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Energy Direct Debits: Get money back & your payments lowered Discussion
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auss2k, I am so pleased I read this; I have just had the exact same conversation with Npower (sign online 19, and a £438 bill in the inbox today).
The DD was set too low by the online switching company and despite meter readings given every couple of months they waited for 8 months to inform me that I am massively underpaying. I would have assessed my gas usage and made an effort to lower my consumption over the last 8 months had I known how much I was using.
Is there any chance of getting this total amount reduced given the incompetence Npower has shown? When I suggested this, the woman I spoke to said that it was my fault for not checking the DD’s were reasonable, and how were they supposed to know how much gas I would use if I hadn’t been with them for a year… apparently the meter readings were insufficient information to go on.
Surely Npower can’t ignore low DD’s and then take no responsibility for a large discrepancy?0 -
The meter is in your home. Why do you claim you do not know what you were using? :huh:... I would have assessed my gas usage and made an effort to lower my consumption over the last 8 months had I known how much I was using. ......
Surely Npower can’t ignore low DD’s and then take no responsibility for a large discrepancy?
Why do you think it's nPowers responsibilty when you used the energy, the meter is in your home, yet you don't appear to take any responsibilty yourself? :huh:
You have to pay for what you have used, especially as the supplier billed you within 12 months.
The article is about taking responsibilty for trying to get your monthly payments aligned with your usage cost and getting back any overpayment to date.
In your situation you should still try to get the monthly payments correctly set (i.e. increased for you) and pay the shortfall you have accumulated to date"Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
The meter is in your home. Why do you claim you do not know what you were using?
The billing for Gas is so complicated I trusted my provider to tell me what I was using, and as far as I was concerned I fulfilled my responsibility by giving accurate meter readings whenever asked.
Why do you think it's nPowers responsibilty when you used the energy, the meter is in your home, yet you don't appear to take any responsibilty yourself?
Er... I did and have taken the responsibility by supplying meter readings and increased my monthly DD to cover the shortfall over the next year. It seems that this low set DD amount has caught out more than just me, and Npower should take some of the responsibility for this issue.
You have to pay for what you have used, especially as the supplier billed you within 12 months.
I do not agree, if the implicit agreement is for me to to provide regular usage updates (meter readings) and in return expect correct billing, an incorrect billing over a period of 8 months due to negligence on the part of the supplier, should in part be the responsibility of the supplier and my inconvenience should be compensated.
The article is about taking responsibilty for trying to get your monthly payments aligned with your usage cost and getting back any overpayment to date.In your situation you should still try to get the monthly payments correctly set (i.e. increased for you) and pay the shortfall you have accumulated to date
Done, but again I should have had an accurate bill well before now. If meter reading were as simple as multiplying a reading with the price then I would have done that but I honestly have no idea how it’s calculated. After this I will be making an effort to find out.
BTW - responsibility has three 'i's.
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...I do not agree, ...
You may not agree, but what I posted is the truth of the matter, sorry.
You would have had an accurate bill produced, based on your readings (unless the supplier believed your readings to be incorrect) as per their schedule (typically every quarter)....Done, but again I should have had an accurate bill well before now...
However, you agreed to monthly payments; that means you don't pay waht is billed. The supplier doesn't review your payments every time it produces a bill.
You could, of course, have checked the bills yourself and compared them to what you were paying, and if you were concerned at the level of payment set, discussed this with the supplier.
If you only wish to pay what you consume when you've consumed it, contact the supplier and ask to go on (a more expensive) pay on receipt of bill tariff.
(Even then, the supplier can back bill you up to 12 months) "Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
You would have had an accurate bill produced, based on your readings…(typically every quarter).
Unfortunately not I looked back over my previous bills and although they are labelled as ‘Gas and Electricity’ there was nothing in the gas section.
You could, of course, have checked the bills yourself and compared them to what you were paying
As a first time homeowner I trusted the company to set a reasonable level of consumption which they did not. Imagine if I was a pensioner with a very limited fixed income, I got used to the lower payments believing it was just the great rate I got by switching, and started living beyond my means now I have lower payments. In this situation this is far more dangerous than the overpayment situation as people can get into unrecoverable debt in 8 months.
Even then, the supplier can back bill you up to 12 months)
Maybe this is something that should be changed now gas and electricity prices are escalating so quickly past inflation.
Thanks for the information though, I have raised a complaint about the lack of bills for 8 months and will post back and let you know how I get on.0 -
...Maybe this is something that should be changed now gas and electricity prices are escalating so quickly past inflation.
...
What's inflation/price changes got to do with it?
You will be billed at the rate appropriate to when you (were assumed to have) used the energy ... even if the bill is produced sometime later.
"Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
What's inflation/price changes got to do with it?
I was referring to the increase in Fuel Poverty. If someone’s fuel costs are more than 10% of their total income a year is a lot of leeway.
There are many people out there who would struggle if they found themselves in debt by an extra 10% of their income.
10 years ago when fuel was a much lower percentage of the same family’s income it would not have been as much of a problem.0 -
I was referring to the increase in Fuel Poverty. If someone’s fuel costs are more than 10% of their total income a year is a lot of leeway.
There are many people out there who would struggle if they found themselves in debt by an extra 10% of their income.
10 years ago when fuel was a much lower percentage of the same family’s income it would not have been as much of a problem.
:huh:
I feel like I have just entered the twilight zone!
What has all this got to do with a supplier having up to 12 months to bill a customer for what they have used???"Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
OMG! You know people getting into debt is a bad thing right? And if people have bigger debt this is worse than them having a small debt... are you following so far?I feel like I have just entered the twilight zone!
What has all this got to do with a supplier having up to 12 months to bill a customer for what they have used???
Someone suddenly finding out they have 12 months of utility bills worth of debt, would be a bad thing when that could be well over 10% of their yearly income.
If the utility companies knew they could only back bill for 6 months this would surely inspire them to improve billing.
I hope this is clear enough for you, because the next step is a big sheet of paper and some crayons.
For someone with an anti-trolling signature you spend a lot of time under the bridge Premier.
My Nan always used to say; “never argue with a fool, as after a while people might not be able to spot the difference”. Therefore this will be my last post on this thread.0 -
Hi,
Moneysavingexpert.com says about Scottish Power:
"It also pays customers £1 for every £33 they're in credit (on balances between £100 and £500), to be paid at their annual direct debit reassessment date."
Has anyone had this payment?
We're in credit by over £500. Annual review due 30 April but not sure if I should ask them for refund now or wait?
Many thanks.0
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