Hi there, I have moved out and I put EDF on notice that I will be cancelling my direct debit for £45 a month. I was living in a two bedroom flat. I moved in March 2012. I have requested a full breakdown of electricity used from then to date (moving out). I have yet to receive a response. I cant believe that I have been so naive to pay £45 direct debit for so long and not even question the bills, for example maybe 3 months I have been away and not even present in the flat, but still paying the £45 regardless. What I want to get to the bottom of is whether they owe me money as I must have overpaid surely. (I imagine this happens alot, as direct debit seems to be the preferred method of payment with all companies) to top it off having sent my letter cancelling my account, EDF customer service advisor has now sent me an email stating I owe £100 for the half year bill, which I find incredible: A) this request for £100 is not even a bill just an email B) I have already paid around £350 for half a year through direct debit C) the email says pay within 14 days. D) EDF have yet to respond to my letter asking for a full breakdown. Is it me or is it a nightmare dealing with this company? Please help!

The Big Six energy suppliers have launched a campaign to reunite former customers with money left in credit in a move that has been welcomed by consumer groups and the regulator. The MyEnergyCredit campaign will encourage customers who have switched suppliers or moved home without leaving a forwarding address to get in touch with their old company if they think they have left money behind. Energy UK said £153 million in unclaimed credit had accumulated over the last six years, with the average balance at around £50. The trade association said from now on, after two years any unclaimed credit would be put towards funds to help the fuel poor and vulnerable, which would amount to at least £65 million over five years. http://www.myenergycredit.com/

It would appear that I have been moved to another energy supplier without my authority! This started back in November last year when I was contacted by Unicom sales and offered a better deal on my electric supply all sounded pretty reasonable on the phone and they e-mailed me a Letter of Authority to sign and return. On reading this Letter of Authority which gave them the authority to contact my current supplier and gather information about my account and rates; but I noted that there was a paragraph that gave them the Authority to Terminate my contract with my current supplier and move it to them, so at this point I left it. I soon received a call asking for the Letter of Authority, I explained that I wasn't happy with the Termination Clause and that I wouldn't sign such a letter. I was assured that they wouldn't terminate my current supplier contract without my say so; so to be sure I edited the Letter of Authority and removed the offending paragraph, signed it and sent it back. I never heard any more until a couple of months ago when I noticed that my DD payments to Unicom had jumped from about £30/Month to well over £1,000/Month. I immediately rang Unicom to see what was going on and they told me that it was because of my electric supply which they had taken over, I found this to be quite distressing as I had been paying my previous supplier in the region of £700/Quarter. I asked on who's Authority had they transferred my contract? I was informed that I had signed a Letter of Authority and that they had this letter on file; I asked for them to e-mail me that letter which they did and I can confirm that the copy they have is the edited version that I sent. So my question is did they have the authority to terminate my contract? Regards Chris

Which uses more energy in standby mode, a computer or a phone charger? You might be surprised Most of us know that to cut our energy bills we should turn things like televisions and computer monitors off at the wall rather than leaving them in standby mode, which consumes power even when they’re not being used. But smaller gadgets and appliances quietly running in the background could be pushing your energy bills up much faster than you realised. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that an average household will spend up to £80 a year powering appliances left on standby and not in use. Annual energy usage while on standby: Wireless Router (e.g. BT Hub) - £21.92 Printer (Laser) - £18.26 Set-top (Satellite) - £18.26 Amplifier - £12.18 Compact Hi-Fi - £12.18 iPad charger - £12.18 Nintendo Wii - £12.18 Set-top box (Freeview) - £7.31 Alarm Clock - £6.09 Microsoft Xbox 360 - £6.09 Modem - £6.09 Sony PlayStation 3 - £6.09 Air freshener plug-in - £4.87 CD player / Tuner - £4.87 Television (Plasma) - £4.87 Video Player - £4.87 Inkjet printer - £4.26 Desktop PC - £3.65 Nintendo DS - £3.65 Oven (Electric) - £3.65 Microwave - £3.04 Television (CRT & LCD) - £3.04 Mobile phone charger - £2.44 PC monitor (CRT) - £2.44 Electric toothbrush - £1.22 Childs night light - £0.73 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/10920520/The-devices-quietly-running-up-your-energy-bills.html

