Npower and Energy Ombudsman

huski

I have been browsing this board and I see that a lot of posts here relate to Npower. I've been fighting with that institution since June last year and recently sent a complaint to Energy Ombudsman. The complaint originally refers to the amount that was charged in error for utilities used in a property that I have vacated roughly 9 months ago. The amount was then refunded to me and then added again to another bill. In a word, Npower claimed back its own refund.

As I know that some people here have experience in dealing with Energy Ombudsman. I wanted to ask how their complaints procedure usually works. Following the advice that I received from Consumer Direct employee, I have sent formal complaint form and dozens of documents and letters that I have exchanged with Npower to Energy Ombudsman enquiry email address. Energy Ombudsman accepted my complaint and sent me a form to sign in order to start the investigation. Today, I have received a phone call from a member of Npower Executive Complaints Team. The lady stated that they have issued the refund in error made some other mistakes concerning my bills from my previous property and the outcome is that I owe them £300 pounds :j Funny. I would like to ask two questions:

1. Is it a normal procedure? The Energy Ombudsman's website says that they will let me know about the outcome of investigation. I was expected to be contacted by the Energy Ombudsman not by Npower employee? I have really bad experience with that company and I feel that they are trying to do something behind my back, again.
   
2. Shall let the Energy Ombudsman that I was contacted by Npower?

Kind regards

nPower

Hi huski

If you submit a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman, we will notified and asked to fully investigate.

If we think that your complaint can be resolved within npower (without the Energy Ombudsman needing to investigate), we may be given the opportunity to do this and we will contact you. We will then contact the Ombudsman to check if they are satisfied with our preliminary solution.

If the Ombudsman is happy with our resolution, you will have the option to accept it or to further the complaint with them. If you decide to switch switch suppliers, this shouldn't affect the complaint handling process.

For more information, please see http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/3-31-making_a_complaint_to_energy_ombudsman.php

I hope this helps.

Best Wishes
Sally

backfoot

I don't have any direct experience of the Energy Ombudsman although I did use the Financial Ombudsman in a case with Nationwide B.S.

I found the whole process excellent and it concentrated the mind of Nationwide very quickly. Before that, they had been completely unable to take the complaint seriously or even respond consistently or in a reasoned manner.

I was invited to talk with a Senior Complaints Manager of Nationwide specialising in such cases and we finally made progress and I was compensated fully and fairly.

Regarding Npower, I have had a number of run ins with them. I have dealt with the Executive Complaints Team and the people I dealt with there were pretty good and resolution reached although it was hard work.

It is up to you, but if you are confident of your case,I can't see it hurts to try and get your side of the case over to someone who should be trying to resolve it before adjudication.

huski

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

If the Ombudsman is happy with our resolution, you will have the option to accept it or to further the complaint with them. If you decide to switch switch suppliers, this shouldn't affect the complaint handling process.

Thanks for your reply. I have browsed the Energy Ombudsman website and that is why I got confused. I was expecting to find out the outcomes of investigation and be contacted by the Ombudsman not by Npower. After having Npower employees admitting that they have made mistakes on few occasions exchanging dozens of letters with different departments and making phone calls I simply lost trust in that company. I want someone impartial and independent to tell me what actually is going on.

No to mention that all of that is a far from Billing Code as possible.

undaunted

Once you've submitted complaint forms etc, they've contacted Npower etc the ombudsmans office will produce a preliminary conclusion, which they will send to you in writing.

You (and Npower) will then have an opportunity to accept that or make any further representations and ask that it goes forward to the Ombudsman.

A final decision will then be issued which Npower are bound by regardless of whether they agree or not. You however may choose not to accept it & pursue the dispute by other means (eg the courts) should you so wish.

Given that you've been arguing since last June I would suggest you've given Npowers complaints team more than long enough to sort this out.

huski

Thanks for your reply, Undaunted. I find it really helpful. I'm simply tired with that situation and I'll be looking to close my account with Npower once the bills are sorted. If the Ombudsman is going to say that I owe some money to Npower than I have no problem with paying that but I want to hear it from them not from Npower. I simply have no trust in those people any more.