Help or advice against Npower

somawilson

Dear all,
I’m a customer of Npower a long time. I’m on Income Support and have been a long time, because I’m one ill person mental and physical (arthritis, osteoporosis, heart problems, etc.).
I’d like to ask for your help or advice against Npower for the following situations. Until the final 2006 more or less, I have two children living with me. In that time with computer on 24 hours, lights on in the night, all on stand by, etc., I know in this case my consume of electricity was higher as well my consume of gas. From Npower in that time they told me to pay £25.00 weekly for gas and electricity. More or less in the final of 2006 I started living alone and I informed to Npower my circumstances are changed. As well with help I changed all bulbs in my house for bulbs of reduction of energy. From that moment until now I switch off all electric things, lights off as well, I don’t have any computer, and for that reasons and without understanding nothing about electric things, I’m pretty sure my consume reduced more than 50%. Always I told Npower about this situation and their answer to me was the silence. As I told Npower in the months of good weather I only need to connect the hot water a couple of hours per week, and as usual from them the silence was their only answer. I don’t remember exactly if the final 2007 beginning 2008 they changed my gas meter, and without changing anything with my consume of gas because I don’t need it, and for example in summer 2008, the consume of gas nearly doubled compared with the same period of time in 2007. I have spent a huge quantity of time and money in phone calls, emails and letters to Npower asking always why that huge consume when I don’t need it. The answer in this case from Npower was harassment with letters or knock the door from Meter Plus to cut off my gas and electricity if I don’t pay the debts they say I have with them.
They put me into debts because very scared I asked for money to pay as much I could, till the money my children gave me for Christmas I used to pay Npower. On 21/12/2008 I received one letter from Npower about the First Step Programme I applied online. After calling the phone number they gave me in that letter, and give the reference number they sent me in one email, they told me that reference number was wrong and jumped me from one phone to another, and after spent £10.00 on my mobile phone the final answer they gave me was I needed to pay about £36.00 per week on gas and electric. On 24/12/2008 I received another letter from the Customer Service the Npower about my complaints, and in that letter they promised to me the situation would be resolved in that day and I didn’t need to do anything further they said, a couple of days after I received another letter to warn me they can cut of my gas and electricity if I don’t pay the debts I have with them. The worst surprised I received from Npower was in the last statements of gas and electric of 2008. That surprise was on the statement of electricity missing £80.00 I paid more than the money they said in the statement, and on the statement of gas missing £50.00. When with help I checked all the receipts of payment I have saved, I found in all statements for all year 2008 and as well 2009 missed money I paid and don’t appear on the statements. Sadly I cannot confirm the same about years before because I don’t have all receipts of payment but now I truly believe this situation is one practice the years before. Immediately I complaint and claim with Npower and I asked them where my money gone and why. The huge consume they say in the statements I have until today nobody from Npower have the honesty, respect and education to give me one single answer why the consume and who stolen my money. I complaint to the Energy Ombudsman and for the information I gave them, they told me to write one letter to the Head of Customer Relations of Npower, after I wrote that letter to that department on 22/06/2009 I received one letter from the executive complaints team and the only things they say in that letter was the same again about the First Step programme and about energy efficiency department fro arrangement to them visit my property and to discuss how to use my gas and electricity. I’m still waiting for that arrangement and that visit. On 14/09/2009 I received another letter from the First Step Team where they told me again to be considered for Npower’s First Step Programme and one phone number for call, and when call them, for give details about my household income as well up to date meter readings.
Immediately I called that phone number with the details they asked me for more my illness disease and they told me over the phone they would ring me back on Tuesday 22/09/2009. As usual with Npower, I’m still waiting for that call. On 22/09/2009 I received another letter from the First Step Team. They say I have debts than more £300.00 on electric and more £500.00 on gas, and talking about one kind the arrangement we agreed on the phone. I don’t understand why this people lie when the only conversation we had over the phone was my income, meter readings and illness and I have witnesses.
On 21/09/2009 I received another letter from Npower in this case from the Head of Customer Operations, and about my electricity they say I have repaid my outstanding balance through my meter. One day I have more than £300.00 on debts, next day I have nothing. I’d like to add here on 05/03/2009 Npower changed my meters for prepayment meters. As well I like to add here about my complaint the huge consume and the missing money and by request from Npower on 15/03/2009 I sent copies of my receipts of payment as proof what I always told them, and until today not exist the minimum of considerations on give me one explanation to what’s going on. On 27/10/2009 I received another letter from Npower in this case from the Executive Complaints Team when they told me they had a resolution for my complaint and they would like to discuss the resolution together over the phone. I sent one email to this department and explain why I don’t call anymore to Npower, because I like proof on paper what each one say and for the mess they have on the phone calls before where I spent my money for nothing, and people lie in their information. As well I told them in my email I have a disposition for sent them again copies of my receipts of payments and other kind of documents of importance. On 30/10/2009 I sent that copies and as usual from Npower until today was their answer the silence. Always they avoid or hidden tell me nothing and I don’t understand why. On 25/11/2009 I received the statement of gas and is very poor reading of my average daily of consume on that statement. The average per day with estimation them was 3.80 kWh, the same bill last year and the same average per day equivalent this period last year with as well estimation as usual was 51.10 kWh. From them, nobody have the honesty the see something not right? As you can see the difference is huge higher compared both periods of the years. This, I think, is one proof all I told to Npower about my consume was correct. I sent all documents I think are necessary to the Energy Ombudsman and my MP about my complaints against Npower, and I would like ask for your help or advice if there is anything else I can do with these three years of fighting and complaint to these people without results. The last weekend I charged £20.00 on gas and only spent £3.27 in hot water and heating, the rest gone through the meter they say for debts. The cold weather arrive and for my problems of health I need keep warm my home but I cannot afford to pay £25-30 per week on gas and electricity because any money I charge on gas disappear rapidly, they say its for debts. I suffering harassment, bullying, lying and pay all this years for somebody pocket my money and Npower protect him or her.
I’m so sorry for the extension of my text; I only try apart reducing as much as I can as well so you can really understand what happen between me and Npower. Thank you for your time and anticipations for your help or advice.
Best regards

