N Power

VenesaCoodien

Hi, i need some advise. I have been in a dispute with N Power now for nearly 2 years. Its getting ridiculous. TO try and cut a long story short, we basically had previously been supplied our Gas and Electric from Scottish power.

Upon receiving the bills every month and it increasing dramatically we decided to investigate. Turns out they had the incorrect meter number on our account. When we tried to leave them it looked like they owed us which was fab.

But due to the meter number being incorrect we actually owed them around £500 to £600. After admitting the fault and accepting liability they had arranged a repayment plan and let us leave them.

Which is when the fun really starts.

We moved to N Power because of the above and they had been informed by us about the meter number being incorrect. They were also informed by Scottish power, and the ombudsman about this upon us joining.

A few months down the line and they have done exactly the same. Despite a number of phone calls they still had not correct it. They kept using estimated readings and not sure why as a gas man had come to read the meter, we had called them up with correct meter readings and the bills were just getting silly.

Upon further investigation not only did they still have the incorrect meter number but decided to split our payment without our consent and was only putting £3 a month on gas and the rest on the electric.

As a result a massive bill has incurred and they then demanded final payment within two weeks of realising the mistake. So no chance to find out what happened. We have stopped all payments with them until this has been resolved but the Ombudsman were useless, they had not looked into this at all and have pretty much left it N Powers hands.
Now all I want to do is set up a repayment plan for the debt which is now at £1800 odd and have offered £40 a month plus the right to leave them as we no longer want to be supplied by them.

They have said that this can’t be done and are asking for £75 minimum which we cannot afford. Naturally when we leave we will have another gas bill to pay.

This is all down to them and they have no reason they should have made this mistake. I have a number of letters from Scottish power, correspondence from me about this as proof yet they still won’t take full responsibility of this mistake and threatening us with a repayment meter to clear the debt.

I have so much proof its untrue. The letters I have received from them breach some of their own terms and conditions. They haven’t even followed their own complaints procedure properly. I have put in a final offer of £40 a month but now thinking shall I let them take me to court so I can prove my case?

To date not one person in N Power had apologised, or admitted their mistake or even answered my initial question of why they had the incorrect meter number on record when they had clearly been informed by 3 parties.

I am stuck, please help!

undaunted

If your meter is internal they will need a warrant to gain entry & fit it so personally I'd let them go to court & apply & then contest it. If it's outside then you may find it more difficult to stop.

You could possibly try Consumer Focus & ask whether they can help you, especially if you can prove that Npower have known all along that there was a problem with the meter number & failed to accurately bill you, have failed to consider affordability in their repayment proposals etc.

They will no doubt object to you transferring anywhere else at the moment due to the claimed debt & unless anyone successfully challenges that procedure in the courts you will get no help from anywhere in fighting it I'm afraid.

I would perhaps try writing back to The Energy Ombudsman in the meantime though wouldn't necessarily hold my breath on their help & certainly wouldn't do so whilst waiting for Npower to acknowledge any failings - that's about as likely as you seeing a flying pig


I'm sorry I can't offer you anything more promising right now. Good luck

dogshome

Hi VenesaCoodien - It would seem that this assignment of a 'wrong' meter your your address, is actually an error on the national data base, BUT, n'power having been advised of the problem from Day1, should have gone thro' the process of sorting it out, which clearly they have not done.

So far as the Ombudsman is concerned bear in mind that this office is not a State Agency, it is funded by the Industry and it does not report consumer problems to Ofgem, the Industry Regulator.

Your best bet is Consumer Focus, who are a State body and have already taken n'power apart this year on another matter