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Urgent EDF problem


victor
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[quote user="Lehaut"]Interesting discussion. Our house is split into two, each about 120 m2. We live in the upstairs part. Heating is oil for 2 hours in the morning, then generally wood. Gas hob; electric oven/MWave, small A++ freezer and an A+ fridge. Water heating for one 200 litre and one 50 litre containers is electric. We have back up electric heating which the 2 boys use in their rooms when home. Several computers often all on, two with 500w transformers. From the EDF site, we used Dec 2011 to Dec 2012 7,311KWHs, most of that goes, I think, in heating the water tanks. Bills are received every 2 month, I put the readings direct on the EDF site and get an estimate of the bill within a day by email. These are still treated as "estimates" till the man (or lady) comes into the house to read the meter twice a year. That puts me in the middle of your range, but we have virtually no direct electric heating. All the bulbs are low energy and, being a Yorkshire man, usage of anything that costs money is rationed!! If you can see where its being wasted, let me know.[/quote]

Crikey! Are they running the NASA Space Programme? [:-))] 

[:D][:D]

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The technician came today and carefully inspected our meter and the surrounding area to see if someone had hooked into our meter. He also checked our electric box in the house. He was here about an hour.

We live at the end of a private road and share the road with two other houses. We also have two standard Poodles who alert us whenever anyone comes anywhere close to our property.

His conclusion was that there was no problem with the meter and that our electricity box inside our house was in proper order. He also felt that someone at EDF did a horrible job by not reading our meter for almost one and a half years and that even one bill that said it was from an actual reading was totally inaccurate.

Well, I do believe that we owe what the last bill stated, and it will be paid. This "exercise" has been a nasty learning experience. However, in the end, it is our fault. In an abundance of caution, I am trying to reach EDF to get a letter saying that the Prevelement has been cancelled as advised by Norman and others. And I have asked Claire if, given that EDF did stop the prelevement, we still should write the letter to the bank.

Our deepest graditude goes out to everyone who responded to our plight. You are are wonderful. A great community!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merci mille fois a tous, Victor
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[quote user="victor"]... And I have asked Claire if, given that EDF did stop the prelevement, we still should write the letter to the bank. [/quote]

Emphatically yes.

You have authorised them to help themselves to your money. I would advise you to snap your wallet shut ASAP.

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Clair wrote the following post at 23/01/2013 22:14:

victor wrote:

... And I have asked Claire if, given that EDF did stop the prelevement, we still should write the letter to the bank.

Emphatically yes.

You have authorised them to help themselves to your money. I would advise you to snap your wallet shut ASAP.

Clair,

OK Claire. I will draft the letter tomorrow. May I email you my draft for you to look over?

Victor
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I apologise if I am rather 'going on' but once again I seriously advise against prélèvements for utility bills.

Once they have access to your account they are capable of taking what they want.

Since I have stopped mine I feel in control. They can send any bill they like, and of course I will pay it once I have checked it not before, and when I choose to, but they can't suddenly empty my account.

On the question of stopping a prélèvement, you simply do it yourself at the bank in the terms Clair advised.

It is your account, you are boss. Don't believe any utility provider who says 'we won't take it this month'.  It is the same old lie as "the cheque is in the post", but the other way round

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Again this must depend on which area you are in Norman. When our peters were changed we had three different factures from between 7 and 40 Euros and none of them were taken directly from out bank even though we pay by prélèvement. I had to check what they amounts were for because it seemed the were charging us for changing the meter which they were not and I had to pay these by cheque.
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[quote user="NormanH"]I apologise if I am rather 'going on' but once again I seriously advise against prélèvements for utility bills.
[/quote]

I think that its one of those things that as long as everything is working fine, with a more or less stable usage, then no problem.

Once there's a hiccup though, then it can all go pear-shaped, as the OP has found.

But if operating the way you do works for you, then absolutely fine.

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Victor have they calculated what you owe on the latest cost per kwh or should they have apportioned it over the previous costs - what I am saying is:

total kwh x cost per kwh as at 2013

or

a kwh x cost per kwh as at 2010

b kwh x cost per kwh as at 2011

c kwh x cost per kwh as at 2012

where a + b + c = total kwh

The latter would be the cheaper

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[quote user="victor"]Clair wrote the following post at 23/01/2013 22:14:

victor wrote:

... And I have asked Claire if, given that EDF did stop the prelevement, we still should write the letter to the bank.

Emphatically yes.

You have authorised them to help themselves to your money. I would advise you to snap your wallet shut ASAP.

Clair,

OK Claire. I will draft the letter tomorrow. May I email you my draft for you to look over?

Victor[/quote]

Yes, no problem.

Here's a sample letter you can adapt to suit:

[quote]

Prénom Nom (victor)

Adresse

Code Postal Ville

                                                                       

Banque

                                                                       

Adresse

                                                                       

Code Postal Ville

                                                                        (name of town where you live), le (date of letter)

Ref client : (your bank acc number)

OBJET : Résiliation d'un prélèvement automatique

 

Madame, Monsieur,

Un prélèvement automatique d'un montant de XX euros est effectué chaque mois sur mon compte au credit de EDF, sous la référence (edf payment ref n°).

