default by elec supplier?

tcjt1418

Hi,

We had changed for one month to Npower as the nice salesman that came to the door promised us it would be so much cheaper than what we were paying then so we signed up, but then our old supplier phoned us and got us to go back with them, we then received bills from npower for 3 times the monthly amount we would normaly pay for gas and elec, i refused to pay them, after endless phonecalls and fights i went to citizen advice who told me not to pay it, i would have paid what i normally paid but npower said no they want the full amount £137 for 4 weeks elec & £149 for 4 weeks gas! i am now receiving letters from westcot credit chasing the debt, can they give me a default even though i am disputing the accounts? npower say there is no dispute as they are happy with their bills. i am worried as i am applying for a mortgage and i dont want this to show as bad debt, cab say it doesnt but im scared because of the threatening letters im getting sent!

KimYeovil

Did you switch back within seven days of your initial application to nPower? If not you must provide nPower with 28 days notice. It is likely you owe them the full amount for that period.

If requested sums are for actual readings then you are not being charged three times as much. If you used £280 in a month then your consumption is too high for differences in tier prices/standing charges/seasonal weighting to be that significant.

Before raging at nPower look carefully at the price of their tariff. Look carefully at the price of the preceding and succeeding tariffs. I doubt there will be a 20%, never mind 200%, difference. Either meter readings are wrong or there is a catch-up from estimated bills or you have used a lot of power but were previously blithely paying instalments unrelated to consumption.