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Thursday published a report into the country's energy markets in which it identifies opaque pricing, the dominance of utilities and an uncompetitive retail market as the main negative factors. The so-called issues statement is part of an investigation into the British energy market, one which the CMA will publish its final report by Dec. 25 2015. http://www.lse.co.uk/FinanceNews.asp?code=lc2pkmug&headline=UK_competition_watchdog_publishes_report_on_energy_market_investigation

Thursday, June 26, 2014 - 12:00 We have today referred the energy market to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for a full investigation. The CMA will begin its investigation immediately and will likely publish its final decisions by the end of 2015. Clear the air The investigation is an important opportunity to clear the air and should ensure competition in the energy market effectively bears down on costs and drives improvements in customer service and innovation. This will help rebuild consumer trust and confidence in the market. It will also help to provide the certainty that is needed for investment in the energy sector and complement our recent reforms to make the market simpler, clearer and fairer for consumers. Supplier distrust Our recent assessment of the energy market, which we prepared with the Office of Fair Trading and CMA, showed that competition isn’t working as well as it should for consumers. It showed increasing distrust of energy suppliers, uncertainty about the relationship between the supply businesses and the generation arms of the six largest suppliers, and rising profits with no clear evidence of suppliers reducing their own costs or becoming better at meeting customer expectations. Investigation features The CMA can decide which features of the market to focus on in its investigation and use its powers to address any structural issues that would undermine competition. We fully expect the CMA to consider the action we’ve taken to intensify competition and protect consumers. The main areas we expect they will include in the investigation include: the relationship between the supply businesses and generation arms of the six largest suppliers barriers to entry and expansion for suppliers the profitability of the six largest suppliers whether there is sufficient competition between the large energy suppliers the trend of suppliers consistently setting higher prices for consumers who have not switched low consumer engagement that contributes to weak competitive pressure in the market We will play a full role assisting the CMA and will continue our work to protect consumers. This includes pushing forward next-day switching, improving the support available for vulnerable consumers in finding the best energy deal, developing new rules for brokers to follow in the non-domestic market, and working with government to ensure consumers get the maximum benefit from the smart meter revolution. A CMA investigation should ensure there are no barriers to stop effective competition bearing down on prices and delivering the benefits of these changes to consumers.

Hi, Another question for anyone who can help! I asked my landlord (they are a property company) if I could change energy suppliers over the phone last year, they advised me I could as long as I provide them with the new reference number which I did. I've just moved out and on the check out form I see they have said if I've changed without written confirmation from them that it will be £100 admin fee. I'm guessing they would take from my deposit? I'm not happy about this, they told me I could but I have nothing to prove this, anyway it's my money paying for the supply surely I have the right to change to whoever I want as long as I provide them with the information which I did. In any case, how can they justify £100 admin fee, what is the cost to them that I have changed? Can I fight this in anyway? Seems completely unfair to me Many thanks Jess

Hi There, I recently called Opus to terminate the business electricity account and they accepted with reading as we were moving out and our 2 year contract was finished 6 months ago. after one month to this they sent another bill for whole month with the reading of full month after I cancelled with them. I called them to find out whats going on and why they send me bill for whole month rather than 15 days (when I gave them notice) they said we can not take your word for it. after your notice we called your business number and we were told you are still there secondly your landlord name did not appear in land registry. so your contract is still in place and not cancelled. I was shocked to hear that and told them that how its possible that some one says we are there when we are not !! I offered them to send someone onsite to meet me. and secondly I don't know who is the freeholder of the property as I was having a sublet from some someone. few days after this I received a letter demanding last month's rent as I cancelled the direct debit after giving notice and now they have put on an extra 7.5% on supply rate plus an administration charge which is unknown. Very soon I will start receiving red letters with amounts piling up. I cannot understand why they are so super glue. Leaving them should be as simple as joining them. They say, they investigate all customers before terminating the contracts. Do they have authority to investigate ??? I need some advice as what shall I do ?? I'm ready to go through solicitors to end it and report them to regulating authorities as its making me panic now. Thanks in advance.