Par la présente lettre je vous informe que conformémént aux articles 2003 et 2004 du code civil, je ne

souhaite plus autoriser ce prélevement automatique à partir du (date of letter+1day),

Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.

signature

NOM PRENOM (victor) [/quote]

Give them a 3-4 days, then you can pop in to check that this has been acted on.

Then you can contact EDF (phone or letter) to inform them that the DD has been cancelled and that you wish to be invoiced every 2 months.

Don't forget to register for the Relevé Confiance service so you can give them your meter reading and there'll be no more nasty surprises.

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Crikey! Are they running the NASA Space Programme? [:-))] 

<

My gaming computer has a higher end graphics card, as does my youngest sons. Both require 2x6 pin power supplies, for the graphic card alone. Thus 500w PSUs are required. When he is rendering a video, the 4 I5 cores are running at 75 - 85% with 7gb of 8 gb of RAM in use, so he is making the most of its capabilities and power.

I quote from WIKI

As all of the rails come from one transformer and primary-side switching components, there is an overall maximum power limit. Power requirements for a modern desktop personal computer may range from 300 watts to more than 1000 watts for a high-performance computer with multiple discrete graphics cards. The power rating of a PC power is rated by the manufacturer. Simple, general purpose computers rarely require more than 300–500 watts maximum.[1]

On the office computer this is being typed on I am running 3 screens (just for a bit of fun)

I
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[quote user="NormanH"]That is a very helpful letter Clair, but why contact the EDF in this case?

Surely if you just stop the prélèvement at the bank that is the end of the matter?

Once it is stopped they can't do anything about it.[/quote]

Yes, once the bank has received instructions, it's the end of the matter, but EDF will not know to change the account to a "pay on invoice" account from a "monthly debit" account.

All they'll know is that the DD is being refused and the red letters will start coming through the letterbox.

IMO, it's best to tell them about the change in payment (once it's done with the bank) and ask for the account to be amended accordingly.

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[quote user="NormanH"]Thanks for that explanation Clair.

It explains a few things I won't go into [:$]

I didn't know they had "pay on invoice" accounts and "monthly debit" accounts....

I bet a few companies tear their hair out over me[:-))][/quote]

It may be down to a simple change of code on a computer system to indicate the method of payment, but if it avoids aggro, it's worth a quick phone call [:)].

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PaulT wrote the following post at 24/01/2013 10:05:

Victor have they calculated what you owe on the latest cost per kwh or should they have apportioned it over the previous costs - what I am saying is:

total kwh x cost per kwh as at 2013

or

a kwh x cost per kwh as at 2010

b kwh x cost per kwh as at 2011

c kwh x cost per kwh as at 2012

where a + b + c = total kwh

The latter would be the cheaper

Paul,

Excellent points. Thank you. I will definitely check into this.

Victor
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Clair wrote the following post at 24/01/2013 10:54:

victor wrote:

Clair wrote the following post at 23/01/2013 22:14: victor wrote: ... And I have asked Claire if, given that EDF did stop the prelevement, we still should write the letter to the bank. Emphatically yes. You have authorised them to help themselves to your money. I would advise you to snap your wallet shut ASAP. Clair, OK Claire. I will draft the letter tomorrow. May I email you my draft for you to look over? Victor

Yes, no problem.

Here's a sample letter you can adapt to suit:

Prénom Nom (victor)

Adresse

Code Postal Ville

EDF

Adresse

Code Postal Ville

(name of town where you live), le (date of letter)

Ref client : (your bank acc number)

OBJET : Résiliation d'un prélèvement automatique

Madame, Monsieur,

Un prélèvement automatique d'un montant de XX euros est effectué chaque mois sur mon compte au credit de EDF, sous la référence (edf payment ref n°).

Par la présente lettre je vous informe que conformémént aux articles 2003 et 2004 du code civil, je ne souhaite plus autoriser ce prélevement automatique à partir du (date of letter+1day),

Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.

signature

NOM PRENOM (victor)

Give them a 3-4 days, then you can pop in to check that this has been acted on.

Then you can contact EDF (phone or letter) to inform them that the DD has been cancelled and that you wish to be invoiced every 2 months.

Don't forget to register for the Relevé Confiance service so you can give them your meter reading and there'll be no more nasty surprises.

Clair,

Thank you! I will do the letter tomorrow and send you my draft by email.

Victor
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PaulT wrote the following post at 24/01/2013 10:05:

Victor have they calculated what you owe on the latest cost per kwh or should they have apportioned it over the previous costs - what I am saying is:

total kwh x cost per kwh as at 2013

or

a kwh x cost per kwh as at 2010

b kwh x cost per kwh as at 2011

c kwh x cost per kwh as at 2012

where a + b + c = total kwh

The latter would be the cheaper

Paul,

I am checking into this. You are absolutely on point. Thanks.

Victor
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Clair,

We have signed onto the EDF site and I have written a letter recommande based on your letter.

For the time being, we are reading the meter everyday and will do so until we receive our first bill directly from EDF.

Clair, thank you for the sample letter. It was very helpful.

Again, I want to thank everyone who responed to our problem. Hopefully, others who read this will have gained some information regarding prelevements and utilities.

The thing one must always keep in mind is that in France, each department may have its own method on how things are done. Nothing like a challange to keep one alert!

Victor
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