How to notify EDF Energy when someone dies

Notifying EDF Energy after someone dies is one of the practical tasks that often falls to executors and family members in the first weeks of bereavement. EDF has a dedicated bereavement team and a straightforward process – once you know the right number to call and what to have ready, it typically takes one phone call to get things moving.

Quick reference:

• Bereavement team: 03330 069 950 (Monday–Thursday 8am–6pm, Friday 8am–4pm)
• Email: hello@edfenergy.com (subject: Bereavement notification)
• Online: edfenergy.com (bereavement notification forms available for various situations)
• Have ready: Death certificate, account number, meter readings
• Do not cancel direct debits until you receive the final bill

How to notify EDF Energy of a death

The most direct route is to call EDF Energy’s customer team on 03330 069 950, Monday to Thursday 8am–6pm and Friday 8am–4pm. This is not a freephone number – calls are charged at standard rates, the same as calling any 03 number.

If you would rather contact EDF outside business hours, or prefer not to call, you can email hello@edfenergy.com with “Bereavement notification” in the subject line, or submit an online form via edfenergy.com. EDF offers different forms depending on the property situation: one for cases where nobody is living at the property, and one for situations where someone else is taking over the account (source: EDF bereavement notification form – no one living at property).

When you contact EDF, they will ask for:

• The full name of the person who has died
• The address of the property
• The date of death
• The EDF account number (found on any bill, letter, or email from EDF)
• Your name and contact details as the person handling the estate
• A copy of the death certificate – this can be provided later if you don’t have it immediately

You don’t need to have every document to hand before you make contact. EDF can take an initial notification with basic details and follow up. What matters is making contact promptly so that billing is correctly tied to the date of death.

If you are managing notifications to multiple organisations at once, free services such as Life Ledger and Settld can notify EDF and other providers on your behalf.

Note on Tell Us Once: Tell Us Once is the government service for notifying central and local government departments of a death. It does not cover private energy suppliers such as EDF Energy. EDF must be notified separately (source: gov.uk – Tell Us Once).

What documents you’ll need

EDF does not require original documents. Copies – including scanned documents sent by email or uploaded via their online form – are acceptable for the bereavement process.

Death certificate: Copies cost £11 each in England and Wales and are available from the register office (source: gov.uk – order a death certificate). For utility companies, a standard copy is sufficient – you do not need a certified or notarised copy.

Meter readings: Take a reading of each meter as close as possible to the date of death. A photo on your phone – timestamped and clearly showing the meter display – is adequate evidence. For smart meters, EDF may be able to retrieve readings remotely, but it is worth taking a manual reading as a backup.

Account number: If you cannot find the account number, EDF can usually locate the account from the property address and the deceased’s name. It is helpful to have it, but the absence of it should not prevent you from making an initial notification.

If the person who died had no will and there is no appointed administrator, provide whatever information you have available. EDF’s guidance is to contact them with what you know; they can accommodate situations where the estate is not yet formally administered.

What happens to the account

Once EDF has been notified, the account enters a bereavement process. The details depend on the circumstances of the property.

If someone is still living at the property

If a surviving spouse, partner, or household member is continuing to live at the property and wants to remain with EDF, the account can be transferred into their name. EDF will open a new account for the new account holder, using the final meter reading taken at the date of death as the starting point.

Any credit balance on the deceased’s account will be refunded to the estate. Any outstanding balance becomes a liability of the estate.

If the property is now empty

This is the situation most executors encounter when dealing with a property owned solely by the person who died. EDF will place the account in the name of the estate – or in the executor’s name as administrator – while the property is being sorted.

Standing charges and energy usage continue to accrue until one of the following happens:

• The property is sold and the new owner takes over the supply
• A tenant moves in and registers a new account
• You formally notify EDF to close the supply entirely

Even if no energy is being used, EDF’s standing charge runs daily. The combined gas and electricity standing charge on an empty property is typically in the region of 50–70p per day – around £180–250 per year – before any actual consumption. This is worth factoring into your timeline for sorting the estate.

It is common practice to keep utilities running in an empty inherited property. Heating prevents burst pipes in cold weather, and buildings insurance policies often require the property to be heated to a minimum temperature during winter. If you plan to do this, make sure the account is in an appropriate name so the bills are being sent somewhere you will see them.

