npower - underpaying for 18 months & not picked up

le_abbott

Hi,

I'm not sure if anyone can advise me but I've been having some issues with npower. When I moved into my house 18months ago, I switched over to npower. They put my estimated usage at £57 a month for gas and electricity. However, for the past 18 months they have only been taking £21. In summer, I gave a meter reading and my bill was £100 (give or take) and I assumed that they would adjust my payments. However, they didn't so when I entered my recent meter readings, I was shocked to see that my bill was over £400!

I phoned up and a man told me that it was npower's fault for not adjusting my payments automatically and that because it been going on for 18 months, I could have 18 months to pay it back. So now, my usage is at £60 (as it should have been for the last 18 months) and I have to repay about £30 a month, making my total bill for gas and electricity £89.

A colleague just said to me that if it's been happening for over 12 months, I don't have to pay. Does anyone know if this is correct? Should I complain? Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for any nuggets of information.

HappyMJ

le_abbott wrote: »

Hi,

I'm not sure if anyone can advise me but I've been having some issues with npower. When I moved into my house 18months ago, I switched over to npower. They put my estimated usage at £57 a month for gas and electricity. However, for the past 18 months they have only been taking £21. In summer, I gave a meter reading and my bill was £100 (give or take) and I assumed that they would adjust my payments. However, they didn't so when I entered my recent meter readings, I was shocked to see that my bill was over £400!

I phoned up and a man told me that it was npower's fault for not adjusting my payments automatically and that because it been going on for 18 months, I could have 18 months to pay it back. So now, my usage is at £60 (as it should have been for the last 18 months) and I have to repay about £30 a month, making my total bill for gas and electricity £89.

A colleague just said to me that if it's been happening for over 12 months, I don't have to pay. Does anyone know if this is correct? Should I complain? Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for any nuggets of information.

Basically...No. You knew about it and knowingly allowed an underpayment. The 12 months is for errors that you did not know about. You were billed £100 last summer and I'm sure you have paid more than £100 since then so the amount due would probably be the amount they are asking for anyway even if it was an error. If it was an error they can ask for 12 months of bills to be paid which in your case would be £720 but you only owe £400 so it's under 12 months.

jalexa

le_abbott wrote: »

A colleague just said to me that if it's been happening for over 12 months, I don't have to pay

Well I'm not sure that is totally true, though I know where your colleague is coming from. Neither do I totally agree with the previous posters's "Basically...No. You knew about it and knowingly allowed an underpayment." and..."The 12 months is for errors that you did not know about."

You have fulfilled *your* obligation by providing a reading, NPower's obligation was to correctly adjust the monthly payment.. *You* have no "control" over the timing or amount of a Direct Debit collection.

The 12 month backbilling rule states that where there is supplier error (unbilled) energy supplied more than 12 months prior cannot be charged for.

The real circumstances of the case are "they put my estimated usage at £57 a month for gas and electricity. However, for the past 18 months they have only been taking £21". That would suggest "supplier error" which (IMO) you are entitled to be compensated for beyond the "value" of the payment terms.

Up to you how you proceed on that. As a minimum you should ensure the issues are set down in a formal Complaint. And that NPower provides a satisfactory explanation and/or compensation.

nPower

Hi le_abbott

Would you like me to have a look into the questions you have raised here? If you can send me your account details to forumresponse@npower.com and I'll get onto it right away for you.

Best wishes

Sally