill at old property

[MrDinkle]

Out of the blue we have been contacted by EDF some 3 years after selling our house and settling our final bill.

 

We've had a revised bill from them claiming that we owe them over £2,000

 

This is the story in a nut:

 

Early 2012

- We were an EDF customer for a short time before selling our house at the beginning of 2012.

- We paid by direct debit/standing order and operated our account in credit.

- The day we moved (hectic) I took the GAS reading on my hand (we were being cajoled by the new owner who wanted to get in ASAP), it was pouring with rain.

- I duly passed this reading onto EDF

 

EDF sent us a bill for over £2,000 (early 2012), I had a coronary, contacted the new owner and got the reading she took the day we completed (my reading had included the spinning digits without the . ). The rain had smudged the figures in my hand, I had given EDF an incorrect reading. I called EDF with the correct figures and it was all sorted out. We received a revised bill the account was settled and all was good.

 

Great!

 

Fastforward to February 2015:

- We receive 2 letters in quick succession from EDF

- Letter 1, sorry we made a mistake we owe you around £300 call us

- Letter 2, sorry we made a mistake you owe US over £2000

 

I have spoken to EDF and they realise that something is not right, the agent I spoke to stated that it would be impossible to run up a bill that big in the time period etc etc.. They are supposed to be sorting this out, but, it's kind of alarming and scary that they can be sending demands like this over 3 years since they account was all settled and closed.

 

Any advice on dealing with them? The demand is definitely erroneous and we do have the original paperwork advising the revised figures etc.

 

Thank you

[steviehowie]

have you had a look at the back billing code of practice that the energy companies have signed up to with reference to your case. You should be able to google it.

 

 

Energy companies simply cannot ask for money from previous years.

 

 

Dispute the sum and ask for full disclosure of information.

 

 

Also watch for a [problem] started by other energy companies claiming you owe money when in fact its a try on.

 

 

Keep up the fightback.

[MrDinkle]

Thank you Stevie. I was not aware of the back billing COP.

 

I have already disputed the sum.

A complaint has been logged.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean about the full disclosure bit? What would I be asking for?

 

So this is not uncommon?

 

Thank you

[Conniff]

Ofgem’s Back-Billing Principle

 

From 2007, Ofgem requirements state that energy suppliers can no longer try to reconcile incorrect domestic energy charges from more than 12 months ago, if the supplier itself is at fault for not billing the household correctly.

This is known as the Back-Billing Principle, and suppliers must adhere to it. It states:

“If your supplier is at fault, it will not seek additional payment for unbilled energy used more than 12 months prior to the error being detected and a corrected bill being issued.”

[MrDinkle]

Well, I am just off the telephone from them. They are being quite frugal with information at the moment.

 

All they will say is that something has changed on the current owner's account that has caused them to question meter readings and this has triggered a new bill. The advisor stated that she is certain that we do not owe them any money, but, that they have to follow procedures to generate a revised final bill.

 

I asked why they were doing this (as it surely that puts them in breach of the code that they subscribe to). It all went around in circles with no clear response to that question. She did go on to state, that were it to be dealt with via the Back-Billing Principle she was quite sure (not certain) it would be written off.

 

I have requested full disclosure on the account and have been told to expect forms through the post within a few days.

 

They say they are waiting on the new owner to contact them with information but, obviously they are hiding behind DPA and won't say what they have asked of them.

 

Fortunately my OH hoards paperwork and we have already located the final bill and much more besides - even bills from our previous supplier. All seems very odd and a bit fishy - are they trying it on?

[ericsbrother]

You will have to wait and see but probably they are thinking that you wont know any better so will try and recover monies from you that are either not owed or owed by someone else