np power - new tariff

grimej

N Power have launched a new tariff called "Go Fix". It has a lower standing charge for gas than most of their other tariffs. They are not offering it unless people specifically ask about it, or call to say that their standing charge looks high (as I did). By switching to this tariff I will save about £10 per month;)

gemstars

I'm new to the whole switching idea. Can someone answer a question for me?

This "Go Fix" tariff is price fixed until 31/12/2010. I've read through the T&Cs but I'm still unclear as to whether this means I would be locked in to this provider (i.e. couldn't switch) until the fixed proce period is over. Can anyone tell me?

Thanks.

glider3560

They certainly are advertising it ... http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/electricity_and_gas/Products/GoFix/index.htm

gemstars

glider3560 wrote: »

They certainly are advertising it ... http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/electricity_and_gas/Products/GoFix/index.htm

The terms say it's only intended for new customers rather than existing, I think that's what grimej meant.

glider3560

gemstars wrote: »

The terms say it's only intended for new customers rather than existing, I think that's what grimej meant.

The page I linked to says "Go Fix is available to new and existing customers. A standing charge applies to this product."

gemstars

glider3560 wrote: »

The page I linked to says "Go Fix is available to new and existing customers. A standing charge applies to this product."

The T&Cs say
"In order to take up and remain on our Go Fix or Go Fix XL you must:

• be a new customer of ours (or any other npower group company) unless we permit otherwise"

no wonder switching is confusing

notbritishgas

gemstars wrote: »

I'm new to the whole switching idea. Can someone answer a question for me?

This "Go Fix" tariff is price fixed until 31/12/2010. I've read through the T&Cs but I'm still unclear as to whether this means I would be locked in to this provider (i.e. couldn't switch) until the fixed proce period is over. Can anyone tell me?

Thanks.

Most,if not all, npower tariffs have an annual bonus of £100 for taking dual fuel and paying by DD. This bonus is not credited until 12 monthly DD's have been paid, so you could say it is a hidden leaving charge as you would not get it if leaving before 12 months are up.
Not too sure if there is an additional penalty but I do not think so.

gemstars

notbritishgas wrote: »

Most,if not all, npower tariffs have an annual bonus of £100 for taking dual fuel and paying by DD. This bonus is not credited until 12 monthly DD's have been paid, so you could say it is a hidden leaving charge as you would not get it if leaving before 12 months are up.
Not too sure if there is an additional penalty but I do not think so.

Thanks for replying. Unfortunately I'm all electric so can't take advantage of the duel fuel discounts. I'll check with the provider if there's a lock in time.

scotty1971

i switched from npower to eon,if i switched back would i be entitled to cashback via quidco?

onejontwo

Has anyone actually signed up for this?

mimo1

Npower are rotten to the core. I'd say it wasn't worth the small saving, because you will more than pay for it when you're with them, and when you leave them too. 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 Ecotricity, 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.