EDF

[Rtony]

Apologies for it not being a renovation question.

Does anybody know how to get the EDF to answer or take notice of anything you write to them.

We've had 2 letters from them saying they have not read our meter for over a year and must have access to do it. They say they will send somebody to read it when we want, but at a cost of c24 euros.

We have informed them over 5 times that our neighbour has a key, but they choose to ignore it.

We have told them the dates that we will be at the house, (eg. 25th May to 12th June this year, they went 24th May!), they ignore them.

We have told them the meter readings for the past 18 months, they ignore them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Tony and wife.

 

 

 

[Hoddy]

I'd suggest that the next time you go to your house, if it's at all feasible, you go to the local EDF offices. We've always had a better response when we've turned up in person.

We've now had one of those gizmos which they can read from outside fitted and even with that at least one bill each year is estimated.

Hoddy

[BJSLIV]

Have you actually spoken to anybody and fixed a specific time for them to come?  Offering a range of dates doesn't work as they can't book that into anyones's appointments list.

We have always found them very good at meeting appointments.

Just give them a ring from the UK before you go out next time.

 

[Rtony]

They now charge nearly 26 euros to make a special trip to read a meter.

[Rtony]

Hoddy,

Are there any special tarrif conditions for having a gizmo? Are they expensive to have fitted?

[BJSLIV]

If you don't want to pay the fee you will have to arrange one of your visits to fit in with their next scheduled (sixth monthly?) reading, the date will be on the bill.

They can insist on an actual reading once a year , and may cut you off if you don't cooperate.

 

[Poppy]

Like Hoddy said it is best to visit local EDF office when you are next in France. We have always found ours very helpful and have been able to resolve some very unusual problems. Have also found face to face contact helpful in dealing with lots of other matters.The French seem to like this way of doing business rather than letters telephone and email.

[Hoddy]

Rtony, I'm sorry I can't remember how much we paid for the gizmo, except I remember thinking that the price was reasonable. I'm not sure how quickly you want to know, my bill for it is in france and I'm not.

I'll be happy to look it out when I'm back there next week.

I'm almost certain that we don't pay an additional tariff for it either.

Sorry not to be more helpful.

Hoddy

[Owens88]

It is well worth ringing them . Be politely persistent and they can be uncommonly helpful.

I even once 'beat the system' supposedly. We got cut-off because the previous owners had not paid a bill and ours hadn't started yet. I was in England when a neighbour found the card in the meter box, Thursday afternoon and tenants arriving. By Friday morning one guy at EDF was laughing with me (or at my attempts at French in faxes and conversation)  but was getting things back on again.I didn't have to leave England.

[powerdesal]

The gizmo is called (I believe) a tele-reporteur(sp?) and apparently you contact your local customer services dept and request it. They may have to change your meter at the same time. The last price I saw quoted was E70 but I cant vouch for the accuracy of that.

Its just a pity that our local EDF office has closed down, I will now have to trog to Avranches to arrange fitting next time I am in France.

Regards

[Alane]

At least you can make an appointment at the office. [:'(]

Our local EDF don't make appointments at the office, they have to take a French telephone number and the engineer then calls us to make the appointment. Fortunately I have a French mobile but invariably he doesn't ring until we're back in the UK and then says he can't make appointments too far ahead and never calls back. In the end I gave up.

Our French neighbours all say that the local EDF are c**p.

 

[Alcazar]

[quote user="Alane"]

At least you can make an appointment at the office. [:'(]

Our local EDF don't make appointments at the office, they have to take a French telephone number and the engineer then calls us to make the appointment. Fortunately I have a French mobile but invariably he doesn't ring until we're back in the UK and then says he can't make appointments too far ahead and never calls back. In the end I gave up.

Our French neighbours all say that the local EDF are c**p.

 

[/quote]

As I have found them to be in 87[:(]

Alcazar

[Poppy]

We have two local EDF offices one where the engineers are based and they definitely try to make life difficult for everyone and another which is just admin and they couldn't be more helpful. We don't need an appointment at the admin office which is open normal french hours monday to friday. Just checked in the yellow pages and it is listed under EDF Services Clientelle. I think this is the place to go to sort out meter readings and they will arrange gizmos rather than dealing with engineers direct.The engineer office is only open if there is an r in the month, and if you go in the morning they are only open that afternoon.