Npower Billing Problems

yearlus

I am currently having problems with npower concerning my Electricity Bill.

I changed over to them back in march and recieved a bill in may to which i paid over direct debit.

In september had a request to change over my Electricity meter, which seems simple enough unitl it came to finding the thing. It turns out that it was locked in a cupboard which never I or the Electricity people had access too.

We eventually got into the cupboard and changed it over, noting the readings of both metre.

I had since cancelled my DD and awaited a bill through.

The new bill was for £367.78 over a 6 month period (for a 2 bedroom flat), the thing i thought was weird is that from the begining of my contract with npower they have quoted actual readings.

Have since rung up and complained about this, quoting the old metre readings, the new ones and current day ones.

Have recieved a bill today for which i am supposedly now in credit (due to the DD) and they have cancelled the old bills.

I took this chance to try to change over to Pre paid metre so i may monitor my usage, only to be told by npower that my account is in 'flux' and that they are recalculating the bills for the entire time with them and that i wont recieve this until the new year, until which time i cannot change metre.

Am a bit peeved as one minute I owe them £367.78, next im in credit, then the next minute my account is back in limbo. Being the current climate, should i write and complain? And how would such a letter go.

Sorry for such a long start but just frustrated, please help

mrjibbles

Get them to change it to 12 months. Quite a few people have had their bills condensed into 6 months and not 12

They said they would do it for me, i just need to wait for the DD to cancel until they can do it

Rob

yearlus

I thought I'd change to the pre-payed metre as the cost came down this week for them.

More importantly, still none the wiser whether to write a letter of complaint or not. Especially considering this morning though i was £280 better off only to be told, yes this is in holding until the bill is calculated (woulda helped out towards xmas)

shaf00uk

I would avoid having pre-pay meter as you will be paying 5 times more than those who are standard meters regardless of how much you use.

Moreover, you are also paying a standing charge. I moved into my house and had all pre-pay meters - and the credit kept on being used even though nothing was on!

So I got them getting them changed asap. I requested this in Sep-07 and the job was completed in Jan-08. It can take a few months to change them over.

Just make a note of the reading once a month and you can easily calculate how much its costing you (which will be much less than prepayment meter from ANY supplier). Good luck.

shaf00uk

Lodge a complaint over the phone at first instance.

Then write a letter and follow it up on the phone after 7-10 days.

Then hopefully the problem gets escalated to the right person and should sorted out from then on.

(I'm with npower in the w midlands).

SwanJon

shaf00uk wrote: »

you will be paying 5 times more than those who are standard meters regardless of how much you use.

Excellent. Can you point me to the tariff where you only pay 20% of what a customer on PP pays. Will probably be worth me coming off my Fixed price 2010.

shaf00uk wrote: »

It can take a few months to change them over.

Should only take a week form when you request it (after passing CV or paying deposit).

WhistleBlower

SwanJon wrote: »

Should only take a week form when you request it (after passing CV or paying deposit).

we work on a 15 day booking time actually, so two weeks

SwanJon

Sorry - was working from British Gas timescales.

Dizzie77

I would also phone to lodge a complaint - it's quite easy now that Npower have sorted out their phone system - but be firm. The staff in the complaints dept tend to say "that's what's happening...nothing I can do".....until you press them a bit further....
Ask them why you are being penalised for their lack of ability to sort out your tarrif.
It is no fault of your own, so why should they hold onto your money??

I doubt that you will get anything back this side of Christmas though - but give them a ring, and see what they say..
Good Luck!!