EDF are still sending estimated electricity bills even though they came and read the meter on 18th June! They are OK'ish but why are they still estimating... any ideas?
I have the same experience the phone number for English language clients. Any reason why it just abruptly hangs up?
Eventually (a word used often in our household about matters French) - the estimates and the actual readings catch up with each other and it usually results in a "true" useage rate and bill.
You might see EDF's attitude as keeping people in employment ( and no bad thing that either), personally I prefer to see the system as a cost reduction exercise, the meter is read only twice a year instead of six times, the remaining readings being taken to confirm their estimates and try to eliminate fraud. The next stage is to change the meters so that they can be read remotely which will finally put to rest the concerns shown on this thread. One of the reasons that leccy costs so much is the requirement to buy from 'renewable s' rather than follow the green nuclear path!
I am assuming that when ERDF read the meter they pass the reading onto EDF.
Or am I being far too logical - I tried the English phone line and also came up
with the ansaphone message being in French. Face to face I could probably work it
out but over the phone I've no chance ....
I received an estimated bill after submitting my reading online to the reading company that EDF use. Couldnt figure out why they sent me an estimated one so sat here waiting for the corrected one to arrive... good job I wasnt holding my breath.
I assume that they will just sort themselves out eventually, so paid what they had estimated albeit probably 10 times what it should be.
As an aside I thought the best thing to do was ring EDF on their english speaking number. Its great the website is in English, and its supposed to be English speaking it probably is if I ever manage to get through to someone. My French isnt brilliant (yet - but getting there), the answerphone message is in, erm French!!!! By the time I have tried to understand whats happening the message has stopped, frustrating or what.
Yes they do need to do the work as its their meter I just thought that your friendly leccy trician would know how to kick start the system.
We get a letter from EDF, advising us that Soc XXXX will be passing to read the meter on a certain day. Similar with GDF.
Last year, I paid 80 euros a month based on an estimate from previous owners even though I only spend about one month per year at this time. In March they had a reading and lowered the monthly estimate to 16 euros per month. I got like 580 euros credited back to my account. I don't know if the café let them read it as they still had an electric box inside my house entrance or if it was done electronically. It was a nice surprise to get such a large credit.
I had thought of that but it is a large house with the meter right at the back and it has a
big frontage so I am not sure how easy this would be. Don't the electricity people have
to move the meter as its their property and has all sorts of seals on it ... ?
Must be an oldish set up, my meter is read from a box on the roadside, we never even know when the meter reader has called. Perhaps have a word with your electrician to see if they could arrange to have a new style meter fitted.
I know you can enter your readings on line but we are only at the house about
4 times a year and I went specially so that they could come and read the meter
as contract (they have to read it twice a year). I was just surprised that after
being insistent they had to read the meter I still received an estimated bill.
I would add that my meter is inside the house so it is not possible for them to
read it without my presence.
I tend to find that the estimated bills for my small 1-bed apartment tend to help spread the cost across the year.
I pay something like a fixed 30 euros per month with a top-up if necessary at the end of the year of about 60 or 70 euros.
That said I am not in the apartment all year long.
My sister asked me about this last year some time. She is a bit foxed by the same. Difference is, she is in London but even so an EDF customer. We have simply got used to it because it all squares up in the end.
Do you know you can go into your online EDF account and put your own meter reading? This is ideal for us as we are not at there property and therefore not consuming. There is a specific date from which you can enter the reading so make a note of this for the next time.
With us the fully read (red?) bill came in July and January all the rest being estimates.
I became tired of estimated bills and joined the Service relevée Confiance
so that I would never be subject to the vagaries of their 'estimates' again.