I pay by Direct Debit

How do I set up Direct Debit payments?

The quick and easy way to set up Direct Debit is to do it in MyAccount. Just follow these steps:

1. Give us your meter readings
2. Decide the Direct Debit payment type that's best for you:
   • Direct Debit with regular monthly payments or
   • Direct Debit with exact payments
3. Log into myAccount to give us your bank details

Switch to Direct Debit

What is an energy plan?

We put the energy plan together when you got the quote with us.

Your energy plan includes the tariff you've chosen, the unit price of the energy we provide, the way you pay, and how often.

Go to MyAccount to view your contract with us and the full of details of your energy plan.

This is one of the ways to pay for your energy. You might also know this payment option as 'Budget Direct Debit'.

How Direct Debit with regular monthly payments aims to spread cost across the length of your energy plan

• When you choose to pay by Direct Debit with regular monthly payments and pick an energy plan (tariff) we estimate how much energy you're going to use, and what it costs. We'll base this estimate on your energy use over the previous year, any credit or debit you have, and changes in energy price.
   
• We'll spread this cost evenly across the length of your energy plan to work out your regular monthly payments. With the aim that you'll pay the same, regular, amount each month.
  If you're on track with your energy plan your regular monthly payments should be just right.
  
   
• Twice a year we’ll review your account balance and Direct Debit amount to make sure your payments are on track for the energy you use. Find out why your Direct Debit might have gone up or find out when your next review is due in MyAccount. 
  We'll always let you know if your monthly payments need to change.
   
• You'll get a bill after each check-in. As you pay by Direct Debit, it will be paid automatically.

When should I send a meter reading?

If you have a smart meter it will send us your meter readings automatically.

If you don’t have a smart meter, or your smart meter isn't working, we’ll let you know when it's time for you to give us your meter readings.

It’s important we get your meter readings because it’s the only way to make sure you’re on track with your energy plan.

What happens if I don't send a meter reading?

If we don’t get your meter readings, we'll need to use an estimate. This may not be accurate, so you could end up paying more than you need to (or not enough).

This is one of the ways to pay for your energy. You might also know this payment option as 'Direct Debit whole amount monthly'.

What is Direct Debit with exact payments and how does it work?

1. You choose to pay by Direct Debit with exact payments and pick an energy plan (tariff).
2. If you give us your meter readings regularly, you'll get a bill each month. The bill will show exactly how much you need to pay for the energy you've used. As you pay by Direct Debit, it will be paid automatically.
3. If you don't give us your meter readings when we ask for them, you'll pay the regular payment amount instead.

What is my regular payment amount?

We'll estimate how much energy you're going to use, and what it costs. This is based on your energy use over the previous year and any energy price changes. We'll divide this by 12 to work out your regular payment amount.

We'll review your regular payment amount every time you send us a meter reading.

When should I send my meter readings?

If you have a smart meter it will send us your meter readings automatically.

If you don’t have a smart meter, or your smart meter isn't working, we’ll ask you to give us your meter readings every month.

It’s important to give meter readings when we ask because it’s the only way to make sure you’re on track with your energy plan.

What happens if I don't send my meter readings?

If you don't give us your meter readings regularly, you'll pay the regular payment amount instead.

Why don't I have a bill yet?

You should get your first bill within a month of setting up your Direct Debit. But only if you sent a meter reading when we asked for it – or if your smart meter gave us a reading at the right time.

Not had a bill after sending a meter reading?

• You asked me for the reading: You should get a bill within 48 hours of submitting your reading. But if your reading doesn't look right for any reason, it can take us up to five days to check it's okay – or even a little longer.
• You didn't ask me for the reading: You won't get a bill if you've had an accurate bill within the past three months. We won't use this reading to update your balance in MyAccount either, but we will keep it on record.

There are three reasons why we might have taken a higher Direct Debit payment or multiple payments in the same month:

1. The day you chose to pay each month was less than 12 working days from when we started powering your home.

If you set up a Direct Debit with us and the date you chose to pay was within 12 working days from when we started powering your home, we won't be able to take your first Direct Debit payment on the date you chose. This is because we need to give your bank or building society 12 working days' notice.
We'll take your first Direct Debit payment as soon as we can but future payments will be on the date you chose to pay each month. This helps you stay on track with your energy plan so that you don't fall behind with your payments.

