My energy provider won’t reduce my payments

[Comefromaway]

We moved house in March 2020 (great timing). The previous home owners were retired, they were at home all day plus had an adult son with SEN living with them. They kept the house very warm.

we al know what happened next. Lockdown happened, me, Dh, Dd and Ds were all working/studying from home. During the winter of 2020 the house was occupied a lot more than usual. Ds was on alternate weeks in college plus his Btec course meant he was home 2.5 days a week anyway. There were numerous closures. We kept the house warm and comfortable all winter.

In Sept 2021 my fixed rate expired and I went on a variable rate. I handed in meter readings. We were at home less that winter but still had numerous periods of isolation, Ds was at home 2 days per week using a multitude of electrical equipment he always forgot to turn off and in college 3 days per week In addition fil used to come up in the day and we’d have the hearing on quite a bit. Dd left home to go to Uni in London. Due to a p/t job she only came home for a few days at Christmas and 1 week in August.

In March 2022 we were offered a fixed rate, twice the cost of our previous fix but one of the rates Martin Lewis advised people to grab whilst it lasted. Our monthly direct debit was increased. At the start of September I turned our thermostat down one degree. Ds left home to go to Uni.

Last month we got our energy bill based on estimated readings. Our direct debit was increased. It was very high so I handed in proper readings. It turned out electricity was pretty accurate but they had massively over estimated gas. Our bill was re-issued and we are currently £1,500 in credit.

I worked out that if we use the exact same amount of gas and electricity as we did last year but at our current rate £250 per month will cover it. I applied to reduce our direct debit from £460 to that amount explaining our usage Taking note that we used to have 4 people at home now we have two and we totally work out if the house whereas we were working partly from home so I expect to use less especially as we’ve turned the thermostat down.

They have refused to reduce our payments. Our current rate is only available to those who pay by direct debit. We can’t get a refund of our credit until at least our next review in March.

Have you asked for a refund instead?
It took that for Scottish Power to reduce my DD.

It is all very automated/outsourced now...so computer will frequently say "no" automatically. I had to wait for the "Bot" on the chat function to move me to chatting with a human - but I pointed out we had a huge credit - please could I either have a refund or reduced DD.

Not toally resolved - because, like you, they are still predicting our winter usage as per last year - but due to less wfh etc ours has hugely dropped.

I had to "pay" the current bill - from our £1100 credit - a month early - to allow all the recalculations to happen.

Oh and to clarify - my DD only reduced because of my massive credit. Not that they recognised my useage had gone down. If I wanted a refund (unstead of the reduced DD) I would have only got a few hundred and DD would have gone up £25 rather than reducing by £50!

I think the "predicted winter use" is only ever going to be based on last year's usage - and computer based. So I have kind of given up fighting it to be honest.

They are being awkward with you because they have £1500 of your money. Energy companies have become fraudsters.

I’d be happy if they did base it on last year’s usage.

I'm with Scottish Power and they are currently sat on over £1300 of my money and still want to increase my payments. Something about predicted use over 18 months, I have no idea how they are working it out.

They were wanting to increase my payments by £66 I have managed to drop it to an increase of £33 which is slightly better.

You can still change suppliers although with some you'd need to ring them to do so. You could cite bad customer service as a reason for moving. You'd get your credit back when you leave.

I'm with Octopus and can adjust my direct debit up and down online.

Contact the ombudsman. Tell them you intend to as it costs them every time someone complains to the ombudsman.

Last year I used 20,525 kWh of gas & 1,952 kWh of electricity so based on current prices

Gas 20,525 * 9.302p = £1,909.24
plus standing charge £94.61
plus 5% VAT

TOTAL GAS £2,104.04

Electricity 1952 * = £626.98
plus standing charge £167.28
plus 5* VAT

TOTAL ELECTRICITY £834.52

I missed electricity rate of 32.12p

The predicted use puts me at best part of £5k a year. Whilst we aren't completely low users, and have a tumble dryer, dishwasher and a washer going frequently (as well as life with 5 people) neither are we totally frivolous.

You can’t go direct to the obusman
you have to go through the EDF complaints
you get a complaint manager and it’s has to be resolved in 8 weeks
if it’s not then you can go to the ombudsman

I’m going through the EdF complaint system at the moment and I have a complaint manager who calls / messages me every 2 weeks

my complaint is that I should be on the SVR and I’m on the E7 day rate despite having a contract with the new rate
They have accepted my complaint but can’t fix the issue with the new rate going to my smart meter

Sympathies Yabado

I have put the above in an email.

I have a smart meter with Edf and I’m billed for what I use got a good fixed rate as I complained as they had installed the wrong meter years ago and I was on a ridiculous price plan, they didn’t resolve my complaint within 8 weeks 12 weeks went on and I complained to the ceo someone rang me same day and took over the complaint just cancel dd and pay for what you use if they won’t back down or they can use the £1500 in credit you have .

EDF reduced my direct debit yesterday when I rang and spoke to them. I'm in credit, nowhere near as much as you though, and they wanted to increase the direct debit to £167. Their initial offer was £157, and I said no as that was still higher than the money saving calculator suggested based on last year's usage, and after some back and forwards they put it at £133. I can increase it if I need to but would rather the money in my bank than theirs.

I am making up my tin foil hat as we speak but I can't help but think this is the latest tactic in making me have a smart meter.
So far we have had.

1. Borderline harassment by way of multiple phone calls, letters and emails.
2. Telling me my current meter is too old and will blow my house up or something.
3. Telling me I can save £524 a year with a smart meter - it's smart, not magic.

So now they are sitting on £1300 and increasing my DD possibly in a further attempt to get me to sign up.

I just don't want a smart meter, no real reason but I am ok as we are. It is worth not having one just to see what they will do next.

I totally agree whitefire

.@Comefromaway
to be fair the person managing my complaint is fine
what annoys me is it took 3 weeks of me ringing everyday and telling them that the rate on the smart meter is wrong

I’m being charged a E7 day rate of 45.9 ;
instead of 32.9 SVR

I was on a E7 rate with both day and night tarriff which I no longer needed as I had Gas so I switched to the SVR and had to have a smart meter put in

edf say my meter can’t accept the new rate when they send it via the smart team
but it accepted the new rate on Oct 1St so clearly bullshit

Can you ask for a refund of the £1500? I'd do this as well as complaining.

At least then the money would be in your savings account, gaining some interest for you?

In literally the OP it says that

1. she can't cancel the direct debit as it's a condition of the tariff
2. she can't get a refund as they have said they will only do this in march when they review the account

So those are 2 things that people could stop suggesting she does?

OP I think you will have to put in an official complaint to EDF and then, if they still refuse to do anything, go via the ombudsman (I had to do that in a previous disagreement with Scottish power and they were brilliant).

I'm sure she can insist on a refund as long as she provides a recent meter reading. They can't just hold onto over £1k of your money. Or move supplier and then you'll get it back when your account closes.

What prices are your fixed rate and how do they compare to the SVR? If they are still above the SVR even with the price guarantee reduction then you might be best dropping back into the SVR.

I provided a meter reading last week. It resulted in them crediting my last bill in full and re-issuing the bill but still not agreeing to reduce the d/d or refund any of my credit balance.

It would be madness for me to change tariff as I’m fixed until 2024

I knew it would be EDF. I left them 18 months ago as they wouldn't accept monthy readings and adjust accordingly. Had to wait for them to review it every six months. They did my head in.
Moved to Octupus who ask for a reading every month and I give them it that day. Easy and keeps my account up to date.

Have you filled in the refund credit form?

Although it seems to direct you to call them