dogshome

Hi somawilson - Your long post covers so many issues that it's difficult to sort them into an order of importance, but the non-recorded payments to n'power appear to be the heart of the problems, as these will affect the level of debt that n'power say you have.
I would suggest that you contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau so that your paperwork can be examined by a mentor who is experienced in Utility Bills, who then if his findings agree with your own, can write to n'power with a good degree of clout
Best of Luck

Fire_Fox

Are you able to edit your OP and add paragraphs please? It's impossible to read as one long post.

somawilson

Good morning to all.
First of all thanks for your answers and I’m so sorry for the long and maybe confuse txt I wrote.
Here I try shortly explaining what’s happen with the missing money of my payments.
For the pressure from Npower about the debts they said I have with them, I asked for money for pay as much I could. When I received the last statements of 2008 (gas & electric) I realize something was wrong and ask one friend if can help me. After checked the receipts of payment I saved and compare with the statements of gas and electric the first we discovered was only for the last statements 2008 missing £80.00 on electric and £50.00 on gas, money I paid more than Npower said in my statements.
The same situation is for all statements of 2008 and as well for 2009. For the years before (2007, 2006, …) I cannot proof anything because sadly I don’t saved all receipts. Now I truly believe the missing money on payments go back.
I sent twice copies of the receipts to Npower for proof all that always complaint for. The first time I sent on 15/03/2009 and the second time on 30/10/2009, until now the silence was as usual the only answer I received from them.
Apart all is a mess with Npower. They sent me wrong reference number for apply for First Step Scheme and the final result was I spent £10.00 on phone and the lady the other side told I needed to pay more or less £36.00 weekly on gas and electric for debts they said I have with them. The second time I call for apply again for the First Step Scheme, more the same. I gave my household income, up to date meter readings and my illness because it’s only that the information they asked for. They told me they ring me back on 22/09/2009, until now I’m still waiting for that call. On 22/09/2009 I received one letter from the First Step Team where they talking about some kind of arrangements we made over the phone and that are untrue. In the same letter they told me I have more than £300.00 in electric debts, the next day 23/09/2009 I received another letter without any kind of electric debts.
On 27/10/2009 I received another letter where they said they have a resolution to my complaint, but, I needed to call one phone number they sent in that letter. I explain to them the reasons I don’t call anymore, and one that reasons was I’d have proof on paper about all we talking about. The silence was the answer until today.
I try writing another txt about the higher consume Npower always said I have, of course in the statements and of course by estimation.
For that and much more reasons I ask for help or advice in this forum as well to different organizations and let me tell you I have received great support and help for this problems.
Thanks again for your time and understanding.
Regards

dogshome

Hi somawilson - The probem is, that there are many problems with your Utility supply that no one can sort them out in one go.
I suggest you tackle the non-recording of payments first, and you do this by writing a letter headed Complaint, which then puts the letter onto an official track with rules that n'power have to follow - Don't mention your other problems in this letter as they will only cloud the issue, (you can take them up with a further Complaint letter when the non-recorded payment issue has been resolved resolved)
Good Luck

riciticitavi

The advice you have been given about complaining by the last post is probably the best you will recieve. One thing to bear in mind is that the complaint procedure for the energy industry has changed slightly. When you are discussing or in your case writing about your complaint, the company must send their complaint handling process if it is not going to be resolved by the end of the next working day. This will give you the information of what to do if the complaint is not resolved in 8 weeks. If it isn't resolved in 8 weeks, you should be sent another letter explaining that you can take your complaint further to the ombudsman. As the previous post suggests, deal with one complaint at a time.

mimo1

I agree ask Citizens advice. And keep on fighting, I know Npower are a pain to deal with, but don't give in to their bullying if you're in the right.

Npower are indeed rotten to the core. I advise people to avoid them like the plague.

I joined them when Greenpeace touted their green energy tariff. Eventually I got fed up with their rudeness- the final straw was when I went on holiday for two weeks, and when I returned I found a bill and a separate letter from their debt collection department threatening to send bailiffs round to my flat, just because I hadn't paid the bill yet!

