Is Npower ripping off a pensioner?

poetsofthefall

Hi there,

My mother who is 68 moved to a tiny 1 bedroom bungalow in September 2010. She has been with Npower for many years at her previous home and when she moved into her new home she renewed the gas/electric with Npower. She was paying about £80 per month combined at the old 2 bedroom house and when she moved they accessed that due to the size of the property she should be paying about £35 per month combined which is reasonable for the size of the bungalow. She recently had the boiler serviced and the meter read and the reading was double checked by me and they have said she is using far more than what she is paying for and are putting up her payments to £108 per month! She nearly had a heart attack at this price! She is on her own and living off a small pension! I really don't know how to help her, she called them up and they said it's correct and there is nothing they can do. There is no way she is using that sort of level, she hardly uses the heating, especially in the summer, she has an electric cooker which again she doesn't like to use. I don't know if the meter is faulty or not but I really don't know how to contest this for her. It's easy to switch providers but Npower will want the whole debit paid in full which she can't afford! Any help would be much appreciated!

kevin52

Have you had a bill. Can she confirm the reading was correct when she moved in. Are you disputing the calculations on the bill.

nPower

Hi poetsofthefall,

I'm concerned to hear about your mother's increase in monthly payments.

If you send the account details to forumresponse@npower.com, I could have a look into this for you to check it out?

Best wishes

Sally

System

Is the tiny 1 bedroomed bungalow properly insulated (walls and loft) ?

Grants may be available if the loft insulation needs to be improved.

Is it an old inefficient gas boiler in the 1 bedroomed bungalow ? (The gas boiler in the old house may have been newer and hence more efficient)

But, as kevin52 said in post #2, the first thing to check is that the meter readings are correct on the date she moved in and on the latest bill.

undaunted

Whilst they are not the most scrupulous of suppliers in my opinion (they did rip of customers to the tune of £70 million pounds & denied it for about 2 years before being forced by Consumer Focus to either reimburse or fight it out in Court) there doesn't appear to be anything in your post that supports the suggestion they are knowingly "ripping off a pensioner" to be fair.

If you genuinely believe the meter faulty you can ask for it to be checked. If it is found found faulty it would be replaced & her bills would be adjusted. If it were found not to be faulty however you are likely to be charged for that check.

I'm not sure what your Mums circumstances are but many suppliers (including Npower) offer a Social tarrif / Energy Trust grants & schemes for the elderly that you may want to look into (see their website here http://www.npower.com/spreading_warmth/Content/Homepage/index.htm )

chanz4

whats the tiny bungalow, I know one beds around where I live which are the size of a house else where. Best way to check the meter is take a reading the same time every day for a week.

bengasman

Personally, based on my experience I put energy suppliers in the same bracket as banks and insurers; they will stop at nothing to get as much money out of you as they legally can. They don't care if you are old or vulnerable in any other way either.

poetsofthefall

Hi Sally,

As you claim to be an Npower representitive I sent you an e-mail yesterday to which I await a reply.

Many thanks

nPower

Hello poetsofthefall,

I received your email yesterday and this is being looked into at the moment.

Someone will be in touch with you by phone or email as soon as possible.

Best wishes

Sally

gazjoneswales

bengasman wrote: »

Personally, based on my experience I put energy suppliers in the same bracket as banks and insurers; they will stop at nothing to get as much money out of you as they legally can. They don't care if you are old or vulnerable in any other way either.

And builders, garages and repair persons.

viv0147

Check out Staywarm with Eon! I am a pensioner and I live alone in a 1 bedroom flat, my payments have just gone up on my new contract to £78 a month for combined gas & electric, once the contract is agreed you can have your gas & electric on 24/7 and you don't pay anymore than agreed, but of course if it is abused the contract the following year would increase.