Prepayment meter - NPower say I owe them £450!!

ClaireLR

I hope someone can help with this.....

I had to call Npower today as I recently changed suppliers and they had sent me a cheque for credit on my gas account in the wrong name. While I was on the phone I asked if they had sorted my final statement for my electricity.........and was told it was on the way and I owe £450 :eek: :eek:

The woman I spoke to was really helpful and took the meter serial number and said she would pass it on to a department where they would try and trace the payments and has asked me to call back in 4 weeks time.

In the meantime I've had a think about what could have happened and I think I may have changed suppliers at some point before going back to Npower and carried on using the Npower card (or vice versa:o ). Does anyone have any idea what could have happened here and if what I've just said could be true, how/if I can go about checking with suppliers myself if they have been receiving my payments? I'm 90% sure that it can't be right can it??

If anyone can help or advise I would be grateful as it's stressing me right out thinking about it

Neelie

Did you keep some receipts? They should be able to trace the payments for you, but if not then you will need to provide receipts and/or the details from the card that you were using.

You could try ringing your previous supplier and ask them to check your old account for payments - you will still need to let Npower continue with the process of claiming them back though.

ClaireLR

Neelie I didn't keep any receipts - as soon as the money went onto the meter ok I always threw them away. Also threw the card out a few weeks ago (they did ask me about the card).

Do you think that they will be able to sort it out without the card?

Joyful

If you know who's card you were using they can claim a Misdirected Payments claim from that supplier. It's done all the time. Another thing to be aware of with PP meters is that you should still give reads when you change suppliers. Also if it was a Token meter there may be debt from the meter not charging enough ( called Tariff Debt). Some companies are writing this off but some are not.

Make sure they put a block on your account to stop it going down a debt path until they know for sure where the debt balance has come from. Misdirected payments are usually recovered in 6 weeks.

Neelie

ClaireLR wrote: »

Neelie I didn't keep any receipts - as soon as the money went onto the meter ok I always threw them away. Also threw the card out a few weeks ago (they did ask me about the card).

Do you think that they will be able to sort it out without the card?

They should be able to Claire. I take it it was a smartcard and not a token card? Smartcard is the one with the chip on....

If so then I am sure they will be abe to locate them - only time will tell. Good luck!

BindyB

Joyful wrote: »

Also if it was a Token meter there may be debt from the meter not charging enough ( called Tariff Debt). Some companies are writing this off but some are not.

Be advised, I have been told by NPower that they are 'not allowed' to demand more than £70 in regard to the tariff debt, no matter how much it has built up. If any or all of your debt is in relation to that, don't pay more than you have to!

(Good luck, NPower are the bane of my life!)