Npower - Bad customer services

MarkE1984

I have had a bad experience with npower, I was wondering if anyone else was having problems with them?

I switched provider (from npower to british gas) around a month ago, and I have rang them up on numerous occassions to pay off my gas + elec final bills. I paid off my electric on 25/Nov/2010, then had a letter from them on 14/Dec/2010 (which i didnt receieve till around the 20/Dec/2010) stating that i still owe them money for the electric and i had to pay within 7 days. I havent been able to contact them over the Christmas period, for various reasons.

I was wondering if this would go against my credit rating, I have paid of the electricity bill (as far as im concerned, and as far as the npower customer services rep was concerned on 25/Nov/2010).

I have also tried to pay of my final gas bill, however whenever i ring them they say that they are still processing it, I switched gas and elec at the same time, how is the gas taking twice as long as the electric to process.

DVardysShadow

As far as the electricity bill is concerned, does the final reading on your latest bill agree with your meter reading?

PNPSUKNET

Has the other supplier given npower the gas final read? Gas and electric I believe go through different flow companys so can take longer.

MarkE1984

Ah i see, maybe that is why, will ring them tomorrow if they are open.

undaunted

Many people have problems with Npower, they have a consistent reputation for offering the worst service in the industry! Eg see

M.S.E / Consumer Focus - bottom of the table!
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2010/12/which-energy-firms-have-the-worst-customer-service

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/news/consumer-focus-helps-consumers-by-publishing-energy-complaints-data

Which? - bottom of the table!
http://www.which.co.uk/switch/energy-advice/customer-satisfaction-survey-results

Uswitch - bottom of the table!
http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/customer-satisfaction-survey/


You can no doubt see the pattern, but will probably find more from others on thenet should you wish to look. I've yet to see a good result about this dreadful company

rabbitmumu

I was on the same boat as you. It takes a while for British Gas to provide the readings to NPower - but my advice is don't trust either side! Just keep calling every couple of days after say a month to 6 weeks following your switch to ensure both sides have the correct final reading details.

Don't worry about credit ratings. Npower didn't believe in my final gas reading (something to do with British Gas also estimating my usage as for some reason my gas and electricity were transferred at different dates but I was only told to submit my readings for 1 day) and insisted my gas reading was too low.

I told British Gas to liaise with Npower but it appears both sides say it's not their fault. Anyway Npower refused to send someone to read my gas meter either so they kept sending me FiNAL Reminders, threat of bailiff, court orders etc etc.. but at the same time, I also received their standard apologies letters saying they would look into my account and resolve something for me.

After 3 months and 10 phone calls, I had enough and threaten to complain Npower to watchdog and Ofgem. Then they eventually said "they're doing me a favour and we will write off that £20 for me - it's not worth perusing further".... they went through all these threatening letters for £20 simply because "I didn't spend enough gas during Spring"!!!!!!

MarkE1984

Thanks for the advice, I have called them over the last 2 days, It seems that I did owe them £37, something to do with a previous direct debit that had failed, although i still dont know why they didnt tell me this in November when I tried to pay off the final bill. I recieved a notice from a debt collection agency today, although I have now paid the £37. I really hope this doesnt go against my credit rating. Any ideas if it will? I spoke to nPower and the lady said that it wouldnt, but im not convinced.

As for the gas, they said they were waiting for British Gas to give them a meter reading, I rang British Gas who said they will contact nPower with the reading. Hopefully all will be resolved soon.

Thanks everyone for posting, you have been very helpful.

PNPSUKNET

no wont go against your rating as I dont believe they report as yet, unless taken to court. Thought it would be about the delay, to answer the other posters question about why a supplier does not read a meter once its moved from thm, its no longer their job to and they can only go off what the new supplier starts on. The gaining supplier always provides the reads.

rabbitmumu

MarkE1984 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, I have called them over the last 2 days, It seems that I did owe them £37, something to do with a previous direct debit that had failed, although i still dont know why they didnt tell me this in November when I tried to pay off the final bill. I recieved a notice from a debt collection agency today, although I have now paid the £37. I really hope this doesnt go against my credit rating. Any ideas if it will? I spoke to nPower and the lady said that it wouldnt, but im not convinced.

As for the gas, they said they were waiting for British Gas to give them a meter reading, I rang British Gas who said they will contact nPower with the reading. Hopefully all will be resolved soon.

Thanks everyone for posting, you have been very helpful.

I doubt it will affect your credit ratings. But one thing you can do is to phone them and complain about receiving those debt collection letters. This doesn't actually help anything but you will receive a standard apologies letter. Worst come to worst you can have this letter as "evidence"! I had 6 of them...!!