2. There was an outstanding balance on your energy account when you started to pay by Direct Debit.

When setting up a Direct Debit, we ideally like for you to have no outstanding balance, however if you do have an outstanding balance on your account, you will either agree to make payment in full or set up an Installment plan to spread the cost

See all your bills and payments in MyAccount
See all the messages we send you in myAccount

You can change your monthly Direct Debit by logging into myAccount and selecting "My Direct Debit" from the left hand menu.

If you do not see "My Direct Debit" from the menu check your payment method as you may not be paying by Direct Debit. Log in to see your payment details.

Change Direct Debit amount

Why does my Direct Debit amount increase?

We carry out a Direct Debit review twice a year to make sure your energy usage and payments are on track. Once your Direct Debit review has happened, we'll contact you to let you know if your monthly payments need to change. 

Some reasons why your Direct Debit payments increase are;

• You've used more energy than expected since your last review. Some reasons your energy usage has increased could be;
  Home improvements – adding new rooms or converting loft spaces
  Moving home – to a larger house
  Changes in the way we're working – many of us are working from home more
  Adding things to our homes to make them more comfortable – like air conditioning units, electric patio heaters and hot tubs
• We've not had a recent meter reading, so we've had to base previous reviews on estimated meter readings.
• You've updated your energy plan to a new tariff, which is a more expensive tariff, or that the variable tariff price cap has increased. It could be your fixed energy tariff has finished, and you've transferred on to our Standard (Variable) tariff.
• Your payments have not covered your energy usage and built up debt on your account.

Check out our top six reasons why your Direct Debit can go up.

Your Direct Debit payments can go up even when

• You're on a fixed tariff. The price you pay per unit rate is fixed. It doesn't apply to how much energy you use. So, if you use more energy, your Direct Debit amount can go up after a Direct Debit review .
• When your account shows as 'credit'. Sometimes during the summer months, your account will show that it's in 'credit' this is because you use less energy over these months.

This 'credit' will usually be used up over the winter months when you use more energy again, so all you're doing is saving up over the summer for your winter energy use. If we carry out your Direct Debit review and find out that your energy usage is more than the Direct Debit amount you're currently paying, we'll still need to adjust your payments to ensure you're covered in the winter months.

Should I increase or decrease my Direct Debit payments amount if there's a 'debit' or 'credit' on my bill?

We'll always let you know if your payments need to change.

Why does it say 'debit' on my bill?

When you pay by Direct Debit with regular payments, you spread the cost of your energy evenly over the length of your energy plan.

If you joined EDF in the winter, your bill could show that you are in debit straight away. This is because you're using more energy during the winter than in the summer.

If you're worried that your energy usage will go up, you can increase your Direct Debit monthly payments in MyAccount.

What happens to my regular monthly payment amount if I make an extra payment?

Once you make the extra payment and it reaches us, we'll:

1. Check how many payments you have left in your energy plan.
2. Split your extra payment into equal amounts across the months you have left. For example, if your extra payment was £30 and you have three months left, your monthly payments will decrease by £10.
3. Reduce your monthly payments at your next Direct Debit check-in

Will my payments change straight away if I make an extra payment?

If your extra payment is close to your Direct Debit payment, we won't change it until the following month.

What happens to my regular monthly payment amount if I change my tariff?

Your regular monthly payment amount won't change straight away. It will change at your next check-in.

We'll check in with you to:

1. Make sure you're paying the correct amount each month for your energy.
2. Let you know if the amount you pay each month needs to change to help you stay on track with your energy plan.

Why has my bill been taken in full from my bank? I'm supposed to be making a regular monthly Direct Debit payment.

This happened because:

1. You changed how you want to pay to Direct Debit with regular monthly payments.
2. We explained to you that to pay this way, you need to start with a zero balance on your energy account.
3. You agreed to pay the bill in full when setting up the Direct Debit.

How do I change the date of my Direct Debit payment?

Just get in touch, and we'll help you change your payment date. Please note we'll need at least 14 days' notice to make the change.

I missed a Direct Debit payment, what do I do now?

Nothing right now. We'll ask your bank or building society for the payment again in 7 days. If we don't get it, we'll need to cancel your Direct Debit and you'll need to pay by Cash/Cheque.

What do I do if my payment doesn't go through?

1. Check your account details are correct

   Please check that the bank or building society account details you used to set up Direct Debit are correct. Maybe you used an account that doesn't accept Direct Debit payments, such as a savings account.

   Have your account details changed? Update your details in MyAccount.

2. Check you have enough money in your account

   We'll ask your bank or building society for the payment again in 7 days. If we don't get it, we'll need to cancel your Direct Debit and you'll need to pay by Cash/Cheque.

