Switching Electricity Supplier - A Salutary Tale

[RFS]

I've switched suppliers several times over the years and usually it's gone without a hitch. This time I'm leaving EDF and switching to EON.Next. OK, so I've done well with EDF over the last couple of years, having taken out a 2-year fix in July 2021 that's only just ended, so I've been insulated from the large fluctuations during that time. But EDF are difficult to deal with: my meter (electronic not smart) failed recently and was replaced, but their admin seemed incapable of dealing with the fact the readings from the new meter were lower than the old one. Plus EON.Next were cheaper. Our house is all-electric so we're a big user. Switching to EON is going to save £350 per annum.

 

At the brginning of July I started the process. On July 7th I got an email from EDF saying they were sorry I was leaving, so I knew the switch had been registered with the contract end date being July 31st. EON told me they would debit my account with £302 in the 1st August, which was fine. Except that on the same day EDF also debited my account with the August payment of £320. Their excuse was that the bank was notified on July 27th before the contract end so I would now have to wait till the final bill was sorted to get that money back.

 

On August 11th EON told me final meter readings had been agreed, and my EDF account confirmed that saying the final bill could take up to 5 working days. That's nearly 3 weeks ago now and it's still pending. Called EDF yesterday who insisted it can take up to 6 weeks, and any refund would be sent by cheque and not by refund to the direct debit account, and the cheque would take 7-14 days to arrive. Apparently it's EDF policy to always issue cheques to refund customers who leave. The indifference of the EDF agent was palpable.

 

So I cancelled the direct debit yesterday. Seems I did it just in time as there's now a message from today on my account saying - "We've been unable to collect your latest payment on two attempts, so we've cancelled your Direct Debit. This means you'll get a bill to pay by cash/cheque every month, and the unit price you pay for your energy will go up. You can set up a new Direct Debit to go back to a cheaper unit price."  So they would have taken another £320 on September 1st if I hadn't cancelled it myself!

 

So the lesson learnt is to cancel your direct debit before you leave which is what I should have done. I estimate my account was £100 or so in credit at the time. If it had been in debit according to my calculations, I would have first paid a lump sum in to put it in credit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RFS]

Well as one door closes, another opens!  EDF finally settled the account yesterday and the refund cheque arrived this morning much to my suprise. Being less than £500 I was able to pay it in via my smartphone and it was credited to the account a couple of hours later.

 

Our house is all-electric with a Nightstor electric boiler that heats up overnight on Economy 7. Water is heated through this boiler and pumped round the radiators during the day. As a result, our electricity consumption is 25% day and 75% night. Handover figures were 3459 day 12970 night - low because the meter failed last October and was replaced.

 

Having agreed these figures with EDF, which were confirmed in writing,  some admin person in EON has decided that they're the wrong way round because "normally day figures are higher than night". So I'm being asked for photographic evidence before they will change them back. I'm 78 and need to stand on a stepladder to read the meter, let alone try and take a picture.

 

My first complaint is on its way less than 6 weeks into my stay with EON!

[johnofwessex]

I didnt deal with it but we had a lot of issues with EDF at my local model railway society clubhouse.

 

You can also  invoke the Direct Debit guarantee

[Jonboy]

I would ultimately ask for a smart meter and loose the ladders.

[RFS]

3 hours ago, Jonboy said:

I would ultimately ask for a smart meter and loose the ladders.

 

We have a 3-phase power supply and keep being told smart meters are yet available for this. I've been asking for ages....

[LMSfan72]

I have a 3-phase smart meter, installed last year, arranged through Octopus.

[RFS]

29 minutes ago, LMSfan72 said:

I have a 3-phase smart meter, installed last year, arranged through Octopus.

 

Is it a dual-rate one with Economy 7?

[LMSfan72]

Yes, it’s a full smart meter - I am on a smart tariff so it’s actually multi rate (not sure it’s just 2) and sends half hourly readings back to the provider.

[admiles]

Depends on how much hassle you want. I've spent the last four years in a battle with British Gas over a smart meter they fitted to my mothers house. Hasn't worked properly since day one with wildly inaccurate readings that they refuse to believe are incorrect.  For example. Usual monthly electricity bill approx £40.00 per month (pre-recent price hikes!). First month after smart meter fitted - £1700.00 for a single person living on their own. Followed by £4500 the next month, etc etc. 

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by admiles

[RFS]

And the saga continues. Paid in the EDF cheque on Thursday and saw it was logged into my account a couple of hours later. Now today it's showing as "returned cheque" so it appears to have bounced! No explanation anywhere as to why. Tried paying it in again, but the app won't let me as it says it's a duplicate cheque.

 

Looks like a new battle with EDF when their callcentre opens on Monday ....

[RFS]

Well finally got things sorted. Having complained to EON about why they'd reversed the day/night readings and got stupid replies ("I understand you have stated the difficulties in relation to gathering meter photos, so please be sure to gain some assistance where required if you are able to, as they will help in justifying the changes to readings where necessary.") I forwarded this answer to their complaints department and quickly got a reply from "Susan" in perfect English and everything was instantly sorted.

 

More of a hassle with EDF who initially insisted the bounced cheque had been cashed, but finally got a replacement that took two full weeks to come from Sunderland. 

 

It would seem the initial rejection was because I paid it online with my phone using the Santander app. This takes a photo of the cheque itself (ie you have no control over it) and the photo it took appears to have very slighlty cropped a large QR code on the left-hand side. I only found this out a week later when Santander sent me a letter explaining why the cheque was returned ("Cheque Incomplete"). Seems the QR code on the cheque is some form of enhanced security.

 

So lesson learnt. The replacement was posted to Santander's central cheque paying-in centre, and it's now cleared.