Never been billed in 7 years - EDF

[user_name]

Hi, Some advice needed.

 

In the Autumn 2010 me and my partner moved in to a new flat.

Sorted out council tax, water etc straight away but ran in to problems when trying to get our gas and electricity sorted.

 

Having found out EDF was the supplier for the previous tenant I made several 5-10 calls to EDF during the first months of moving in.

For some reason they had no supply registered to our address and could not set anything up.

Even when supplying them with the electricity meter number they stated that that meter had been turned off for two years.

No luck with providing them with my gas meter number either.

 

I used the details from the previous tenant to try and set up so we could receive bills.

But no luck, every time having to wait in queues and explain the situation at length to a new person.

 

After a few months a paper from EDF was left in the letterbox saying that the meter was to be cut of, changed to a prepay meter, court order etc. It did not have the correct address and postcode.

 

I used the reference number left on that letter and called edf again,

believe I got redirected to different departments

and finally got to talk to someone who understood the issue.

 

 

He said they would investigate.

He called back a few days later,

perhaps a week and stated that he had an idea of what the issue was and that they would investigate.

They would get back to me when it was sorted and to update me.

 

I asked what the time frame would be, and he stated that likely after Christmas/new year. This was in 2010.

 

From that point they have not been in contact.

Have not received any bills or any contact or letter.

 

come September 2017 I receive an automated phone call from a robot voice asking if the account holder for my address, stating my name, (although I have since changed my last name through marriage).

It said to either confirm or deny by pressing a number.

I denied I was that person.

I did at the time not believe an automated phone call to be legitimate.

 

Two weeks go by and I pop in to my ground floor neighbour which is a cafe as I am coming home and they said some electricity people had been around asking for a meter to one of the flats.

The cafe has no access to the common entrance to the 2 flats.

They did not leave any letter leaflet stating or anything.

 

what would you recommend I do?

 

To me I did my due diligence in 2010 and it was up to them to get back to me.

I have never received a bill or had an opportunity to pay.

 

Should I contact them or wait until they attempt to contact me properly by post, meter visit etc.

 

The automated robot phone call is not a proper attempt to contact me.

It could just be a robot call as far as I am concerned.

The visit my neighbour told me about was just a coincidence that she relayed that information to me as I met her just as I came home and they were closing.

 

What would you do in this situation?

Am I correct in assuming they could only back-bill 12 months.

 

Many thanks

[unclebulgaria67]

If you have proof of asking to be supplied and billed by EDF, then you might be able to argue that only the 12 month back billing rule applies.

 

Link to uswitch page that might help. Using the meter numbers you should be able to find out which company thinks owns the supply.

 

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/who-supplies-my-electricity-and-gas/

 

I have a feeling the people visiting were revenue protection officers. They might be trying to get a warrant to instal a prepayment meter. You should have had letters though, but if they did not address them correctly to your flat, then you might not have received them.

 

If they instal a prepayment meter, they can for entry to your flat, to conduct any safety survey required, as part of the work. They can do this, even if you are not at home. So you might want to find out what is going on and get a complaint started.

[45002]

Hi user_name

 

Are you saying then

 

You lived there for 7 years know in your current home using gas and electric and had no bills since you contacted them back in Autumn 2010 and no other contact with any energy suppliers until the robot phone call September 2017 !

 

 

 

[user_name]

Thanks for the reply. unclebulgaria67

 

I do not have any proof since it was 7 years ago and and that time I genuinely believed that they would be in touch as soon as they had investigated.

It Is just strange that they have not even left a letter saying they were around to get a meter reading. Then I would at least have a reference to contact them by.

[user_name]

Hi, Yes that is correct.

No contact whatsoever since 2010. The last contact was that they would investigate and get back to me.

[unclebulgaria67]

Thanks for the reply. unclebulgaria67

 

I do not have any proof since it was 7 years ago and and that time I genuinely believed that they would be in touch as soon as they had investigated.

It Is just strange that they have not even left a letter saying they were around to get a meter reading. Then I would at least have a reference to contact them by.