3. Speak to your bank

   It's possible that your bank or building society stopped your Direct Debit payments. Speak to them to find out why this may have happened. They'll be able to help.

Why haven't you taken my latest Direct Debit payment?

We'll let you know at least 14 days in advance if we need to change or cancel your Direct Debit. You'll get an email or a letter, and a message in MyAccount.

If you haven't heard from us, please get in touch with your bank, or building society. They'll be able to say if there are any issues with your Direct Debit.

If they say there are no issues, please get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help.

We'd rather you speak to us before cancelling your Direct Debit.

If you can't afford your Direct Debit payment amount please contact us to hear about the ways we can help you stay in control. 

Three good reasons to remain on Direct Debit:

• Direct Debit is our cheapest tariff
• If you cancel your Direct Debit your energy unit rates will change too
• Direct Debit aims to spread your costs out evenly

Find out how much your energy unit rate will increase if you cancel your Direct Debit.

If you reinstate your Direct Debit within 10 days your energy unit rate will stay the same.

How do I cancel my Direct Debit payments?

If you want to cancel your direct debit please contact us.

If you do change the way you pay your energy plan (tariff) will change too. You will still need to cover the cost of your future bills if you cancel your Direct Debit.

Do I need to cancel my Direct Debit when I switch to another energy supplier?

No, we'll do it for you. Here is how it works:

1. You'll get a final bill within four weeks of completing your switch.
2. If your EDF account is in credit, we will refund your bank account within three days of your final bill. If there's a debit on your closing account, your final bill will say when we'll take the final payment.
3. We will cancel your Direct Debit and remove your bank details from our system.

Do I need to cancel my Direct Debit when I move home?

If you stay with EDF when you move:
No, we'll set up a new Direct Debit for your new address and cancel your old one. Simply move home in MyAccount.

If you switch to another energy supplier when you move:
No, we'll cancel your Direct Debit for you. Here is how it works:

1. You will get a final bill within four weeks of completing your switch.
2. If your EDF account is in credit, we will refund your bank account within three days of your final bill. If there's a debit on your closing account, your final bill will say when we'll take the final payment.
3. We will cancel your Direct Debit and remove your bank details from our system.

It is normal for your account to be in credit for part of the year if you are a Direct Debit with regular monthly payments.

It's this credit that allows you to spread your energy payments evenly across the year – and avoid large winter bills.

Why do I have credit on my account

1. You build up credit in the summer months (your monthly payments are generally higher than your energy use).
2. You use up this credit over the winter months (your monthly payments are generally lower than your energy use).
3. You pay just the right amount over the full year (your Direct Debit has smoothed out the highs an lows of your energy use). 

Find out if you have credit by logging into myAccount

Can I get a refund if my account is in credit?

There is no need to ask, we can take care of this for you.

Getting a refund if you're staying with EDF:
If you have more than £150 credit at the end of your energy plan, we'll be in touch to say we have refunded you.
If you have less than £150 credit in your account, we'll put it towards your future bills.

Getting a refund if you switch to another energy supplier, move house or change tenancy:
We'll send a refund to your bank or building society account within 3 working days of the date of your final bill.

Don't want to wait for an automatic refund?

1. Make sure you've submitted a meter reading within the past 10 days.
2. Get in touch with us to claim a refund.
3. You will then see your credit refunded in your bank account within three working days.

Do I get a credit refund when I cancel my Direct Debit?

If you stay with EDF:

• No, you won't get a refund. Any credit on your account will simply be used to reduce your next bill.

If you switch to another energy supplier:

• Yes, we'll send a refund to your bank or building society account automatically within 3 working days of the final bill.

If your regular Direct Debit payment has not gone through we’ll let you know that we haven’t received it from your bank or building society. We will then try again in 7 days.

When we notify you, we’ll ask you to contact your bank or building society to find out the reason for this but it may be:

• That there are not enough funds in the account you use to pay your Direct Debit
• You’ve closed the account you pay your Direct Debit from – if this is the case, we’ll receive a notification of this and ask you to update your details
• You’ve cancelled your Direct Debit – if this is the case we will receive notification and ask you to pay another way
•  There is an ongoing dispute with your Direct Debit – payments will be suspended until resolved so you’ll have to pay another way
• The account number you pay your Direct Debit from is not recognised – you’ll need to check this with your bank or building society and update it
• There may be a difference in the amount you have stated versus the actual Direct Debit
• No Direct Debit has been set up when you switched to Direct Debit
• Direct Debit has been collected early and no advance notice has been given by supplier