Another Npower problem

Daytona_nev

My wife and I sold our flat back in April and moved house.

Unfortunately we were with Npower who we’ve been having serious problems with since we moved.

We called on moving out to give final meter readings. Npower subsequently sent us a final bill for the flat in June ( covering the 6 months up until the point we moved out ) which showed us £250 in credit. Npower hadn’t closed the account properly and continued to direct debit us.

3 months and numerous phone calls later, Npower eventually sent us a cheque for the amount.

We’ve since had ANOTHER final bill from Npower, (covering the same final 6 months up to our moving out) with different meter readings saying we owe them £300!!!!

My wife spoke to them last night and they gave her a load of crap saying that we had to provide evidence of moving out! I think it was a stalling tactic as they didn’t have a clue what has happened with the account.
I’m not prepared to waste my time providing evidence of something they already know which isn’t going to get us any closer to understanding what’s happened. I’ll be speaking to them tonight after work.

Does anyone have any experience of dealing with Npower?

DirectDebacle

I am not clear as to what you have received from them. So far is it the case that you have received the £250 credit AND the D.D. payments they continued to take after they were supposed to have closed the account?

I would write to them (rec. del.) enclosing photocopies of the final bill and pointing out that you have been refunded the credit. Tell them the final readings as shown on your bill were correct and that the account is settled. Request re-payment of the in correctly taken DD payments if you haven't received them.

Ask them to provide what evidence they have that you didn't move out on the date you told them.

Npower are not a good company to deal with and you cannot rely on anything they tell you over the phone. That is why it is important to have this in writing as I can see down the road, threats of court, debt collection etc. Keep all your documents safe and if you do speak to them ensure you note the time and date of the call, the FULL name of the person you spoke to and what was said. Hopefully they have made an error which eventually they will realise and sort out. If they don't, be prepared.

If they supplied your gas then this thread may be of interest to you:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=822299

WhistleBlower

I work for NPower.

Sorry to say but it sounds like my colleagues are being very inept. (Not the firs ttime, they royally screwed up my own account)

Anyway, what should happen is:

• Customer sends in final read.
• Acc is closed down to these reads
• You get final bill and either pay it or get a refund.

Nice and simple right?

I'm guessing what's happened is that rather than actually close down your account someone has simply entered your final readings as an ordinary read.

Call NPower, ask to speak with the homemovers department, get their fax number, send proof of when you moved out (usually your TA/proof of sale for your new place) fax it over and call back two hours later.

Homemovers specialise in closing accounts and should fix the problem.

Let me know if they don't.

WhistleBlower

DirectDebacle wrote: »

Keep all your documents safe and if you do speak to them ensure you note the time and date of the call, the FULL name of the person you spoke to and what was said.

For security NPower phone advisors don't usually give their full names, some do, but not many. We do however have login ID's which also mean you can be connected with the same person next time if needed. Request that instead.

DirectDebacle

WhistleBlower wrote: »

I work for NPower.


I'm guessing what's happened is that rather than actually close down your account someone has simply entered your final readings as an ordinary read.

We’ve since had ANOTHER final bill from Npower, (covering the same final 6 months up to our moving out) with different meter readings saying we owe them £300!!!!

If they had been entered as an ordinary read why is the second 'final' bill not the same as the first 'final bill'. It is for the same period but with different readings, hence different amount. I assume npower were provided with the O.P. new address at the time they were notified of the final readings. So the bills are now being sent to the OP new address. Unless they are sending the bills to the old billing address and the new occupier is forwarding them to the OP. or Post Office redirection.

I do not see why the OP has to prove to npower they have moved out. Do npower ask for evidence that you have moved in? Faxing documents with sensitive information (proof of sale no less!!!) to a utility company. After its done the rounds of the office with everyone discussing whether it was a good buy or not it will end up in a waste bin. That is of course if your assumption that the OP has faxing facilities is correct.

Best to write to them recorded delivery. That way there is proof that the OP letter of concern has been received by npower. I know you are trying to be helpful and you have declared that you work for npower. I am sure you are a decent and hard working employee. As you point out your company is inept which is why the OP needs to have some documentary evidence that he has tried to resolve this isssue.

What should happen is

1. OP phones customer service tonight.

2. Is told,'Very sorry for the mistake. Account now shown as closed. All money owed credited back to your account and ignore the second 'final' bill. Please accept an additional £25.00 for your inconvenience.'