 

With the proof, you might have been able to argue 12 month backbilling rule should apply, meaning you only get billed for 12 months estimated usage on a standard tariff rate.

 

Without the proof, you might be billed for 6 years estimated usage based on standard tariff rate. The 6 years is due to limitations act, meaning they should not be able to go back further.

 

Sometimes not keeping proof can be an expensive lesson.

 

On that uswitch link, there are telephone numbers to call to find out the energy supplier noted against the meter reference.

 

If EDF are noted, you might want to see if EDF are currently investigating and if so, to get a complaint registered, before you have revenue protection inside your flat, after having changed the meter to prepayment. The meter will have a debt added to it.

[45002]

Hi, Yes that is correct.

No contact whatsoever since 2010. The last contact was that they would investigate and get back to me.

 

So there 7 years worth of gas and electric used

 

Reading up on the back billing

 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-back-billing-your-rights

 

Have

 

Some energy suppliers have developed their own policies to reflect the commitment. Others that are members of the energy supplier trade body, Energy UK, have developed a joint voluntary code of practice

I make no apologies for saying this

 

Using gas and electric for 7 years for free, knowing its got to be paid for and just contacting the energy suppliers a few times when you 1st moved in, then doing nothing for 7 year.

 

It's not on.

 

You should have kept on contacting them until you started getting bills and not just left it, there No excuse.

 

Huge bills coming to you.

[user_name]

Thanks for the advice.

There should be some record of me contacting them since I got the automated phone call.

I will use the numbers provided and see where it gets me.

[user_name]

Regarding the back-billing requirements the argument would be that I have "willfully avoided payment" and therefore the back-billing would not apply.

Even though I have had no way to to pay or received any correspondence. I did contact them when I moved in repeatedly and I have replied to all correspondence or visits from them, part from an automated phone call.

 

I understand your point and there is no argument that electricity and gas has been used and in hindsight I should have pestered them even more.

My argument would be that I did what was required in 2010 and that the responsibility investigate and sort it out would be on EDF since I did flag it to them and provided them with all details I had.

Therefore the responsibility was with them.

 

I will get in contact with them and see what it leads to. If they apply the back-billing or not there is energy usage to be paid for.

[45002]

Thanks for the advice.

There should be some record of me contacting them since I got the automated phone call.

I will use the numbers provided and see where it gets me.

 

Contacting them only in 2010 and then nothing until 2017, they are going to able to see how much energy has been used approximately by reading the meters, when they get lawfully access to them which they will do.

 

Regarding the back-billing requirements the argument would be that I have "willfully avoided payment" and therefore the back-billing would not apply.

Even though I have had no way to to pay or received any correspondence. I did contact them when I moved in repeatedly and I have replied to all correspondence or visits from them, part from an automated phone call.

 

I understand your point and there is no argument that electricity and gas has been used and in hindsight I should have pestered them even more.

My argument would be that I did what was required in 2010 and that the responsibility investigate and sort it out would be on EDF since I did flag it to them and provided them with all details I had.

Therefore the responsibility was with them.

 

I will get in contact with them and see what it leads to. If they apply the back-billing or not there is energy usage to be paid for.

 

Backing billing is only a voluntary code of practice

 

Sorry but you admitted to using gas and electric for 7 years and not contacting any energy suppliers in between 2010 to 2017.

 

Do you expect to get out of paying rent, water, council tax, phone, internet, bills too for past 7 years.

 

Responsibility with you too, Pay up...

 

 

 

 

...

[dx100uk]

well .....

lets just see what unfolds

 

 

dx

[user_name]

Update.

Called EDF today and spoke with them.

Something is wrong with my property. The meter does not exist or is not registered to my property. As I was told in 2010.

The details they had for me was for a property that does not exist. But for an address half a mile away.

They checked the national database and could only say that something is wrong.

 

Next step is that they will escalate it via their complaints department and have to send someone out to investigate and check everything.

They mentioned that they naturally can not bill me for the years going back. I would assume a years backbilling would apply.

