Doorstep Selling - NPower

backfoot

When we are treated to visits from NPower sales agents what tariff do they try and sell you?

Is it the cheapest rate available? i.e equivalent to the best online rate or something else.

Can the NPower Reps advise , please?

savemoney

Its cheapest tariff because they say so. I wouldnt personnel give any cold callers time of day

nPower

Hi backfoot

The sales advisor won't be able to compare our online tariffs for you as these are only available to online customers. They will however, be able to compare and tell you about any other tariffs and also advise you which tariff is best for your situation depending on how you'd like to pay your bills.

If you'd like to see our online tariffs, visit https://www.npower.com.

Best Wishes
Sally

MillicentBystander

So what's the point of them? Approx 70% of the GB public are on the net so you could say that at 7 out of 10 houses they visit they aren't going to give them even npower's cheapest tariff let alone the UKs.

rabbitmumu

MillicentBystander wrote: »

So what's the point of them? Approx 70% of the GB public are on the net so you could say that at 7 out of 10 houses they visit they aren't going to give them even npower's cheapest tariff let alone the UKs.

Exactly !! That's why you see them around ALL the time and EVERYWHERE!

samtheman1k

Because 70% of the public won't actually compare prices online...

cing0

MillicentBystander wrote: »

So what's the point of them? Approx 70% of the GB public are on the net so you could say that at 7 out of 10 houses they visit they aren't going to give them even npower's cheapest tariff let alone the UKs.

Because they sell to old people who are still in the Victorian mindset that espouses what anyone in authority says, must be correct.
That's why you don't see Sky sellers, Talktalk reps and energy floggers approaching young people.
Sorry for the rant but to answer the OP's original question, there are thousands of different prices for a kWh of energy and the prices offered by reps won't be the same week to week.

backfoot

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi backfoot

The sales advisor won't be able to compare our online tariffs for you as these are only available to online customers. They will however, be able to compare and tell you about any other tariffs and also advise you which tariff is best for your situation depending on how you'd like to pay your bills.

If you'd like to see our online tariffs, visit www.npower.com.

Best Wishes
Sally

So the whole process is disingenous. Your Company have an alternative product which is far cheaper than the ones which you tout at the door.At no stage do they point out that there is such a cheaper product.

Fundamentally, why with something like energy, do you have a differential rate for those who agree a contract online compared with someone phoning you or accepting a contract on the doorstep?

How have we ended up with such a system and why do you perpetuate it?

Why can't all customer's get a fair deal? Why is it that computer access is a determinant on price for an essential commodity.

Please don't answer because they all do.

MillicentBystander

backfoot wrote: »

So the whole process is disingenous. Your Company have an alternative product which is far cheaper than the ones which you tout at the door.At no stage do they point out that there is such a cheaper product.

Fundamentally, why with something like energy, do you have a differential rate for those who agree a contract online compared with someone phoning you or accepting a contract on the doorstep?

How have we ended up with such a system and why do perpetuate it?

Why can't all customer's get a fair deal? Why is it that computer access is a determinant on price for an essential commodity.

Please don't answer because they all do.

This is what privatisation has brought us. The whole industry is a scandal! The Big 6 need for there to be millions of customers paying over the odds so they can compete for savvy customers like us. Not content with leaving these less savvy punters on their standard rates with another company, they try and attract them to their crappy standard rate so that they can then subsidise their company's customer acquisition. And the whole things carries on...rotten to the core.

backfoot

MillicentBystander wrote: »

This is what privatisation has brought us. The whole industry is a scandal! The Big 6 need for there to be millions of customers paying over the odds so they can compete for savvy customers like us. Not content with leaving these less savvy punters on their standard rates with another company, they try and attract them to their crappy standard rate so that they can then subsidise their company's customer acquisition. And the whole things carries on...rotten to the core.

In hindsight I tend to agree.

I note the Npower Rep has not followed up my points above.

Why are there differential rates for online versus door to door sales?

I think by defintion, the doorstep seller cannot be offerring the best deal to anyone, so isn't their sales process fundamentally flawed?

Isn't it in breach of the Code of Practice by not highlighting there are cheaper alternatives.

macman

Because it's vastly cheaper to run accounts online-both to set up and administrate. The customer does most of the work, including the meter reading.
Same with direct debit-it's cheaper because the cost of collection is minimal compared to cheque/cash etc.
You could just as well turn it around and say 'why should online customers pay more because some people won't use online accounts or set up direct debits'?
It's not about internet access. The majority of customers, whether online or not, are still on the standard tariffs and may have never switched suppliers at all. It's more about apathy.