That would go someway to enhancing npowers appalling reputation

Won't happen. Should, but won't. Instead he has to send in the bill of sale for his flat !!??

Give us a break.

WhistleBlower

DirectDebacle wrote: »

If they had been entered as an ordinary read why is the second 'final' bill not the same as the first 'final bill'. It is for the same period but with different readings, hence different amount. I assume npower were provided with the O.P. new address at the time they were notified of the final readings. So the bills are now being sent to the OP new address. Unless they are sending the bills to the old billing address and the new occupier is forwarding them to the OP. or Post Office redirection. Good point, i missed that bit.

I do not see why the OP has to prove to npower they have moved out. Do npower ask for evidence that you have moved in? Yes, if there is a dispute. Faxing documents with sensitive information (proof of sale no less!!!) to a utility company. After its done the rounds of the office with everyone discussing whether it was a good buy or not it will end up in a waste bin. the company has to abide by EU data protection laws. The documents are shredded. That is of course if your assumption that the OP has faxing facilities is correct. Any public library has faxing facilities for the general public.

Best to write to them recorded delivery. That way there is proof that the OP letter of concern has been received by npower. I know you are trying to be helpful and you have declared that you work for npower. I am sure you are a decent and hard working employee. As you point out your company is inept which is why the OP needs to have some documentary evidence that he has tried to resolve this isssue.

What should happen is

1. OP phones customer service tonight.

2. Is told,'Very sorry for the mistake. Account now shown as closed. All money owed credited back to your account and ignore the second 'final' bill. Please accept an additional £25.00 for your inconvenience.'

That would go someway to enhancing npowers appalling reputation

Won't happen. Should, but won't. Instead he has to send in the bill of sale for his flat !!?? How else are NPower supposed to confirm when he moved out, it would be fantastic if they could take everyone's word for it but people lie and spoil it for the rest of us.

Give us a break. Give *me* a break, i'm trying to help.

A guessed resaon for the two-bill thing (i cna't see the account so it's hard to say) but is it possible that the bill that showed you as being in credit was a final bill which was billed to an estimate? You said you called in more recently with the final reads even though you moved out april-ish.

If that's the case then they probably under-estimated your final bill hence the change, if the reads don't match with the ones you provided get back on to them and get it corrected.

I'd say you may have been underestimated by around £50 (£300 - £250 refund) as a guess.

DirectDebacle

the company has to abide by EU data protection laws. The documents are shredded. That is of course if your assumption that the OP has faxing facilities is correct. Any public library has faxing facilities for the general public.

npowers record on abiding by rules and regulations is abysmal. The record of adjudications and fines levied upon them, plus the ongoing Ofgem investigations against them speaks for itself.

Instead he has to send in the bill of sale for his flat !!?? How else are NPower supposed to confirm when he moved out, it would be fantastic if they could take everyone's word for it but people lie and spoil it for the rest of us.

The fact of the matter is they do have to take his word for it. If they don't and are in effect calling him a liar, then it is incumbent upon npower to prove it.

Give *me* a break, i'm trying to help.

I know you are and I applaud you for it. I see that you joined MSE for your own reasons and not to be set up as an Aunt Sally on behalf of npower. You have the benefit of inside knowledge and I am sure from your experience you are advising on the best way for the OP to resolve his issue.

Certainly I and I assume the OP do not have this knowledge. The original post asked if anyone had any experience of dealing with npower. I have and it hasn't been good. Therefore I can only answer his query by relying on my experience. You will not be pleased to hear that not only have I found the service they offer to be inept it has been sometimes non-existent, inconsistent, misleading and on occasions deceptive. There are serious problems within your organisation, particularly at the customer service/complaints end that need to be addressed. As a consumer there is little I can do to alter that. You on the other hand could do much to improve your organisation if you were aware of the problems. Until that happens my advice stands. I would not send copies of sensitive or personal documents to your organisation. I would advise that the matter be dealt with from now on by letter only. I am aware of customers who have disputed bills with npower. They have been told that the account will be put on hold while it is investigated and still receive threatening letters from npower demanding payment or face court action. This is entirely against OFT guidelines. Of course all the utility companies have problems of this nature. It is just unfortunate that you work for the worst of a bad bunch. But you and other good people like you, from within could change that.

Back to the OP question.

