EDF £300 Bill for final bill for pre-paid electricity meter!

[jazztheman]

My elderly mother recently had to go into a care home.

 

 

She was previously private renting and the accommodation had a pre-pay electricity meter the type with a key type stick.

 

Thought it would be a simple matter of closing the account down because it was pre-paid,

and there would be no cost on the final bill.

 

 

The final electricity bill arrived a few days ago and it's for around £300!

 

 

I cannot contact EDF until after the holiday,

 

 

any one else had a final electricity bill for a pre-paid meter?

[dx100uk]

if they are backdating a price hike

they can only do it for 12mts

 

 

dx

[jazztheman]

If that is the case why don't they update the pre-pay meter to take into account for any price hike? Because it's a pre-pay meter there is no meter to show the number of units used (I think) surely this is open to abuse..

[dx100uk]

you can interrogate the meter to tell you all manner of things.

 

 

the guides are on the net.

 

 

don't accept its right what they want mind!

 

 

dx

[ploddertom]

How long has the meter been installed, did she owe previously & is this the balance of what was owing?

[jazztheman]

The pre-pay meter was there when she moved in around three years ago, although with a different energy supplier. She did receive a letter last year that she had been underpaying, although EDF corrected the problem.

 

The final bill is based on an estimated reading, which is wrong. It seems like all bills are estimated. Unfortunately I now cannot gain access to the pre-paid meter to see if I can find the up to date actual reading..

[Consett26]

Every time the key is inserted it takes a reading that is passed back to the electricity company along with details of the payment so its difficult to understand how EDF can argue that they have to use estimates.

 

I think you need a detailed explanation from EDF as to how its possible that your mother has been underpaying on a prepayment meter. My concern is that she hasn't been underpaying at all but has inherited a previous occupants arrears due to (e.g.) using the key that was in the property when she moved in. I'm concerned that the "problem" that EDF corrected may have been that your mother wasn't paying off the previous occupiers arrears quickly enough for EDF's liking