NPower doubling our bill

JennyCourage

Maytaurus
Wow, did u really sign up to NPower & qualify for £100 rebate? Thank you for saving my self-esteem. Was horrified at being wrong/hurtful to Lorna & Rob (I too am vunerable & sensitive). Have deleted my msg to them and tried to change my user name to Humblebee. Think I will keep JennyCourage. I admire & envy your expertise on site. How do u do funny rolling heads? Love the sense of humour, wish I was good, only a Learner. Getting better. Can now do rolling heads.

JennyCourage

Useful phrases I have used when speaking to Utilities who bully, intimidate & will not listen. First of all I think 'How dare they!' Then I get mad. Then I calm down. Then I gather the facts & write them down. (Always get their name and imagine you are talking to someone sitting on your settee, it's only a human being yr talking to, just like you, somebody's mother or son etc.,) Here goes:

To Npower " I am sorry, I didn't catch yr name (Jane), I'm Mrs. so&So. Jane I refuse to accept the increase in my D.D. on the grounds that a) it is well overestimated by you, b) I know how much gas I use. c) If it is anymore, you will be the first to know & I will pay any debit on my balance immediately, as always.

Furthermore, I am £25 in credit & would like an immediate refund. Here is my meter reading. I look forward to receiving my amended bill showing my current DD, plus refund in the next 7/10 days".

"Regarding increase in price, I will allow you to increase my DD by £5, £10 say, (or) I have had double glazing/will switch 1 radiator off/reduce the thermostat etc., so will be using less gas. Yes, I will take full responsibility for clearing my bill".

SwanJon

JennyCourage wrote: »

To Npower " I am sorry, I didn't catch yr name (Jane), I'm Mrs. so&So. Jane I refuse to accept the increase in my D.D. on the grounds that a) it is well overestimated by you, b) I know how much gas I use. c) If it is anymore, you will be the first to know & I will pay any debit on my balance immediately, as always. Furthermore, I am £25 in credit & would like an immediate refund. Here is my meter reading. I look forward to receiving my amended bill showing my current DD, plus refund in the next 7/10 days". "Regarding increase in price, I will allow you to increase my DD by £5, £10 say, (or) I have had double glazing/will switch 1 radiator off/reduce the thermostat etc., so will be using less gas. Yes, I will take full responsibility for clearing my bill.

So to sumarise, I don't accept all the conditions of paying by direct debit and want to set up a halfway house between DD and quarterly, but could you give me the full DD discount?

JennyCourage

Last year I saved £1,500, changing all suppliers & being supermarket/shops savvy. Not much around this year, but will keep looking. Hope at least, this inspires you gets you thinking, and puts you in control.

I find the rule is: Either you use your time/energy or you use your money. I've plenty of one & not enough of the other. I find it terrific fun, almost ringing a bell everytime I beat the 'big guys' over the little guys:

1.) Changed to water meter £13 p.m. (10 cu.mtrs)(showers + collect water in 4pt milk ctns. re-use. 2 hippos in cistern. twin tub washer-hot tap feed-6min wash. saves electric & water).

2) Changed to Talk Talk - £21.75 p.m. inclds. Broadband, free phone calls 24 hrs.local, national, 46 International, (up to 1 hr. Put phone down ring again). rental, paper bill chrg. £1.25 (on-line £20.50). exclds. non-geographical nos. 0845/0870 etc. (Utilities, obviously, get them to ring you back. complain).Most are cheaper now though. Tired now. Will add more later.

JennyCourage

SwanJon,

I do not know what you mean by DD conditions or halfway house. Explain plse. NPower offer rebate £100 p.y. for dual fuel (i.e. elec & gas, paying by monthly DD). I Dont know discount for DD., but Supplier will tell you. I'm guessing here, do you mean the choice is: pay by DD or pay in full on the quarterly bill? I guess so. (or a meter, which is very expensive), or perhaps a quarterly DD. I honestly dont know for sure.

KimYeovil

This is irrelevant rubbish. The OP had not bothered to check their useage or the price of their fuel. Their increase has nothing to do with unfair levels of DDs. Mr Jibbles do owe £250 per month (- and that's generously allowing them to repay over twelve months.) Stop contaminating every thread with the same nonsense. There are more enough threads about DDs being set too high. This thread is about not reading a meter and underpaying.

mrjibbles

Admitidly yeah we havnt read out meter properly, we just put to much trust in the utility company to charge us what we were using, simple as that

Broadband. telephone, mobile - just pay for what we use. I just took it for granted we were using what we were being charged for. Until it added up that is.

Thankyou for the replies, Jenny.. what a star. That last post was a bit dramatic and rude as it came across but to the others, thankyou. Life is a constant learning curve and now learnt to keep track of the meter readings. Im a very layed back person .. hense a bill would be payed and thought no more of it.. until now... DOH!

Rob

KimYeovil

(That previous post was rude to every one other than you, Mr Jibbles. Has anybody actually bothered to read the issue correctly? Mr Jibbles are £800 in debt. Their new debit has been CORRECTLY set to £250. Until the debt is repaid or they reduce their consumption why should the payment be lower? They could appeal that they should be allowed two years rather than one to repay the debt. That would still result in payments of over £200 per month. I'd much rather swallow the temporary hit and (after Christmas) pay the debt off over one or two months.)

KimYeovil

The OP's op. The 'original poster''s 'original post'.

Cardew

JennyCourage wrote: »

What exactly are you referring to? Who is OP?

OP = Original Poster

Kim really has a point, incorrect DDs are flavour of the month - but it isn't anything to do with this issue.

The OP readily admits he has been lax with checking his account and is now paying the penalty.

On the other hand he has had an interest free 'loan' for the past 3 years and will pay back what he owes interest free.