Help! First Bills!

[john and deb]

We have received a statement from EDF-GDF. At the bottom of the statement, there is a slip called 'autorisation de prelevement automatique EDF-GDF' - I think this is the slip for direct debit payment, is this so? And will this cover all future payments as well as this statement.

There is also a line that reads 'Je souhaite payer mensuellement mes depenses d'electricite et de gaz', followed by a tick box - What is this about?

In the box subtitled 'designation du compte a debiter' I am confident that this is for our bank details, as it mentions n du compte and cle. It also mentions 'code' and 'code guichet' - is this bank code and branch code respectively?

The final box is entitled 'nom et addresse de l'etablissement teneur de compte', which I am sure is asking for our bank name and address - Is this so?

Thanks for any help and guidance given - our education begins!!!!

Apologies for not inserting the bits above the E's - could not find out how to do this in this forum but can in Word (any ideas?)

John & Deb

[Punch]

>We have received a statement from
>EDF-GDF. At the
>bottom of the statement, there
>is a slip called 'autorisation
>de prelevement automatique EDF-GDF' -
>I think this is the
>slip for direct debit payment,
>is this so?

Yes this is correct, you will need to fill it in and sign it.

>And will this cover all
>future payments as well as
>this statement.

Yes,once set up you will receive your EDF bil in advance of the money being taken from your account. Your Facture will say that the amount will be taken from your acount on a certain future date,which gives you time to dispute it if there is a problem.

>There is also a line that
>reads 'Je souhaite payer mensuellement
>mes depenses d'electricite et de
>gaz', followed by a tick
>box - What is this
>about?

This is if you want to pay for your electricity monthly. They will look at your last years bills and make an educated guess on how much they wish you to pay monthly. This is how I pay for mine and it helps to spread the cost evenly. They will offer to adjust the monthly amount if your consumption increases over the next period.

>In the box subtitled 'designation du
>compte a debiter' I am
>confident that this is for
>our bank details, as it
>mentions n du compte and
>cle. It also
>mentions 'code' and 'code guichet'
>- is this bank code
>and branch code respectively?

My French bank (Credit Mutuel)and I think most accounts are made up of the following; a five digit bank code, a five digit guichet, an eleven digit bank account no.,and two digit cl number.
If you have a French Cheque book, it should contain a RIB (releve d'identit bancaire), which has all these numbers on it. It would be better to send a RIB to the EDF if you are not sure about the numbers. You can get RIBs from French ATM machines as well.

>The final box is entitled 'nom
>et addresse de l'etablissement teneur
>de compte', which I am
>sure is asking for our
>bank name and address -
>Is this so?

Yes this is correct, often you will be asked for "Domiciliation" of your bank which is the same thing. Titulaire du compte is Account owner.


>Apologies for not inserting the bits
>above the E's - could
>not find out how to
>do this in this forum
>but can in Word (any
>ideas?)

Yes, I seem to be able to get most of them by using a combination of the alt key and the numeric keypad (with numlock on). ie; . There was a thread on this so if you do a search in the archives all will be revealed.

Hope this helps,

Paul

[Jc]

1.Direct Debit-they'll need bank details-their local office is in Agde-it's easier to deal direct with this office than phone.
2.Pay monthly.
3.See 1.Your French cheque book or your statement has slips with account details for this very purpose.

You'll get a water bill as well;their office is in the road behind the theatre.

Sorry we never caught up with you-broke my ankle on the first day of our holiday,had an experience of local French hospital-outstanding,treatment couldn't be bettered and was flown home by the travel insurer.