NPower Madness

oli4uk

I have just received a bill from NPower for over £1500, for a flat I moved out of a year ago.

There are however some rather strange anomalies.

Collection Department has my account closed 31st July 09
nPower Accounts - Did not seem entirely sure said July 31st but had no letter or record for this date. Also had a record of me ringing in both March and April (I Wonder what those phone calls were for!)
Actual Leaving Date - 31st March, confirmed on phone and by post.

Collections Department - No Readings
nPower - No readings - Yet then the guy at nPower said that the readings were all over the place. Then mentioned the January readings, then again confirmed that there were no readings.
Actual readings, once when I moved in, about 6 months later over the phone. A guy also came to the door to take the readings during this time, around June/July, and in January 09

When I asked how each month was broken down in to money owed, especially in the months I was not there
Collections - ask nPower
Npower - We can't tell you because we have no readings (To which I asked, then how have you calculated the money owed) The response to the question was 'I don't know'

When I asked which meter reading had been used to calculate the money I owed, the response was - I Don't Know


Collections department told me to send proof of leaving the property to
npower blended services
ground floor tees house
traynor way
peterlee
county durham
SR8 8RU

nPower department told me to send proof of leaving the property to
Npower Limited
Corespondence department
PO BOX 93
Peterlee
SR8 2XX

(Also said the other address is really old)

What I want to know is

How are nPower calculating the owed amount especially when they first claim no meter readings, then one meter reading, then say the meter readings were all over the place?
Why do nPower have so much conflicting information?
How can nPower double the electricity payments for bills over a year old, when they only seem to have a reading when it pleases them?
Why is this sudden increase (On top of my normal payments) Double what we had been paying at the same property, with the same people, for five years?

Premier_2

Ask for a copy of the bill(s) that create the claimed debt if you don't already have them.

That will have the meter number on informing you which meter is being read. What is probably more important is whether those bills are based on actual or estimated readings.

If you still don't get any joy, you should follow the nPower complaints procedure
http://www.npower.com/idc/groups/wcms_content/@wcms/@busi/documents/digitalassets/puttingthingsright100108.pdf

Best of luck, as nPower will even contradict themselves in answers provided in writing (and acknowledge that previous answers in writing gave what they now claim to be wrong advice)
nPower haven't gained the reputaion of having probably the poorest customer service out of the big 6 without reason!

oli4uk

Premier wrote: »

Ask for a copy of the bill(s) that create the claimed debt if you don't already have them.

That will have the meter number on informing you which meter is being read. What is probably more important is whether those bills are based on actual or estimated readings.

The bills were from estimated readings, however with at least 4 readings to my knowledge, I would have thought the estimates would have been a bit more on the mark, and that they would have been able to tell me about increases a mite sooner than a year later.

oli4uk

I have also requested the bills though, and asked them to confirm the meter used. This is just really annoying, when they get proof of my move out date it will hopefully knock the bill down by quite a lot, and then I have to hope that my old flat mates will be willing to split the cost a year after moving out (Unlikely to say the least)

oli4uk

I will take a good look at that complaints guide, I would be happier if they could just give me some definitive answers, how am I meant to trust their inconclusive customer service response on meter readings when they cannot even get their own address right?

hippyadam

oli4uk wrote: »

I will take a good look at that complaints guide, I would be happier if they could just give me some definitive answers, how am I meant to trust their inconclusive customer service response on meter readings when they cannot even get their own address right?

You can't trust Npower, their accounts department, managers, phone monkeys or anyone else! Frankly the "service" they provide is laughable.

In my experience, no one at Npower will do anything other than claim it's normal, acceptable or just plain "not my job". I've a file of correspondence with them over a £200 amount that they just keep sending to DCA's despite not having replied to my last letter...

I feel for your coming pain, honestly... :eek: