N Power....what a rip off

hubballi

I am absolutely gutted that I didn't stay with Atlantic last summer when I was tempted to switch to N Power via the U Switch offer. It looked like at least the rates would stay the same but in fact they have swapped and changed their estimates to one extreme to the other, even after giving them readings. About 3 years ago we had our gas meter changed while with Atlantic. N power sent a guy out to take a reading about a month ago and they gave us a massive bill, based on our old meter !!!!!! After umpteen phone calls and being blinded with science (this is their ace card) they have told us we owe over £800 for just the gas in only 8 months. Between August and April. For a starter we didn't use the Gas heating until late September and then it broke down over winter for a few weeks. On top of that I know we used a lot less gas as we had our coal fire going to save on the gas. By the way, we were already paying £45 a month for gas.

What can you do when they tell you on the phone that it is the actual price and you know full well that it isn't that price ? How can you trust them when they are quoting from you old meter ?

Is there an independent body I can go to ?

I have just lost my job and feel on the edge of a breakdown.

Premier_2

hubballi wrote: »

...What can you do when they tell you on the phone that it is the actual price and you know full well that it isn't that price ? How can you trust them when they are quoting from you old meter ?
...

You give them the details, preferably in writing of the start meter reading and the current meter reading.
Even then do the calculation for them and show what the actual price should be.
That can be a little difficult with the nPower sculpting - but it's not impossible. Even if you get that bit wrong they should explain the error and provide you details of the correct calculation.

When you had the meter exchanged, you should have been given a card with the old meter end reading and new meter start reading on.

The old meter serial number, end reading and new meter start reading (often 00000) is also usually on a label attached to your current meter.

hubballi

I don't understand "sculpting" what on earth does that mean ? Anyway, I was with Atlantic 3 years ago when it was changed.

epsilondraconis

hubballi wrote: »

I don't understand "sculpting" what on earth does that mean ?

Pour yourself a double scotch, sit back and enjoy:

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

hubballi

This seems to be a post for 2007-2008 from the link you gave me.

I started with them in Aug 2008 on the (not so accurate) advise here to get your prices frozen for the dig in winter bills. So I have been paying roughly £45 a month for gas from then to now. They have now worked out that I should be paying £150 a month for gas and electric for another 8 months to clear the bill. As I find the workings "sculpturing" out completely baffling (I am not a mathematician) as they say it's something to do with Atlantic not getting the changeover right. Atlantic actually refunded me some money from my gas payments when I changed over as I had been overpaying. N Power told me if I contact Atlantic about it it may open up a can of worms where I may end up owing them more money.

I find the whole Gas and Electric mystery a total rip off and highly confusing which makes it almost impossible to see what the left hand is doing. I am a reasonably well educated man but this is very very depressing.

Cardew

hubballi wrote: »

As I find the workings "sculpturing" out completely baffling (I am not a mathematician)

All you need to know about 'sculpting' is that NPower have structured their gas tariffs such that their customers bills are 'loaded' in the winter so on top of using more gas, you pay a higher rate for that gas.

In the summer the opposite happens, so over the year it balances out.

hubballi

Yes but when I joined N Power last summer they stated that the rate wouldn't go above a certain amount. Is it worth going to my Citizen's advice with all my bills ?

Cardew

hubballi wrote: »

Yes but when I joined N Power last summer they stated that the rate wouldn't go above a certain amount. Is it worth going to my Citizen's advice with all my bills ?

No!

NPower like the majority of other companies have a 2 tier system of charging. Npower charge for 4,572kWh per year at a higher price(tier1 or primary units) and all the rest at a lower price.(tier 2 or secondary units)

All other companies who operate this system charge divide the primary units up equally each month(i.e. pro-rata amount every day. )

NPower operate a different system(sculpting) where they charge for far more primary units in the winter months and less in the summer.

As you obviously use more gas in the winter, this has the effect of making Npower's winter bills even higher.

1carminestocky

Plus, on their cheapest online tariffs, if you get wazzed off with that dodgy way of doing things and decide to jump ship within the first 12 months, npower retain £105 of the annual discount (that is included in that low-looking figure on the switching sites). Meaning you would undoubtedly have been better off not moving to them in the first place. This company scored precisely 40% for customer satisfaction in the latest Which survey of energy company customers. They are so bad they even came below British Gas :eek:

KimYeovil

hubballi wrote: »

I find the whole Gas and Electric mystery a total rip off and highly confusing which makes it almost impossible to see what the left hand is doing. I am a reasonably well educated man but this is very very depressing.

Unless you have a blind spot with figures there is no reason not to keep on top of what is happening. When you switched you could have read your meters. You know what the reading was on your previous billed bill. You know what the readings were after you switched. Either you should have noticed you still owed Atlantic a few hundred or you should have noticed that £45 would never cover this winter's nPower bills.

The seasonal sculpting issue is a red herring - that would only account for an eighty-odd anomaly, not eight hundred.

hubballi

Well, I finaly got to the bottom of this which means we are back to normal £82 a month for gas and Electric. What happened, we checked the last Atlantic reading and it was higher than the estimated "start" reading of N Power. Hence, they were charging us for gas we had already paid for with Atlantic. As we have the figures as proof on our statement N power are now going to contact Atlantic for proof. Suffice to say we now now what the problem was but why would they estimate back in time ? They were supposed to deal with Atlantic and get the figures.

I am beginning to wish I had stayed with Atlantic as they gave us a cashback discount every year. The reason we switched...because Martin told us prices were going to go sky high. Atlantic were one of those companies putting their rates up but perhaps it still would have been cheaper.

In August I will be able to come of my year lock in with N Power.

Thanks for your help here by the way ;-)