EDF are a French-owned energy company with over 5.7 million customers in the UK. That makes them a member of the so-called ‘Big Six’ major players in the UK energy market. It was formed in 2002 following the acquisition and mergers of SEEBOARD Plc, London Electricity Plc, SWED Energy Plc and two coal-fired power stations and one combined cycle gas turbine power station.
So, with 5.7 million customers using their service every single day, it’s not surprising that from time to time, we need to make a complaint. It might be because you’ve received bad customer service, that your energy has been cut off without warning or that your energy bill has increased for seemingly no reason.
There are countless reasons for wanting to lodge a complaint, and in this guide we’re going to help you do just that.
Stage one: Contact EDF with your complaint
The first step before you go to any external service is to contact EDF with your complaint. This can be done in a number of ways, such as:
- Calling their Complaints Resolution Team on 0800 051 1643 (Monday to Friday 8am-5pm)
- Emailing their Complaints Resolution Manager at complaintresolutionmanager@edfenergy.com
- Writing to the complaints resolution manager at: Freepost EDF Energy – Complaints Resolution Manager
- Visiting with EDF at one of their business premises for a face-to-face chat. Details of these locations can be found here.
The vast majority of issues are solved at this stage. Some complaints may take several days to resolve, in which case you’ll be assigned a dedicated complaints handler, who will keep you informed.
Stage two: Internal review from EDF Customer Service Director
If your issue still isn’t solved after the first stage, or you’re not satisfied, then you can be received by the Customer Service Director’s Executive team by emailing CSDirector@edfenergy.com or writing to: Freepost EDF Energy – Customer Service Director
EDF aim to respond to all complaints within five days. Following the review of your complaint, EDF may take the following actions:
- Apologising
- Explaining their findings and why what happened occurred
- Explain how they intend to take action
- Discuss their next steps
- Compensate you for your issue (if applicable)
If they’re unable to reach an agreement with you, you’ll receive a letter explaining their position and providing a final offer. This is known as a deadlock letter.
Stage three: An external review from the Ombudsman service
If you’ve chosen not to accept EDF’s final offer, you can contact the Ombudsman Service: Energy for a free and independent review of the case. Complaints can be made to the Ombudsman if:
- You’ve received a deadlock letter from EDF
- You have not received a deadlock letter, but at least eight weeks have passed since you first made your complaint to EDF. Complaints to the Ombudsman must be made within the first 9 months of making the complaint to EDF.
EDF are bound by any decision the Ombudsman makes, but as a consumer you are not. As such, if you still don’t feel as though your complaint has been adequately satisfied, you can pursue your complaint elsewhere. However, doing so will void your right to the Ombudsman resolution.
To contact the Ombudsman, use these contact details:
- Telephone them on 0330 440 1624 (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm)
- Visit their website at: ombudsman-services.org/energy
- Write to them at: Ombudsman Services: Energy, PO Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF
- Email them at: enquries@os-energy.co.uk