# EDP - understanding the bikl!



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Hi
Can anyone help please, I pay EDP usually via the bank every 2 months, however I have noticed lately 2 payments already on my account number this month totalling about 90€. And yesterday another amount taken of about 15€ with a reference beginning with P. I have emailed them in english (only know key words in portugese) wonder if anyone can shed any light as it's our holiday home not permanent just yet.
many thanks


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

EDP do have English speaking staff at call centre, are the payments you refer to debits from your bank account? if so what you need are the EDP bills so you can see exactly what charges are for.
Normally a EDP debit shows on your bank statement as DD PT8figure number EDP

As this is a holiday home then the easiest thing for you is to have "electronic" bills and online access to your EDP account you will always know or be able to check billing then

You should be able to register here https://energia.edp.pt/Particulares/ Apoio ao cliente then EDP online

My tip is to have a Gmail Email account for Portuguese sites that you might register with for billing, Finances etc as it has a handy instant translate option


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Canoe Man thank you for that. We are over at then end of the week so the bills may be there for me to google a translation. It has had family in there for a good few weeks on and off so it maybe that. I'll keep an eye on it and if the meter is whizzing then we'll give them a call whilst there.


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Still best to have online access, your bills are generally Estimated based on last years useage/estimates/readings and only these days actually read maybe once or twice a year.

Online you can enter *your* readings which helps keep bills more realistic rather than possibly a heavy adjustment bill at year end


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Canoe Man again thank you for all your advice,and I will be sorting online access out


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

As others have found out it also pays to have online access to each of your NIF numbers with Financas save a lot of possible problems and also Portuguese bank


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Luckily we do have our fiscal numbers and a Portugese bank. Phew!


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

But have you online access to them?
Financas presumably as your Non Residents then Financas will post to your UK address if that is your registered address with them but should say an IMI bill go missing you can get the information needed to pay online.
Same with Portuguese bank if you have internet banking then paying Portuguese bills is easy and cheaper


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Yes the bank we have online access, however we have a fiscal representative for the property tax. They receive the bill on our behalf.


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

*Law was changed* a few years ago if you are Resident in the EU or EEA *you do not reguire a Fiscal Representative* Financas will post to any address within EU or EEA, some people prefer to retain one for maybe other reasons but if your paying for service totally unnecessary


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Maybe time for a rethink then


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Especially if you are over shortly as removing the Representative must be done in person at a Financas office by each NIF holder and checking that your UK address Non Resident address is correct and your Non Resident status correct.

If you have a contract with Rep make certain you give or comply with any cancellation clause and if they have online access to your NIF accounts get passwords and then change


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Thanks for the advice


----------



## southsussex (Jun 19, 2009)

Karen, 

Exactly the same has happened to us. When we came over in early August we visited our local EDP and discovered that they had simply decided to start sending in a (badly) estimated bill. I gave them a meter reading and they have put me onto a new account where I pay a fixed monthly amount and with a promise of a refund. 

Mind you, I would add that despite the new account going through in mid August,we have not yet got a refund, they took another 100e payment and EDP have registered our installation address as somewhere completely different!!!


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Ahh southessex that sounds familiar! We're over end of the week so will be doing a reading before we leave. Thanks for that


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

A friend who returned to UK had a fixed amount with EDP but because she had a higher than required Potencia of 6.9kva paid 14€ pm never got a refund

Suggest you check your Bank D/D as unlike UK when a service is changed the old D/D is not cancelled, yes a new might be opened but unless *you *cancel the old one t'is still there and could be used even accidently


----------



## Karen Ince (May 15, 2014)

Hi 
They have replied to my email so I'm going to ring them when I'm over as they thing my problem is "complex" at least they replied.


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

That's an absolute plus then, personally find it easier to deal with them over phone


----------



## Liesbetje (Aug 12, 2011)

canoeman said:


> Especially if you are over shortly as removing the Representative must be done in person at a Financas office by each NIF holder and checking that your UK address Non Resident address is correct and your Non Resident status correct.


And if you ask nicely they'll set up the online access for you, even better!


----------