Millions of households have missed out on a £50 saving on their energy bill because a green tax cut has been swiped by suppliers. All of the big six firms — British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power — will save money this year after the Government slashed network charges and the cost of implementing green schemes. The Government says these changes would save households around £50 on their annual gas and electricity bill. However, four months on and millions of customers have not received a penny in discount. Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2610842/Energy-giants-pocketed-75m-green-tax-cuts.html#ixzz31gfmzJ00

EDF simply forgot to charge me (after a mixup following a smart meter installation) for over a year. They recently caught up with it and after admitting it was their fault, set me up on a repayment plan lasting around 16 months. I am not on a key/card meter, it's still on normal billing. Can I now switch supplier and just keep paying EDF the old bill? They said that the new tariff they've given me has no switching penalty. What would happen if I defaulted on the debt or missed payments - could they force entry still to disconnect me, or can that only be done by your current energy supplier?

Hi, i am an ovo customer and out of curiosity wondered if they could give me a better quote, so i went to the website and typed in what i pay them each month but put that i was a british gas customer, guess what? they say they will save me £334 per year! anyone else tried this? i'm going to ring them later to see why they are giving me a lower quote, are they legally obliged to lower my bills after claiming they can with their online quote? Any thoughts anyone?

Just moved into my own house and the electric and gas are provided by spark energy. I have never heard of this company, are they any good?

Our company switched to Opus Energy in Nov 2012 for a 12-month contract. The tariff was good at (something like 9 pence/kWh). In August 2013 we received a letter telling us the fixed contract was ending in Nov 2013, and if we didn't respond within 30 days, the contract would be automatically for another 12 months. I was away from teh office at the time. We were told the new contract details were overleaf. This was followed by paragraphs about where does your electricity come from? renewable sources, £10 off for ebilling, smartmeters, etc. The last line on page 2, stated the unit price of 17.69 p per kWh. No mention of the previous unit price, no mention of the percentage increase (ca 80%). Yes, we were too trusting, yes, we should have checked, but we felt we were dealing with a reputable company (like us) who would treat their customers fairly. Opus Energy appear to be deliberately attracting new custom, then sneaking out punitive increases on the unwary. Opus refused to justify their increase and are currently trying to hold us to the 2nd year contract providing which will end providing we give 90 days’ notice. The government's policy of opening up the utilities market to make it more competitive is to be applauded, but at the same time it has to prevent unscrupulous companies like Opus Energy from taking advantage of consumers. A search on Google reveals this company has many, many dissatisfied customers, so buyer beware.

Hi Guys, Can anybody tell me how to make an application to transfer procedings started in CPR 8 to main stream CPR part 7, What application form or form of words should I use ? Do I need the court's permission? what happens of court refuses permission to transfer?

Hi guys i wanted a bit of advice. At a previous address i was paying arrears from an old address via an electric prepayment meter. I moved out of the property in december 12. I've had a bill for 300 odd quid addressed to my new address. Now at my new address have a totally different energy supplier so no ongoing realtinship with the company i owed that debt too. This letter that they have sent me has got no account numbers relationg to the debt on it they also have my name spelt incorrectly and no first name at all. Is the onus on them to prove that this debt is mine am i liable if they have my name totally incorrect where do i stand on this legally.

