Is this right - advice please I'm confused!

WestieFan

I currently (I thought) get both gas and electricity from Scottish Power. Last night the meter reader arrived to take readings. Normal enough.

Then tonight, a guy comes to the door saying he's from the electricity company. I thought he was coming to take readings and told him the guy had been last night. He said it was him who had sent him. He had an NPower ID badge on and then went on to say that I was paying too much for my electricity. Right away, I assumed he was trying to get me to change suppliers but he said that Scottish Power only bill me but that I get my supply from NPower. He wanted to take a reading and I asked why, as he claimed he had sent the meter reader last night and could he not get the figures from him? He said it was to calculate how much I could save. I then told him it was inconvenient at the moment and to ask the person he 'sent' last night. He said that's a different office. He also asked how I pay my bills.

If what he said is correct, it's the first I knew of NPower being involved but he insisted that NPower were the suppliers and Scottish Power only bill me.

I am totally confused now. Has anybody any knowledge of how this works, or was he just trying in a sly way to get me to change supplier? Maybe I am overly suspicious as I was conned before by a person from Scottish Gas getting me to sign a form 'just to say I've been here' when in fact I was signing to authorise them to change my supply.

anniecave

Hi

I would check who are the registered suppliers of your electricity and gas: see

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=263104

I don't understand what the guy was talking about. As elec and gas are a two tier system, there is one company that distributes your elec and gas and your supplier (who bills you) is a different company. Complicated, but it doesn't matter in your case, you just need to know who your supplier is.

However if you are in glasgow then no way can npower be your distributor anyway so that doesn't make sense.

I'd find out who your supplier is and go from there. I suspect it may have been a dodgy salesman.

djohn2002uk

Dodgy salesman (on behalf of nPower) without any doubt.
If your bills come from Scottish Power and you're happy then have nothing to do with anyone calling at your door. When/if you think you need to change,you do it on your terms in your own way and NOT on the doorstep.

WestieFan

Thank you both for your replies.

I decided to phone Scottish Power today to ask if they knew anything about this and the person I spoke to said NPower had nothing to do with me and put a note on my account that I haven't authorised a change of supplier, just in case! I was also concerned as there are a lot of elderly and infirm people living in my street who may have been taken in by this guy.

He advised me to contact Energywatch, as the guy told me bare-faced lies and denied (twice) he was trying to get me to change supplier when I asked him outright.

dollarjon

this is a classic sales tactic used by door to door "representitives" they have a set target for the day and get a bonus per sign up. as long as you didnt sign anything you will be ok ask scottishpower manweb to put a stop on your account to stop n-power taking over your account if this rougue put your account through the system

saxonrosecliff

After what happened to my sister I would never let anyone from npower near my meters!

Someone from npower knocked on her door and said that they needed her supply number for their records. She let them in and they took the number. Some months later she started getting bills from npower and found that she had been transferred from Powergen to npower without her knowledge.

They regularly use this tactic when they knock on my door and when I refuse them entry they say that all my neighbours have given them the information!

My other sister works for British Gas and she says the only reason that npower would want to look at your meter is to get the supply number to transfer you and that they would forge you signature on the form that they fill in.