So I paid the bill, and left for Ecotricity, telling Npower why I was fed up with them. But once I'd left, they got far worse.
My account was transferred to Ecotritity, but 6 months later I got a huge bill from Npower, for several hundred pounds, acting as if they were still my supplier! It took me a month to sort that out with help from Ecotricity.

Then, Npower sales department started ringing my home phone at least once a week, and cold calling on an almost weekly basis, trying to get me to go back to Npower. I wrote a letter to complain of this harrassment, and it stopped briefly.

Then they started again when their sales team blitzed my neighbourhood with nuisance cold callers. I live in a gated development, and they would trick people into letting them into the gates. Their teenage staff would say "Hi it's gas and electricity here to read the meters", disguising the fact that they were from Npower whenever able, then come in and go round knocking on every door with their sales pitch. The whole point of a gated development is to keep cold callers out, so this was an abuse of power.

I got into the habit of asking which company they were from, and they would always say really quickly in a sing-song voice "Npowergasandelectricity" so you couldn't even here the word Npower. I often have to say "Who?" a few times until I can understand that they're Npower. It's a tad deceitful. I then tell them that I'm not with Npower any more and usually have to turn the intercom off when they start reeling off their sales pitch.

I told Ecotricity about it, and they told me that they have heard a lot of similar stuff about Npower. They said that Npower even come around and read other people's meters, people who aren't even their customers! Ecotricity have been great and match the prices of the other suppliers, without the harrassment and phoney bills. I strongly recommend Npower customers to switch to them.

It's saturday morning, a year on from when I left Npower. They woke me up this morning by buzzing me for entry. Npower are indeed the worst energy supplier. I am a young man, and I fear for how their amoral sales team must be ripping off old people as we speak. My father, who lives the other side of the country from me, has had problems with them overbilling and weaving their inexplicable webs of deceipt already.

markharding557

mimo don't mean to be funny but you have posted this in at least three threads.
it would get your point across more effectivly if you put this in your own thread

cosmicjem

hi i have just read your thread, your not alone. i could write a tread as long as yours about different issues. I am on my 2nd stage of complaint to them, then i think i have to complain again before being able to go to obdsman, lucky them having 3 chances to put things right before being to write to obudsman. I am sure that i will be writing letter 3 very soon. Its total entertainment once you read their code of practice cant say they have ever mentioned the 20pound a day payment for loss of gas, but why should they when they can just put it towards my debt for the bill that never seems to go down. 40 a week just for electric to be kept on, and gas lol - what do i need that for when you have a kettle for hot water. so thinking of making my home a 1950 showhome for the street with blacked out windows, might even make some money and do a educational tour, and for food well the chip shop around the corner. :rolleyes::D

DirectDebacle

somawilson wrote: »

Dear all,
I’m a customer of Npower a long time. I’m on Income Support and have been a long time, because I’m one ill person mental and physical (arthritis, osteoporosis, heart problems, etc.).

I would suggest in addition to the Citizens Advice Bureau you also contact Consumer Direct. They are specifically tasked to assist vulnerable customers and should be able to assist you in your dealings with npower.

Here is their link:

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/EnergySupplyandPost/energysupply/

You are doing the right thing in only communicating with npower in writing. If you are not sending your letters recorded delivery, make sure that you do. npower cannot deny receipt if they have to sign for them.

Good luck.

somawilson

Good morning everyone and thank you so much for all your help and advice.
Allow me please to add shortly something more in relation to this situation with Npower. After so many letters, e-mails and phone calls, Npower never gave to me a simple answer not only of the missing money, but as well about of the high consumption either they say I have. I believe that already I commented that Npower changed my gas meter at the end of 2007 beginning 2008, and without any reason, because my consumption more or less is the same thing in practically all the year round - 2-3 times a week I connect the hot water not more than 2 hours, certainly with the cold I need to connect the heating - and for example for the dates between 13/08/2008-12/11/2008 with a more or less warm weather, and as usual with Npower's estimation, in my statement there appears a consumption of 418 m³ = 4,340 kWh. From 05/03/2009 till now I have prepayment meters, and my consumption of gas this morning is 170 m³. You can see Npower said that in 3 months I consumed more in gas than in more than 9 months.
In the last statement of gas I received in the last week, also for Npower's estimation, they say that the daily average of my consumption of gas between 18/09/2009 - 13/11/2009 was of 3.80 kWh, and for the equivalent period of last year of 51.10 kWh. Once again you can see enormous difference in Npower's estimations. But in Npower nobody has a bit of honesty and see that something is not correct. The same thing happens with the electricity, for the dates 18/09/2009 - 15/11/2009 my daily average of consumption was of 5.17 kWh, for the same equivalent period of last year was of 10.59 kWh. Besides it, in the last statement coming a balance of £311.99 when I do not have any electric debts with Npower in proof the letter I received with date of 23/08/2009 where they said I repaid my outstanding balance through my meter.
Finally and for no disturb you more, only to say I sent my case to Energy Ombudsman, Consumer Focus, etc. And for the information I received I think that brief this situation will have finished. I expect to say to you so something in the next days or weeks.
Once again thank you very much for your help and support.
Regards