EDF energy bill walkthrough

Transcription

1 EDF energy bill walkthrough A financial capability resource Walking through an EDF energy bill

2 This resource has been produced as part of Citizens Advice Financial Skills for Life Although care has been taken to ensure the accuracy, completeness and reliability of the information provided, Citizens Advice assumes no responsibility. The user of the information agrees that the information is subject to change without notice. To the extent permitted by law, Citizens Advice excludes all liability for any claim, loss, demands or damages of any kind whatsoever (whether such claims, loss, demands or damages were foreseeable, known or otherwise) arising out of or in connection with the drafting, accuracy and/or its interpretation, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage and whether arising in tort (including negligence), contract or otherwise. Copyright 2015 Citizens Advice All rights reserved. Any reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited except with the express written permission of Citizens Advice. Citizens Advice is an operating name of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, Charity registration number , VAT number , Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered number England. Registered office: Citizens Advice, 3 rd Floor North, 200 Aldersgate Street, London, EC1A 4HD.

3 Introduction to a Walkthrough resource This walkthrough is to provide a resource that allows advisers to discuss a particular bill or contract with a client, using a real-world example provided for that specific purpose. Advisers are welcome to provide tailored information to the client at their own discretion, and are recommended to attend our separate training course integrating financial capability into advice. How to use this Walkthrough The walkthrough consists of a sample EDF energy bill taken from a real source and with advisers notes provided. Advisers can provide the full bill to their client attached at the end of this document and then discuss it with them in as much depth as they need. Notes of points to discuss are highlighted in the adviser s notes. Your clients bill doesn t look like this one? Don t worry, there s nothing wrong with their bill or this walkthrough. Energy companies occasionally change the structure and layout of their bills. Not only that, they often do this in phases so that at any given time - customers in some parts of the country might have bills look different to the bills for customers in other parts of the country. If your clients bill looks different to this one, you can still talk through the main points of it with them. Trainers are encouraged to feedback to the Financial Skills for Life team with any feedback about training materials or resources. If you have any comments, please contact: financial.skills@citizensadvice.org.uk

4 EDF energy bill Walkthrough Page One This is the clients account number: it is essential that they have it any time they contact EDF. As well as their logo, EDF have their phone number here, as well as emergency numbers clients can call if they need to. This is where the clients name and address is. This summarises payments made by the client, and the energy they ve actually used. Here, the client is actually in credit due to their regular Direct Debit payments, so owes nothing. Although the client is in credit, EDF think that they will need to increase their monthly payments to meet the cost of their energy over the winter. This is where EDF are explaining this, and also saying what the payments are increasing to and how they will be taken out. This is the address the bill is for: it might not be the clients mailing address! EDF offer a Personal Projection for each client, estimating what their next year s usage will cost, and checking that they re on the best tariff. Clients can scan the QR (using a smartphone or tablet) on their own bill to be taken straight to a tariff comparison website.

5 EDF energy bill Walkthrough Page Two This information shows how the clients electricity bill is worked out. It shows the meter readings that EDF is using and the amount of electricity used, and then multiplies this by the rate to work out the total cost. As well as their logo, EDF have their phone number here, as well as emergency numbers clients can call if they need to. This information shows how the clients gas bill is worked out. It shows the meter readings that EDF is using and the amount of gas used, and then multiplies this by the rate to work out the total cost. Here is where EDF provide the details of the clients tariffs, including the name of it, rates and any penalty fees for leaving them. This is the combined total of the electricity and gas charges. These are the unique details of an electricity meter, also sometimes referred to as an MPAN. This is the unique number of a clients gas meter.

6 EDF energy bill Walkthrough Page Three This answers some common questions related to the bill, including an explanation of why EDF are increasing the Direct Debit although the client is currently in credit. As well as their logo, EDF have their phone number here, as well as emergency numbers clients can call if they need to. If a client stays with EDF for two years or more, they will also provide them with graphs comparing their usage this year with their usage last year. The Tariff Comparison Rate (TCR) is important to know if clients wants to compare their tariffs to other ones they may potentially take out. It s explained here.

7 Further Information This walkthrough is designed to be used as a standalone resource, but was developed alongside the financial capability resource library found here. Advisers that want to cover more activities with their clients will find more activities here to discuss and go through, with factsheets and action plans included. Further resources and information can be found at: The Citizens Advice Consumer Service, providing clear and practical consumer advice over the phone and . They can be contacted here, or by calling ( for welsh language speakers) between 9-5pm Mon-Fri. Other resources and signposts Ofgem (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) is the energy market regulator. Their principal objective is to protect the interests of electricity and gas consumers. Ofgem issue the licences companies need to sell electricity and gas, and set the rules suppliers have to follow. They can be found here. The Energy Ombudsman is part of the Ombudsman Service, and can be found here. If you have an unresolved complaint about a gas or electricity company, the energy ombudsman can help: they handle disputes between energy companies and their customers, which includes domestic customers and micro businesses. Their service is free to consumers and simple to use. Remember For complex cases, you can always contact the Extra Help Unit for further support. The EHU is a specialist team of caseworkers investigating energy and post complaints on behalf of vulnerable consumers. The service is telephone based and covers the whole of Great Britain helping domestic and micro-business consumers: however, the EHU is not a public helpline. Consumers are referred to the Unit by the Citizens Advice Consumer Service ( ). Finally Don t forget to check our website for information on possible energy grants and other financial support for clients.

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