PSYCHOLOGIST Lois Grayson became ill after EDF Energy “bullied” her over several months to pay money she did not owe.
The 59-year-old from Marazion, Cornwall claims she was hounded by the supplier and debt collectors working on its behalf.
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She told Cornwall Live: “I’m a psychologist so I’m pretty resilient and emotionally capable and if I can’t withstand the barrage of constant harassment then other people they are doing this to must feel even worse.”
EDF claimed she owed £1,118 in both gas and electricity payments only four months after picking up the keys to her new home.
The issue first arose in February, when Lois vacated her former home in Wales and requested a final bill after sending EDF up-to-date meter readings.
The property remained empty while it underwent renovation between February and April.
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But to her surprise, Lois received a bill for £1,118 months after she moved out of the vacant property.
She said: “It was unfair because I offered to pay in February but was not invoiced correctly.
“They later agreed to waive late fees, but insisted that I pay them the outstanding amount of over £750 which was wrong.
“I made six calls between February and April but still these hugely overestimated bills kept coming.
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“And even though I provided them with my new address on several occasions, they kept sending letters to the address in Wales.
“It was always a different person and one person would say I owed £750 and then £600.
“It was constant people threatening different amounts and they sent two different debt collectors agencies to me in Cornwall.”
Despite this, Lois claims that EDF never responded to her emails providing evidence of the correct meter readings.
Instead of billing her for her actual energy usage, by taking into account the meter readings Lois had sent on multiple occasions, EDF was sending the 59-year-old estimated bills.
EDF Energy said this was because the gas meter in Lois’ Welsh property was replaced in February.
However, the supplier claimed that it had not received notification from the gas network of the meter’s replacement – meaning they’d instead used estimate usage to calculate her final bill in April.
Not backing down, Lois formally complained and in the end, EDF Energy agreed to recalculate her closing bill to £118 as well as offer £35 as a “goodwill gesture”.
A spokesperson for EDF Energy said: “We’re sorry to hear about the problems Dr Grayson has been facing.
“Having investigated the account, we can see the gas meter was exchanged on an emergency appointment in February 2023 when there was no occupier at the property she owns.
“As this was booked directly with the National Grid, the new meter did not update on our system.
“This meant bills were created based on estimated consumption, instead of actual meter readings, using historical data on the account.
“Dr Grayson contacted EDF to query the balance.
“We amended the account accordingly based on meter readings and applied £35 as a gesture of goodwill for any inconvenience. Dr Grayson was happy to close the complaint.”
How do I challenge my energy bill?
If you’ve received an energy bill that’s higher than expected, you should complain directly to your supplier in the first instance.
Your supplier must clearly explain why it’s chosen to bill you that amount.
If you are disputing a bill, taking a meter reading is a must.
If it’s lower than your estimate, you can ask your provider to lower your bill.
Similar to financial services firms, energy companies have to have a complaints procedure for customers to follow.
When you make a complaint, make sure you follow this so they have the information they need to resolve the issue.
Simply explain what the problem is and what you want your supplier to do about it.
Check your energy supplier’s website for an explanation on how to launch a complaint.
Energy suppliers have eight weeks to respond and come to a decision.
If it doesn’t or you’re not happy with the response, you can take the firm to the Energy Ombudsman.
How do I take my complaint to the Energy Ombudsman?
The Energy Ombudsman may be able to help if you have a complaint about an energy or communications provider.
Before you can submit your complaint to it, you must have logged a formal complaint with your provider and worked with the firm to resolve it.
You must also have received a so-called deadlock letter, where the provider refers your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
You can also complain if you haven’t had a satisfactory solution to your problem within eight weeks.
The Energy Ombudsman then bases its decision on the evidence you and the company submit.
If you choose to accept its decision, your supplier then has 28 days to comply.
The Ombudsman’s decisions are binding on the energy company.
If your supplier refuses to follow the instruction, the Ombudsman may get in touch with Ofgem to remedy the situation – but there’s no set time period for escalating issues to the regulator and it’s not up to the customer.
If an individual chooses not to accept the Ombudsman’s final decision, they lose the right to the resolution offer.
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Customers still have the right to take their complaint further through the courts.
But remember this can be a costly and lengthy exercise, so it’s worth thinking carefully before taking this step.
