N power charging us to stay with them

escortg3

Hi i wonder whether this is the norm.

My daughter has always been with N Power, she has recently moved house.

She phoned N Power to inform them and they said that was fine. Then out of the blue she gets a letter saying in order for her to stay with N Power she needs to pay £42.50 (roughly cant remember) for them to change her meters. Surely this cant be right.

She is a single mum and now has to find the money to either pay money owed from previous address on key meter(how this happens in really strange, thought you paid for what you used) £125.00 or pay the £42.50 to swap meters

Has any one else come across this please

eurmalian

Does the letter actually state she has to pay that to stay with nPower? As I've never heard of anything like that, but if it just says to change the meters then I would understand it. Some companies (I have no idea if nPower is one) will charge to change meters from prepayment to billing (not sure if any do the other way arround). So if she asked them for a different sort of meter then that could be what the letter is about...

Also, if there's a bill from prepayment meters at the last address then she should really contact them to query it, as unless she was paying off a debt on the meter or was on some sort of fixed term contract then that really shouldn't happen.

escortg3

eurmalian wrote: »

Does the letter actually state she has to pay that to stay with nPower? As I've never heard of anything like that, but if it just says to change the meters then I would understand it. Some companies (I have no idea if nPower is one) will charge to change meters from prepayment to billing (not sure if any do the other way arround). So if she asked them for a different sort of meter then that could be what the letter is about...

Also, if there's a bill from prepayment meters at the last address then she should really contact them to query it, as unless she was paying off a debt on the meter or was on some sort of fixed term contract then that really shouldn't happen.

The letter states that if she wants N Power to continue her supply at the new address then she needs to pay to have new smart meters installed. Currently there are pre payment card meters installed. (This is what she had at previous address). When she spoke to them all they said was they are no longer doing the cards so needs a new meter. But she had cards at previous address anyway.

Regarding the debt from the previous address. When my daughter moved in there were already pre-payment card meters at the property. We gave all meter readings etc when we moved in and the meter showed no debt when she left. I will have to get her to find out where the debt is from.

nPower

Hi escortg3

Having your meter changed from prepayment to credit can be chargeable but not to have a new prepayment meter installed?

I would like to opportunity to look into this for your daughter. Please can you send her address and account details to [EMAIL="forumresponse@npower.com"]forumresponse@npower.com[/EMAIL].

Thanks
Sally at npower

escortg3

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi escortg3

Having your meter changed from prepayment to credit can be chargeable but not to have a new prepayment meter installed?

I would like to opportunity to look into this for your daughter. Please can you send her address and account details to [EMAIL="forumresponse@npower.com"]forumresponse@npower.com[/EMAIL].

Thanks
Sally at npower

i am afraid i cant use the link to reply as i dont have windows live mail. We have an old computer and it dont work. Iwas going to private message you but you dont have that facility

vuvuzela

escortg3 wrote: »

i am afraid i cant use the link to reply as i dont have windows live mail. We have an old computer and it dont work. Iwas going to private message you but you dont have that facility

You don't need to have Windows Live Mail. I assume you have an email account that you use - just copy and paste the email address in to there.

undaunted

If Npower don't want her business why not go elsewhere?

As to any debt she has I assume from your concern that she can't afford to pay it. She could therefore simply make a reasonable offer of payment (eg to pay it over the same period it accrued, at Fuel Direct rates if on benefits etc.

If Npower don't supply her what are they going to do but accept a reasonable offer? (the Courts wouldn't give them any better than that!)

escortg3

UPDATE:

N Power have finally phoned back today. They have now amazingly agreed to send her prepayment cards for the meters currently in situ at the address, even though they said originally that the reason for needing new meters was that they were not doing cards any more.

Amazing really, they apparently wanted to charge her as someone had put her down as a new customer. When she explained to them that she had been with them three years the problem has now been resolved.