Hi all, our 3yr tenancy officially ended on 7/8/2013, but we moved out (and had our check out done) on 25/7/2013, so slightly early. The check out clerk took the final meter readings, gave us a copy and forwarded the report on to the letting agents. Before leaving, I made sure the central heating was switched off (at the wall) and that everything electrical was turned off (fridge/freezer etc had all been professiionally cleaned so was switched off). I even turned the power off at the fusebox in the flat. I then contacted British Gas, gave them the final meter readings and paid the final bill. British Gas have our forwarding details but have never been in touch with us about anything more tpo do with the old flat. However, 7 months later, we have received correspondance from a debt recovery company threatening court action over a £22 gas/elec bill for the period 26/7/13 - 7/8/13. Apparently our old letting agent gave them our details. I know the landlord/letting agent accessed the flat between the 26/7 and 7/8 because they took pictures etc and sent them to us trying to (fraudulently) claim there was damage that was our fault. We suspected at the time that they were moving people in before out tenancy officially ended, as the flat was advertised as being available from 1st August, and disappeared off the market quickly. So I have 2 questions: 1. How can £22 of gas/electricity have been used in a "supposedly" empty property in 2 weeks? This is more than half of what we used in a month when we lived there! 2. If we have proof of the meter readings the day we had the check out done, are we still liable for energy used after this? It's not the money, it's purely the principle of the matter, especially as the LA/Landlord tried to fraudently keep part of our deposit. Any help greatly appreciated. Gareth

I've had a final bill from Sainsburys Energy (Dual Fuel) as I've changed provider and the amount they are asking for are ludicrous. I had a bill on the 19 Dec 13, then 09 Jan and finally 10 Jan 14. They say I owe them just over £330 for approx 40 odd days gas and electricity. Has anyone else had this type of problem, I was planning on ringing customer services tomorrow for a full breakdown of everything paid and usage etc before any money gets paid to them. If I'd have known it was going to be so much hard work changing supplier I wouldn't have bothered. I'm sure it was a lot less painless the last time I changed suppliers. Ta PM

i have been paying a direct debit to my electricity supplier based on their average usage estimates even though they periodically call or send someone to takes readings.. i have just moved out of the address and when notifying isupply energy they have responded in the mail with a £441 pound bill. ive never seen, had access to or been told of any outstanding monies owed and this seems a bit underhand that they suddenly drop this big bill on me dating back 10 months. just wondering how the world has allowed them to carry on with such behavior ? cheers all : ) ..just wanted to say that the service i bought was their 12 month fixed price electricity tariff. just wondering also if someone might tell me if the meaning of the word "fixed" has changed in the last 10 months?

opus energy, i have never come across this company but was duped and misled into signing a contract, the prices i was charged a unrealistic and the way i was disconnected to a building with my new born and parents living above the commercial premises. they have no regard after paying them 2500pounds and then being disconnected with a demand of a bond of 5000pounds or risk of not being swithed on??? surely this is criminal, they came for electricity bill which i have said cannot be correct after spending 1500pound on led lights to reduce a 50w to 2w. now they want the gas paying or will not turn my supply on????? can anyone help and how can i get out of this contract, this has nearly driven me to seriously think about suicide, to have no hot water and heating as the boiler wont run without the supply after paying 2500pounds, i only agreed to pay this if they kept me on.