[unclebulgaria67]

Update.

Called EDF today and spoke with them.

Something is wrong with my property. The meter does not exist or is not registered to my property. As I was told in 2010.

The details they had for me was for a property that does not exist. But for an address half a mile away.

They checked the national database and could only say that something is wrong.

 

Next step is that they will escalate it via their complaints department and have to send someone out to investigate and check everything.

They mentioned that they naturally can not bill me for the years going back. I would assume a years backbilling would apply.

 

Hope you recorded the call or at least got the name of the person you spoke with.

 

I reckon that the address given previously by you was wrongly selected using the postcode, as the flat number/address details did not come up on their computer screens. This is why you never heard from them, as they were writing to the address half a mile away.

 

It is possible that an energy suppliers revenue protection team have been sniffing at your address, as there have been problems noted at the address. Possibly in another property at the address.

[45002]

Update.

 

 

So after 7 years you decided to ring EDF today, why now !

 

 

 

.

[unclebulgaria67]

So after 7 years you decided to ring EDF today, why now !

 

 

 

.

 

If you read OP's post. EDF have been trying to make contact with them.

[45002]

If you read OP's post. EDF have been trying to make contact with them.

 

Yet from 2010 to 2017 approx OP makes No contact with a energy supplier and carry s on knowingly using gas and electric for FREE during that 7 year period.

 

There are people up and down the UK struggling to pay there energy bills, you own have to read threads on the forums and others on the internet.

 

Yet the OP wants to wriggle out of paying for past 7 years using a code of practice "back billing" which is only voluntary anyway.

 

Rant over

[dx100uk]

Might be voluntary but its in the act and has been successfully used in several court cases

Neck wind in time

 

Good luck to the OP

Seems like you are getting somewhere at last

[45002]

And Good luck to EDF in recovering 7 years worth of Free gas and electric OP used...

[ericsbrother]

as the address and meter dont exist EDF cant claim any such right to monies due for energy supplied any more than any other supplier can.

OP just happened to phone them and offer then the chance to be his supplier.

 

Now, would I let this drag on for 7 years? No,

I would have been onto them and got them tied up in their own complaints procedure and got some credit as compensation for their useless systems.

That doesnt mean EDF should profit now when the true loss has been to their producer, not a random supplier

[unclebulgaria67]

I think EDF were the previous residents supplier and the OP tried to take it over in 2010, when EDF seemed to note an address half a mile away. For some reason the meter reference was not noted to the flat address. But with flats, this is apparently not unusual to have meters that are not registered properly.

[Surfer01]

Yet from 2010 to 2017 approx OP makes No contact with a energy supplier and carry s on knowingly using gas and electric for FREE during that 7 year period.

 

There are people up and down the UK struggling to pay there energy bills, you own have to read threads on the forums and others on the internet.

 

Yet the OP wants to wriggle out of paying for past 7 years using a code of practice "back billing" which is only voluntary anyway.

 

Rant over

 

If the metering is not registered to the property then it could be any supplier and not just EDF. There are probably thousands of meters across the UK that are not registered to any supplier and do not exist. No supplier wants to admit that they messed up and never registered the supply. however I do agree that the OP should have persisted with EDF or even another supplier to get the metering registered. BTW if the meter is not registered to any supplier I doubt if they can back bill.

[unclebulgaria67]

If say the previous owners did try to register the supply meter with EDF prior to 2010 and this did or did not happen. The OP then moved in 2010 thinking EDF were the owner of the meter and tried to get the supply contract set up without success. It then took 7 years before this unregistered meter was found out about. .....

 

The question is, do EDF have any ownership of this supply meter or does having a period of 7 years with a problem registration mean the meter is shipperless ?

 

What is to stop the OP phoning any energy company with the best tariff for their needs and registering the meter as shipperless ? EDF at the moment don't seem to know whether it is their meter or not.

[Surfer01]

Ask for written proof in the form of a print out from Metering Point Administration Services showing that the meter is registered to a supplier. It will also show when the meter was registered along with its profile and the address where the metering is located.