NPOWER sign On Line 19 -a few questions??

nm411206

Hi there,

I was hoping someone may be able to help as I don't seem to be able to get any sense out of the npower sales team or customer service when i've rang in. I too have been just been hit with the EDF letter which will align my online 5 deal with their more expensive standard rate so now it's time to switch!!

All comparisson sites are suggesting that the npower SOL v19 will be the cheapest dual fuel for me and the prices definately look the best. However closer examination reveals that the 2 tier pricing (that most providers use) for the gas tariff is seasonally loaded and not evenly spread across the whole year. This is making the comparison not as straight forward as it initially seemed. All the sites are saying this is the cheapest deal for me but could this aspect be distorting the true picture.

From what i can see, in the summer months, when you use hardly any gas your higher tier prices is reduced down to 46 units but in the winter you pay loads more units at the higher cost (826) before you pay the lower rate. Is this actually a good deal or will my bills rocket in Winter??

Also, from what I have learnt talking to the telephone reps, you have to pay monthly by DD on the tariff. This is fine as i do anyway, but I've been told that you get your statements and your meter readings work on a 6 monthly basis so how can they accurately work out what you've used in which month?

Should I go for this deal from npower which seems a risk or should i go for Scottish Power online energy saver 10 which is a little bit dearer on the electricity, but much easier to compare as it's like with like?

Any advice from someone who knows would be appreciated as I can't seem to get the same answer from more than one rep at npower which probably says something in itself!!

Thanks in advance.

KimYeovil

Technically, (and ignoring their previous shenanigans), you are less likely to pay 'extra' with nPower's seasonal weighting - you are more likely to pay more tier 1 units with Scottish Power's flat weighting.

Most people will use more than 46 kWhs in a summer month (eg hot water from a gas combi) and a very few will use less than 888 kWhs over a winter month. So low consumers can save tier 1 units over summer.

But with Scottish Power you pay 225kWh every month at tier 1 - so all your summer units will be tier 1.

Of course, in practice, this will not matter - BECAUSE npower charge you THREE times as much for these (£200 vs £70). And, as you realised, you are subject to their estimates in critical autumn and spring months.

nm411206

Thanks for that Kim... could you elaborate thelast paragraph though, didn't quite get what you meant.
The npower gas is 4.585 tier 1 dropping to 2.784 which seems pretty cheap to me.
Also when they work out your bill do they just add up your full 6 month usage when you give them the reading and then add up your whole 6 months tier 1 allocation and charge accordinglyand the rest at tier 2 rate. If this is the case then seasonal allocations seem somewhat irrelevant!?
Thanks again.:)

InfoJester

KimYeovil wrote: »

And, as you realised, you are subject to their estimates in critical autumn and spring months.

Of cource with the online deals you can always submit your own meter readings to avoid the estimates.

@nm411206 I'm now moving to npower too so I don't know for sure but with E.ON (who I'm moving from) they just keep taking your DDs and putting them on credit, then when they make up your bill (quaterly for me) they take your bill out of the credit you've built up. It works ok as a system.

But you've got a point there, not so much about when they bill you but when they estimate and how the model they estimate with matches up to your usage. If for instance your usage had you using less in the summer and more in the winter than their model surely it would pay to try and move some of that winter usage into the summer. Now it seems to me that could perhaps be done by submitting your own accurate readings in autumn as soon as you cross into a differently priced month but then not give them any reading in the spring and allow the model to get it slightly wrong. Is this right? Perhaps I'm missing something, or perhaps that's just deceitful.

Here's the table in question in case anyone is interested.

Months - Maximum primary units per month
Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb - 882
March - 272
April, Oct - 271
May, June, July, Aug, Sept - 46
Annual total - 4572

KimYeovil

KimYeovil wrote: »

Of course, in practice, this will not matter - BECAUSE npower charge you THREE times as much for these (£200 vs £70). And, as you realised, you are subject to their estimates in critical autumn and spring months.

nm411206 wrote: »

Thanks for that Kim... could you elaborate thelast paragraph though, didn't quite get what you meant.

Max number of units charged at tier 1 per annum multiplied by the difference in price between tier 1 and tier 2 units - this comes to £200 for nPower but £70 for Scottish Power.

