EDF muddle, can you help please?

AuraTodd

New Member
Aug 26, 2010
9
0
1
I don't know if this is the right forum, if not please feel free to move to correct one.

I wonder if anyone could advise me on what I should do please? I have mild learning disabilities and I am calclexic which means it’s the number opposite of Dyslexia. I am not very good with figures of numbers as I get confused and in a muddle.

I pay my energy bills gas and electric through EDF by direct debit, and recently they have sent me estimated bills. The reason I couldn’t give them a metered reading was because when the man last came to look at my dial’s he burrowed the triangular key from me and never bought it back, and I didn’t know where to get another one.

I am now in Debt to EDF gas at £94! :eek:

I usually pay £31 a month for my gas. I admit that during the winter, my gas boiler is on a timer and comes on from 6pm until 9pm in the winter because the timer is wrong, and i don't know how to correct that, so when I got up during the colder month’s I override it and had it on for an hour more before turning it off. I suspect this is why I got such a high bill.

EDF paid me back £45.3p back into my account for some electrick which they owed me, but it’s the gas bill I am worried about. My parents say something is not right as I should challenge it.

I also have £11 for an electrick bill coming out of my account on Saturday 29th March, my next gas bill is April 7 for £31.

I rang them up at 6.45 last night and was on hold until 7.15 which was frustrating. I couldn’t get the automated system to recognise my numbers I had taken of the dial’s, so I was relieved to speak to a human voice. One number on the back of the letter wasn’t recognised even through I had dialled it in correctly. :confused:

I have tried finding a social worker to help me because I am worried I am ending up in a mess. The woman on the phone said I could clear the debt in instalments but I’m not agreeing to anything until I speak to an advocate. It’s very hard trying to find support to help me because they say there all too busy, or some excuse they can’t help me. There’s too many obstacles and red tape to get through.

Can you please advise me what I should do please?

Many thanks and hope you can advise me. I’m really depressed at the moment because I don’t want to be cut off. :(
 

ALewis

Moderator
Nov 23, 2010
691
4
0
South Wales
Hello,
Unfortunately as this really is a dispute between estimated usage and actual usage (and not knowing whether the estimates are correct or not) we can't really advise anything at this stage.
If their estimates are greatly below the actual usage you could argue should your usage not have changed from previous years, however you have said that your usage increased by around 30%.
If I were you, get them to agree that the debt is in dispute - that way they can't proceed with any actions until the dispute is resolved, notify them that you agree to continue your direct debits to them, however place the remainder value in dispute. Chances are you'll be stuck and forced into paying the debt.
Sorry we couldn't help much more
 

LondonGirl

New Member
Mar 21, 2014
47
0
0
London
www.simply-wrong.com
Do you mind me asking if you are in your own house, private rented or social housing? If you'd prefer not to say, that's fine. I'm just trying to think of other possible routes for you, though I'm inclined to agree that you'll need to pay off any extra usage in smaller installments over time. There are organisations which can help you to set that up if it comes to it. Meanwhile, make sure you keep paying what you have always paid previously.