Joint accounts

For accounts held in two names, EDF will typically transfer the account into the name of the surviving account holder. This is straightforward and does not usually require documents beyond the death certificate. The surviving account holder takes on responsibility for any balance – credit or debit – at the point of transfer.

Direct debits

Do not cancel the direct debit immediately after notifying EDF. The account will generate a final bill, and if the direct debit is cancelled before the final bill is processed, you may be left with an outstanding balance that needs to be paid by other means. Wait until you receive a final bill showing a zero balance – or a refund notification – before stopping payments.

Energy supply after death

The energy supply itself – gas flowing and electricity active – does not stop simply because the account holder has died. Until EDF is instructed otherwise, supply continues and charges accrue.

If you want to keep the property heated and lit while the estate is being administered, this is usually sensible. You take on responsibility for the account as executor or estate representative.

If you want to close the supply entirely because the property will be empty, EDF can arrange this. You will need to give them a final meter reading and they will issue a closing bill. However, closing the supply entirely can cause problems: reconnecting it later involves a callout fee and sometimes a waiting period. Unless the property is genuinely going to sit empty for many months, most executors leave the supply running and manage the account rather than disconnecting.

How long does it take?

For a straightforward case – account closed, final bill issued, credit refunded – EDF typically takes one to three weeks to process a bereavement notification once all required documents have been received.

The main variables that affect timing are:

• Whether the property is occupied (transfer) or empty (estate management or closure)
• Whether there is a credit balance to refund or a debit balance to settle
• How quickly you are able to provide the death certificate and other documents

Once EDF issues the final bill, any credit refund takes approximately seven to ten working days to reach the estate, typically by cheque made payable to the estate of the deceased or by bank transfer to the executor’s account.

Keep a note of the date you first contacted EDF, the name of any person you spoke to, and any case or reference number given. If the process runs on longer than expected, this reference speeds things up considerably when you call to follow up.

Tips and things to watch out for

Credit balances may not be paid automatically. If the deceased’s direct debit has been running ahead of actual usage – common with customers on fixed direct debits – there may be a meaningful credit balance on the account. EDF will refund this to the estate, but it is worth asking specifically about the credit position when you first call. Don’t assume it will surface without prompting.

03 numbers are not free. The EDF bereavement number (03330 069 950) is charged at standard rates. If cost is a concern, or if you expect to be on hold for some time, using the email or online form routes is a practical alternative. If you do call and face a long wait, asking EDF to call you back is also an option.

Reminder notices may arrive after notification. Some executors report receiving payment reminder letters even after EDF has logged the bereavement. This is usually a timing issue where the automated billing system and the bereavement case are processed by different teams. If reminders arrive, call back with your reference number and confirm the bereavement has been flagged on the account.

Early termination fees. If the deceased was on a fixed-rate tariff with an exit fee, raise this when you call. Energy suppliers typically waive early termination fees in bereavement cases, but it is worth confirming explicitly rather than assuming it will happen.

Multiple properties. If the deceased had more than one property with EDF – common with landlords or people who owned a second home – each address will need to be handled separately. Each account has its own number and its own bereavement process.

Energy debt belongs to the estate, not relatives. If the account was in debit at the time of death, the balance is a debt of the estate and is settled from estate assets before any distribution to beneficiaries. EDF cannot pursue family members personally for energy debts unless they were joint account holders. If the estate has no assets to cover the debt, it is written off (source: Citizens Advice – debts after death).

Summary

To notify EDF Energy after a death, call 03330 069 950 (Monday–Thursday 8am–6pm, Friday 8am–4pm) or email hello@edfenergy.com with “Bereavement notification” in the subject line. Have the account number, a copy of the death certificate, and meter readings ready. Do not cancel the direct debit until the final bill arrives.

For empty properties, get in touch with EDF as soon as you can – standing charges accrue daily whether or not any energy is used. Energy debt is a liability of the estate, not of family members personally.

For direct debits and what happens to them, see our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies.

For other energy suppliers, see our guides to notifying British Gas after a bereavement, notifying Octopus Energy, notifying OVO Energy, and notifying E.ON Next.