DAL 35 Rennes February 15, 2011
19 Place of Serbia
35200 Rennes
; ; Sir
; ; EDF Customer Service
; ; TSA 90002
93733 Bobigny Cedex 9
Sir,
We now draw your attention to the treatment by your services to a group of people interested in subscribing for the supply of electricity.
In Rennes, the prefecture putting himself regularly illegally in not hosting asylum seekers as required by law, about twenty people with children move to open a requisition by the association DAL 35. The city of Rennes, owner of the premises, commenced an action in court to evict them, but the court granted them an extension until March 31.
early January, municipal services tell us that the connection made by the wild to provide residents with electricity is dangerous. Residents then decided to put in order and to subscribe to EDF. Speaking very little French, they charge a member of the DAL to do the lobbying on their behalf.
But what for some is a formality performed in minutes will be for them a real uphill battle. Yet everything had started well. Friday, January 14, I phone to make information, everything seems very simple. The consultant found the address, saw that there are 4 meters, closed since 2008, I explained that people could not pay by direct debit, nothing seemed to be a problem.
The next day, Saturday, January 15, call to make the subscription. The counselor explained to me very nicely that I can not make these representations on their behalf, I have to be mandated for this and it will send the necessary documents. I explain that it is urgent, people are already installed in homes and can not long remain without electricity with their young children. She assured me that everything will be faster. I receive those documents on January 25, ten days later!
Monday, January 17, trying to save time, I go with the 4 people involved in the local association to use a landline. Here, the advisor explains that if he accepted four subscriptions without debits, it "would be slapped on the wrist." I then proposed to go to a terminal. Naively, I think that this marker I can finally speak directly to someone, it sounds like a good solution and I accept. I go, always accompanied by 4 people, at the address: Mail Boulevard du Colombier.
; There I found many terminal, but still no contact, just a phone. I am glad to learn that you can make free calls to EDF, but it does not solve my problem. I ended up having a counselor, who explains that 4 subscriptions of a sudden it is not possible, but I can send a fax. What I do at once.
Thursday 20, I remember again. I tell the counselor that I am at my seventh phone call. He told me to subscribe by phone without debit it is not possible - I was on Friday, 14 said the opposite - and it gives me an address in Bobigny. It gives me the number of delivery points and the numbers of the counters and it tells me that with it will go very quickly. I write the same day. A few days later, a phone message: we received your mail, call and give your bank details !
;
January 25, I finally get the forms to be representative of the applicants, I make them sign and return them to Bobigny.
Then nothing. On 7 February, I finally get a call from ERDF offering me an appointment the next day to make connections. Three weeks have passed since my first phone call!
This is not over yet, complications will emerge with ERDF, we dealt with them directly. They told us that our request not to be reached on 7 February and they were treated immediately. Just one more note on EDF: ERDF did not attend the appointment on 8 February, but I received a confirmation message on my phone: "EDF inform you: your request for service has been taken into account, thank you for your confidence. " !
; This letter is only meant to warn you about the difficulties that can meet many people once they are in a somewhat unusual situation. We are well aware that our approach was a case that could pose difficulties. Every time the phone we have been dealing with a different counselor, also very friendly, gave us information, sometimes conflicting with those of previous counsel, but never a person who follows the whole file. A family "in the standards" that can provide their bank details, get a subscription in a few minutes. A family capita (not by choice!) a non-conventional housing, or no landline, or can not pay by direct debit or not fluent French, is confronted with difficulties important. But these people have the right to energy!
Is not it incredible that at no time have we been suggested we go to a window where we could have a partner who could have followed this issue?
The situation described has any chance to reproduce. We ask that you tell us where we can address the next time for the supply of electricity in a reasonable time, public service obligations!
Please accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest
; ; ; For the LAD 35
Armelle Bounias
Cc:
- Mr. Ist Director
Agency EDF
64/74 Bld Voltaire
35000 Rennes
-Sir
ERDF West
35 bis rue Crossardière
53000 Laval
- Mr. Ombudsman National Energy
free response 59252
75443
Paris cedex 09