A guessed resaon for the two-bill thing (i cna't see the account so it's hard to say) but is it possible that the bill that showed you as being in credit was a final bill which was billed to an estimate? You said you called in more recently with the final reads even though you moved out april-ish.

The OP actually stated:

My wife and I sold our flat back in April and moved house.
We called on moving out to give final meter readings. Npower subsequently sent us a final bill for the flat in June ( covering the 6 months up until the point we moved out ) which showed us £250 in credit. Npower hadn’t closed the account properly and continued to direct debit us.

It seems the OP is saying they moved out in April and provided readings at that time.

No reason for an estimated final bill to be sent. By its very nature a final bill should be just that. A bill based on a final reading. If npower didn't believe the reading then they should have read it themselves asap.

This bill is certainly in dispute. My advice to the OP is prepare for the worst. That is npower will insist they are correct and press for payment. Threaten debt collectors etc.
The OP should keep all correspondence and only communicate with npower by letter from now on. npower are very reluctant to commit anything to paper. Further never never ever speak to a debt collection agency over the telephone (this goes for you too whistleblower if one ever contacts you).

Hopefully npower will see sense and sort it out. Be prepared if they don't.

brysiewysie

WhistleBlower wrote: »

I work for NPower.

...............

Let me know if they don't.

Nice offer WB, sorry to see you seem to be getting stick for trying to help.

WhistleBlower

I managed to mis-read it a 2nd time. Sorry. In that case ingore my 2nd suggestion...Umm....Ok, it seems like asimple shut-down problem. They've never actually closed your account down properly you were billed past your original leave date and they're chasing you for it.

I know you don't want to hear it but you are going to have to send in that TA/proof of sale. The bottom line is that they will not ake changes without it. Send recorded delivery if you wish so you have records.

As for the making changes to the company from within, believe you me we've tried, but if you go to a manager all you get is "But this is how it's done." protest about that and you get "i'll pass your comments on" which as we all know basically means "I'll have forgotten we spoke in about ten minutes".

And i am aware of the problems. I see them every day, i'm a front-line employee, i'm on the phone-lines. Customer services are freaking useless, they dump through calls we don't even handle, and ususally with a cold-transfer. And best of all, we're not allowed to report them for it. Joy of joys! Account queries get stuck in limbo and never fixed, billing don't do their job, the backlogs on all departments are huge. It's insane.

The holds on accounts *Never* get put on, us collections agents are able to request one directly, but CS agents have to fill out a form, and they don't. Uusally for sheer laziness. The second i get a call wher ethis has happened i hold the account, but *I'm* always the one the customer yells at.

And yes, don't deal with the DCA's, call NPower direct (The DCA's are worse than we are sometimes)

P.s. NPower are doing a re-shuffle. Things are only going to get worse.

Incisor

WhistleBlower wrote: »

... I know you don't want to hear it but you are going to have to send in that TA/proof of sale. The bottom line is that they will not ake changes without it. Send recorded delivery if you wish so you have records.

The only reason you have to send it in is down to the incompetence of Npower. Npower have no right to this, once you send in a final reading, the contract is at an end, and finding someone to pay is Npower's problem

DirectDebacle

WhistleBlower wrote: »

As for the making changes to the company from within, believe you me we've tried, but if you go to a manager all you get is "But this is how it's done." protest about that and you get "i'll pass your comments on" which as we all know basically means "I'll have forgotten we spoke in about ten minutes".

And i am aware of the problems. I see them every day, i'm a front-line employee, i'm on the phone-lines. Customer services are freaking useless, they dump through calls we don't even handle, and ususally with a cold-transfer. And best of all, we're not allowed to report them for it. Joy of joys! Account queries get stuck in limbo and never fixed, billing don't do their job, the backlogs on all departments are huge. It's insane.

WB thank you for a frank and may I say very brave post. You and your colleagues are trying to do a good job but hampered by a flawed and inadequate system. And its' going to get worse !! Oh no.

Your offer of personal intervention on behalf of the OP was generous and perhaps a little foolhardy. I have a vision of your posts and PM box being inundated with pleas for help. I sincerely hope that doesn't happen and that the reasons you joined MSE are fulfilled and your problems resolved.

I wasn't giving you personal stick but giving your organisation stick. I thought I had made that clear but to reiterate I wasn't having a go at you. Personally I think you have been courageous to declare yourself an npower employee.

Good luck.