It appears EDF have been given permission by the government to recoup monies from its clients since 2012 because they have undercharged the majority.
What’s your interpretation please. Surely somewhere there is a European rule that can be used to fight them!!
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/france/le-conseil-d-etat-impose-une-hausse-retroactive-de-l-electricite_574711.html
The % ? they talk about is that calculated on each bill since 2012? What % are they’re adding?
I would appreciate a break down in English as my French is not the best, it would be useful for us all to be prepared. thank you.
No you did not dream it- and what's more they backdated charges- somthing that could never happen in the UK.
I just had my bill and smuggled in the small print were additional back charges of 123 euros plus VAT at different rates. That's without the other taxes etc. Electricity actually used these last two months 372 euros- taxes, back charges, VAT etc etc make for 261 euros. Furthermore I am not entirely sure that that is the end of it! Last winter I disconnected the radiators in all our bedrooms and my study, had a heated towel radiator in one bathroom only. Slaved over our woodburner all winter but our electric bill is still almost 3000 euros a year!!! Apart from needing to be here for family educational reasons I seriopusly thought about going to the tropics for four or five months a year as it would be cheaper including flights. Only the healthcare worries me.
where do I get my figures - from my own bills (I've had 2 in 3 years for this backdated tax) and what the assistante sociale told me. Yes it's a % but not a huge one, obviously if you used a lot, your bill will be higher but average as said to me by the as is around the 5€ mark
Apart from paying through the nose for the basic electricity it is all the add ons and taxes on top of taxes that get my goat. I thought I had read something a year or so ago that they had payed too much tax and were given a rebate from the government, which should have been passed down to consumers but EDF refused to pass this on. Did I dream that or what?
I thought it was wrong for the UK to split up the energy/utility companies and sell them off but when you come up against EDF in France in comparison to EDF in the UK I can, to a certain extent, see the benefits now that I could not see then.
I received a backdated bill for 0,51€!!! The worst of it was that the flat it was for was all inclusive so I shouldn’t even have been billed!!
Had ours in 1 week ago now and they have demanded 38 Euros ... not impressed.
my thoughts exactly but not via EDF & their feed in tariffs
I know what you're saying but I've had off-grid ambitions for years now; I don't actually see myself as a big consumer, & indeed my comsumption has gone down since living on my own (unsurprisingly), but after 13 years of struggling to get by; dealing with pig headed administrators (dept 81....admin a nightmare); & turning 50 last year & realising that the anarchist in me could no longer be contained, I have decided to do the opposite of what's expected
okay it's a bit tongue in cheek, but I don't like being told what to do, just because someone says I have to
The French love their rules, well let THEM follow them; I'm off in the other direction
The French Government fixes the prices of EDF electricity… price fixing is always a bad idea for consumers and worse when Governments do it.
The price increase allowed for EDF in 2012 was 2% but a complaint by other electricity suppliers was made that this increase was too small, did not reflect the true costs of EDF, and was in effect a subsidy, meaning other companies would be unable to price compete and stay in business.
A subsequent review decided the increase should have been 5,7%, then they later re-evaluated it to 9,6%.
The upshot is EDF has to recalculate its 2012 bills based on these numbers which would amount to, on average 20€ if the first estimation, or 40€ for the second. The Government has to decide on a new tariff within the next two months, and the payments will be taken between Summer 2014 and mid-2015.
In summary expect on average either 20€ or 40€ charge depending on what they finally decide and dependent on consumption between Aug 2012 and Jul 2013, so it will vary from household to household.
It has nothing to do with taxation. EDF gets the money.
go for it anyway Bob, I reckon the faster we get into small-scale independent electricity generation, the faster poverty will be history.
It's an unbelievable/believable waste of money that really should be regulated. We received, in our name, a bill for our SON's old bedsit, (account was not in our name even! how do they justify that?) for 80centimes.
I'm sure it cost EDF more to send the bill than they will recoup.
DUMB
I see that Only our last bill in March 2015 refers to 2012 - 2013 the charge was 29€ .
No explanation in a letter it was just hidden in the figures.
I suggest people should look at their last bills and the next one!
I have done more research and see that someone had a bill that was in excess of 800€ Because of the recoup.
Not quite sure Helen where you are getting your figures from as it is % of the bill of that time and therefore we all have different EDF bills!
Could you expand on where you say it’s not huge money … Where are you getting your calculation from, please?
My concern is EDF spreading the amount that is owed , so for example are we going to get another extra 29€ in the next bill again for 2012 2013.
Bob, it's a backdated tax on a certain type of contract - sadly if you had that type of contract a few years back you have been undercharged and they are reclaiming it from everybody. As I said it's not huge money - under 5€, so not really worth getting het up about it. Speaking from experience the alternatives are not cheap or practical (when we arrived here 15 years ago I was not connected to mains electricity or water, was expensive in the set up, stressful to run it )
Living here full time, I've never been undercharged, but if they deem otherwise, they are welcome to come & cut off the supply, as long as they remove the meter & all the associated carp that goes along with it....I will then make my own, less expensive, arrangements
A few years back in Greece the government back dated road circulation taxes, despite paying some 400 + euros for my road tax I had a bill for another 180 euros .......reason, it was taxes they put on luxury cars and backdated it for the previous year! Oh yes the luxury car bit.....it was a 2005 CITROEN PICASSO !!
it's because the French government ruled that they undercharged and they are recuping tax hence the bill passed onto us - this is the 2nd time in 3 years I've had bills relating to a previous rental. Most bills are only a very small amount - both mine (2 years ago and the latest this month) were less than 5€ (last one was 1€36 to be precise)