Bloomin NPower!!!

Frith

Grrr.

Last July, NPower decided my next door neighbour's meter was installed in my house. So I started getting absolutely massive bills! Before I realised what was happening, I swapped to British Gas.

I waited MONTHS for a final bill from NPower and when it arrived, the meter readings on it were higher than they were in real life (like thousands of units higher) and that is when I phoned and NPower realised what they had done.

Cue at least 5 phone calls and NPower said they owed me about £250 in overpayments. Then I got 3 more final demands for huge bills (on next door's figures again). Then I got 2 letters saying "We are very glad your complaint has been dealt with" :mad::mad::mad:

Today I checked my bank on the internet and last Thursday, EIGHT MONTHS after I left NPower, they took........ TWELVE HUNDRED POUNDS out of my bank account! £1200 is far more even than the false bill for next door, even that was only £500 or so!

They did put the £1200 back in my bank but I went overdrawn for 2 days so will doubtless get charges. I just don't know what to do now. I thought it was all sorted but no cheque has come for my overpayment and they've just made things worse.

Talldave

First, cancel all direct debit mandates for npower on yoru account.

Give them a deadline by which time if they haven't sorted out their own incompetence tell them that you're going to the regulator.

It's the only way to deal with the pure unadulterated incompetence that permeates every level of npower. It took them a year to agree that my replacement electricity meter didn't start at zero - but only when threatened with the regulator.

Once I moved suppliers, it took them many more weeks to organise a refund.

Daily phonecalls asking for an update on their progress in the last 24 hours also helps.

If they won't refund the bank charges incurred, sue them!!

Frith

Thanks, TallDave. Have now cancelled the dd and found an old one for TalkTalk so have cancelled that too!

I wonder if I should just go to the regulator anyway?

lemontart

ACEY wrote: »

Thanks, TallDave. Have now cancelled the dd and found an old one for TalkTalk so have cancelled that too!

I wonder if I should just go to the regulator anyway?

yes go to the regulator the more people report these errors the more likely they will get hit in the pocket which is sadly the only way they appear to address the problems

DVardysShadow

ACEY wrote: »

Thanks, TallDave. Have now cancelled the dd and found an old one for TalkTalk so have cancelled that too!

I wonder if I should just go to the regulator anyway?

yes, without a doubt. Actually, the regulators are part of the problem, because they don't regulate. But nPower having their fingers into your Bank Account for £1200 is totally unacceptable. Work out what your costs are and put them on short notice you are going to take them to the small claims court.

Frith

I guess my bank charges will come to £35. I don't know whether to mention all the phone calls to them. 2 of them went on for so long (with me on hold) that my cordless phone ran out of battery so nearly an hour!

L

Talldave

I'd be tempted to threaten them with the regulator and small claims court and see what happens. At the moment you're only dealing with one organisation, you could suddenly be dealing with three - so it's more aggro that's always nice to avoid.

If you do have to proceed down the court action path for costs, I'd add the cost of all 'phone calls and your time at £10-£20 an hour.

Frith

I've looked "the regulator" up on the net but who exactly are they?? I've looked up Ofgen but they say they don't deal with complaints (????)

L

Frith

Something like this.....
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

On 5th September 2009, I changed electricity suppliers from NPower to British Gas. Since then, I have been waiting to be reimbursed for overpayments I made to NPower. I believe I overpaid by £247.11 and had a letter from NPower on 15th March 2010 to this effect.
Unfortunately, last year NPower started using meter readings from the cottage next door (number X) and billing me for these readings. I have received several “final reminders” for next door’s electricity bill despite phoning NPower on 5 separate occasions. Two of these phone calls lasted for over an hour. For your reference, the bill total for X, The XXXX is £534.58.
Finally, on 1st April, NPower took £1158.05 by direct debit from my current account, despite my no longer being a customer. This caused me to go overdrawn so I shall be charged not only an overdraft fee but also a returned direct debit charge.
Therefore, within the next 10 days I require:
1) £247.11 for the overpayments I made.
2) Compensation for the numerous very long phone calls I have had to make to NPower.
3) An unpaid direct debit charge of £30 and an overdraft charge of £35.
4) Any compensation Npower sees fit for the time and upset caused.
If I do not hear from you within 10 days, I shall have to escalate my complaint to Ofgen and through the small claims court.

its-not-me

You need to contact the Energy Ombudsman. I am having issues with NPower and was getting no where with the call centre. One call to the EO, and a call ref later NPower are suddenly taking the issue seriously and actually contacting me!!!!

My issue sound quite similar to yours, but at least I cancelled the direct debit first.

Can't remember the EO phone number, just google it like I did

Hope it helps

:beer:

Frith

Thanks for that.

Been out all day (doing 2 castles with my sons) and got back just now to hear an anxious answering machine message from NPower asking me to phone back within 24 hours!

Like a wally, I pressed "3" instead of 2 on the phone and wiped the message off! Still, it was their complaints department so I'm sure I'll be able to get back to them tomorrow....

L