(And, InfoJester, I meant the way they distribute that online reading would be estimated.)

2010

AFAIK all these sign-online tariffs only last for a certain period of time and then you`re automatically put on another tariff which is obviously not so favourable.
The other thing to remember is if you don`t stay with Npower for 13 months you don`t get your £105 duel fuel discount.

As someone as already pointed out the primary units are rigged for your heaviest period.

nm411206

Does this mean that fundamentally these comparisson sites are not sophisticated enouth to give you an accurate answer?? All of the recommended ones told me npower SOL19 is the cheapest option and Scottish Power were 2nd cheapest.

Regarding the bonus with npower.... if you get it on the 13th month I presuming your paying more expensive rates throughout the year and then the bonus will help for the next year. Can you cash it in if you want or even decide to leave aftertheir minimum requirement?

Thanks again for everyones responses.

KimYeovil

If your consumption is so low that it would matter then the issue is moot - the £105 annual only bonus is too big a gamble in relation to your consumption to risk being hit with a big price change and not being free to move. That is, if your average payment is £75 per month you can risk writing off £8.75 per month or sticking it out for your bonus. But if your monthly useage is £20 but you pay £11.25 with bonus then that it too big a proportion to shrug your shoulders over - you are tied in for the twelve months.

As to the second point, nPower have started to say that your starting payments will be estimated to include the discount. If you stay twelve months and pay by direct debit then all is well. If you leave early, then rather than not get the discount you will have the discount already paid out in monthly instalments taken off and added to your final bill.

Premier_2

nm411206 wrote: »

Does this mean that fundamentally these comparisson sites are not sophisticated enouth to give you an accurate answer?? ...

The comparison sites give an accurate answer based on the information asked for/provided.

They don't ask for a day by day consumption profile, but simply the annual usage and provide an accurate answer based on that annual usage ... albeit worst case scenario (in effect they assume you use an equal amount of energy every day) where they consider maxi

If your usage profile is particularly skewed (e.g. you only use gas in the winter quarter and none the rest of the year), then you may end up with slightly different annual costs than the comparison site suggests (particularly if the supplier does not operate a sculpting profile). This obviously only applies on 2 tier tariffs - any tariffs that only have a single tier charge (usually with a daily standing charge) will not be affected.

InfoJester

KimYeovil wrote: »

(And, InfoJester, I meant the way they distribute that online reading would be estimated.)

? I don't understand, surely you give them a date and a reading and that's it, no estimate needed and no distribution. That's what E.ON seem to do anyway ?

Disbeliever

nm411206 wrote: »

Hi there,

I was hoping someone may be able to help as I don't seem to be able to get any sense out of the npower sales team or customer service when i've rang in. I too have been just been hit with the EDF letter which will align my online 5 deal with their more expensive standard rate so now it's time to switch!!

All comparisson sites are suggesting that the npower SOL v19 will be the cheapest dual fuel for me and the prices definately look the best. However closer examination reveals that the 2 tier pricing (that most providers use) for the gas tariff is seasonally loaded and not evenly spread across the whole year. This is making the comparison not as straight forward as it initially seemed. All the sites are saying this is the cheapest deal for me but could this aspect be distorting the true picture.

From what i can see, in the summer months, when you use hardly any gas your higher tier prices is reduced down to 46 units but in the winter you pay loads more units at the higher cost (826) before you pay the lower rate. Is this actually a good deal or will my bills rocket in Winter??

Also, from what I have learnt talking to the telephone reps, you have to pay monthly by DD on the tariff. This is fine as i do anyway, but I've been told that you get your statements and your meter readings work on a 6 monthly basis so how can they accurately work out what you've used in which month?

Should I go for this deal from npower which seems a risk or should i go for Scottish Power online energy saver 10 which is a little bit dearer on the electricity, but much easier to compare as it's like with like?

Any advice from someone who knows would be appreciated as I can't seem to get the same answer from more than one rep at npower which probably says something in itself!!

Thanks in advance.

They are all crooks impossible to compare prices our stupid rotten to the core Governments should make the Companies use the same method for pricing. My Npower online V19 bill has just been increased by 50% and after 6 months use they are asking for another ££250.