My husband has bought and taken over a business about 7 weeks ago and changed gas contract into his name. A week later he received a phone call saying it was the "SERVICE DEPARTMENT" from his gas supplier and said that they were calling to Check if all his details were up to date when in fact it was OPUS ENERGY. Unknowingly to my husband, he gave them his bank details and meter readings and there was no mention of a contract. A couple of days later we had a contract through the door saying thank you for choosing us as your energy supplier. I immediately rang opus up saying WTH!! Is going on? The lad on the phone just said that if my husbands current energy supplier objects to opus taking over 3 times then the contract will be abandoned. So I rang up husband current supplier and stated that under no circumstances transfer the energy to OPUS. They said not to worry as they have had similar calls from other business owners saying that have been duped by OPUS!! So that's sorted. NOW a week later after the incident a women named "SADIA FROM OPUS" phoned my husband again saying that she was from "the service department". I challenged her and asked which company she was from. She didn't reply and when I mentioned OPUS she said yes. I said I don't want anything to do with the company and requested her to remove my husbands number from the system. She just told me to hold the line and the line was mute for a good 5 minutes. I ended the call. Now a couple of days after her phone call my husband got a CONTRACT FOR HOS ELECTRICTY through the door in his name. My husband has a submeter in his shop but the ELECTRICTY is not in his name. The shop next door receives the bill and we pay half. The shop owner next door has been receiving contracts in his name when he hasn't ever spoken to them and he's been with his current supplier for over 5 years. Iv reported them to trading standards and will do to the FO. The reviews on opus are disgraceful and my husband can't believe he's been duped like this. Surely it's illegal! Sorry for the long post guys but Any help would be grateful

Hello! I'm hoping someone can advise - I've been Googling but can't find an answer! I'm in rented accommodation. We pay our own utility bills, and there's nothing in the contract to state we can't change suppliers. If we were to change to a fixed tariff contract, what would happen if we were to move out? Would the new tenant be lumbered with it, or would we have to cancel? It's a daft question - but is the contract for the property, or for the people who live there? I've done the price comparison thing and know we could save if we switched, but never having done it before I'm a bit confused! Thanks!

It's that time of year again. Make sure you're not missing out on help with your energy bills Cold Weather Payment You may get a Cold Weather Payment if you’re getting certain benefits. Payments are made when your local temperature is either recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days. You’ll get a payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. Use the Cold Weather Payment tool to find out if your area is due to receive a payment. What you'll get You’ll get £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. Cold Weather Payments don’t affect your other benefits. Eligibility You may get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting: Pension Credit Income Support income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance Universal Credit How to claim You don’t need to apply. If you’re eligible to get a Cold Weather Payment, you’ll be paid it automatically. Use the Cold Weather Payment tool to find out if your area is due to receive a payment. If you have a child under 5 living with you If you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance you’ll need to tell Jobcentre Plus if: you’ve had a baby a child under 5 has come to live with you Otherwise, you won’t automatically receive any Cold Weather Payments you should get. If you don’t receive your Cold Weather Payment Tell your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office if you think you should have received a Cold Weather Payment but you haven’t. https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment

Hi all Now 5 of the big six (with speculation mounting that the final one, EON is due to make an announcement of a 6% increase) are increasing their prices, make sure you pay the correct rate for your energy! On the day the price change is due to take effect, make sure you give your supplier meter reads. This will ensure that you are charged for the correct number of units at the old and new rates. If your supplier hasn't got a meter read they will estimate based on previous consumption.

Tens of thousands of elderly customers face a rise in their energy bills, after one of the UK's biggest suppliers withdrew a tariff for the over 60s. E.on has announced that it will scrap its StayWarm scheme, which offered fixed-price bills. The firm blamed new rules which limit the number of tariffs that energy companies can offer. The changes are part of the government's plans to cut bills, and have been backed by the Prime Minister. They are being implemented by the regulator, Ofgem, and will limit the total number of tariffs to four per fuel. "Due to new Ofgem rules, which includes limiting the number of tariffs we can offer, the StayWarm tariff will close as current contracts come to an end from October 7th," an E.on spokesperson said. The customers concerned will be written to, and advised to switch to another tariff. However, if they cannot be contacted, they will be automatically moved to the company's more expensive standard tariff. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24363796

anyone actually heard anything about them? they dont seem to be on the board much - which is good im trying to get a list of my tariff costs off npower (taken 4 days so far no reply) to see if it would be cheaper to move ive used my "estamated" next years usage amounts off my last npower bill and ovo energys quoted me £35 a month cheaper id probably keep paying the usual £135 a month as ovo say they pay intrest on any credit any ideas people?