Npower changed my tariff

psyjrobe

At the end of the summer I switched from British Gas to Npower after finding the best deal on Uswitch. I signed up for the Sign online 23 tariff with fees of approx 30p daily standing charge, 11p for subsequent day use and 4.5p for the night rate (I have economy 7).

However, I've just received a bill for this quarter which is massive and we've only been using the heating towards the end of November. The usage isn't out of the ordinary but I'm being charged a lot for my units. I've been billed 38.2p for the standing charge, 24.7p for subsequent day use and 9.3p for the night rate. Clearly this is a LOT more than the charges I originally thought I would have. Even after deducting the payments I've already made by debt is still £155 and we're only just going into proper winter.

Apparently Npower were not able to put me on the Sign online tariff because I don't have the right metre (???) so they switched me over to their Economy 10 tariff with more expensive rates. Do I have a leg to stand on? I'm told I would have received a letter about the new tariff but I'm not sure I did.

A.) I'm not sure why they couldn't put me on the sign online tarfiff in the first place - it quotes a nightly rate and I have an economy 7 metre. B.) If they had to switch my tariff I feel I should have been required to opt in and give formal consent as a new customer and c.) Did they find their most expensive tariff to switch me over to! I wouldn't mind a few extra pence but the difference in price is HUGE!

Any tips for complaining? I've already started the process of switching but this will take about 6 weeks and I'm scared to put the heating on!

HappyMJ

You need to sort this with Npower. Simply leaving won't resolve it. Npower SOL23 is a cheap tariff so try and get on it and get Npower to backdate it to summer. Do you really have an E7 meter? Do you get 7 hours of night rate and get an afternoon boost of heating?

psyjrobe

I'm planning to call Npower on Monday but I like to go in knowing what my rights are / what my chances are of getting a result.

I'm pretty sure we have a economy 7 metre. We have a separate reading for the night and one for the day. Plus our boiler comes on automatically from about 1am until 7am to heat the water. This is why their claim that we don't have the 'right kind of metre' has confused me. In fact, how do they even know what metre I have given that they are yet to come and take a reading?

Not sure what you mean by an 'afternoon boost of heating' though. We don't have storage heaters just normal electric ones that we use on a timer.

Airmike23

A true economy 10 meter usually has 2 supply numbers, altho only 1 meter, whereas some economy 7 meters have an extended time sitch, 10 hours in total iu.e 9pm-7am npower should be able to confirm which, if just a single supply economy 7 meter with extended night switch for 10 hours, should not be a prob, but if 2 supply numbers then you won get sol23.

P4ula

psyjrobe wrote: »

I'm pretty sure we have a economy 7 metre. We have a separate reading for the night and one for the day. Plus our boiler comes on automatically from about 1am until 7am to heat the water. This is why their claim that we don't have the 'right kind of metre' has confused me. In fact, how do they even know what metre I have given that they are yet to come and take a reading?

Not sure what you mean by an 'afternoon boost of heating' though. We don't have storage heaters just normal electric ones that we use on a timer.

Hi,

I have 'Economy 7' with N-Power as where I live there is no gas etc. I have storage heaters fitted.

The storage heaters come on overnight (the hot water tank also heats up overnight). In an afternoon, the storage heaters also come back on for a couple of hours to 'boost' the heat stored in them - this is the 'Afternoon Boost'.

My meter has the capacity for 4 readings, but only 3 are in use.

1. Day Electricity usage (which doesn't include the storage heating afternoon boost) - 23.12p per unit with 13.77p for any usage over 728 kh/h per year)

2. Night time 'off peak' electricity usage (excluding storage heating) - 5.15p per unit

3. Not used

4. Heating (includes the overnight storage heating and 'Afternoon Boost') - 5.19p per unit.

So as you can see all my heating (including afternoon boost is at a cheap rate). The afternoon boost recharges the storage heating quite a bit so no additional heating is needed in the evening. I also try to set my washing machine going, shower etc very early on a morning before the night 'off peak' rate ends to keep costs down.


Now, for example, my neighbour also has storage heating and 'Economy 7' but has a meter that only has two readings:

1. Day rate.

2. Night 'off peak' rate (includes both overnight storage heating, hot water and overnight electricity usage).

He doesn't get an 'Afternoon boost' on his storage heating. If he needs to switch additional heating on during the evening (to help maintain heating after the storage heating has run out) it is at the very expensive day rate.

So it seems to work out cheaper (for me anyway) to have the meter with the extra reading which gives the cheap 'Afternoon boost' to the storage heating.

N.B. My tariff rate is one for people on a very low income (state pension) and because I am disabled, but is just shown for example only to highlight the difference between meters and how it works with the storage heating/afternoon boost etc.

Paula

psyjrobe

After much ringing around I have found out that I have an Economy 10 metre and not economy 7 as I originally thought. Apparently, my metre switches to the cheaper 'night' rate for 3 hours in the afternoon. I've lived here for 4 years and never knew this. It is completely useless for me as I work during the day and we don't have storage heaters. Despite this, Npower refuse to give me the sign online tariff.

My main argument though it that they knew about this way back in August. Apparently a letter was sent out but I didn't receive it. I'm pretty angry that they can charge me something completely different from the original fees I was quoted without my formal consent.

I'm really surprised that I have economy 10 as I live in a new build and since I'm out during the day, I don't really see how I can get much benefit from it. I've had to ring around to find suppliers who will agree to take on economy 10 customers and they will normally only offer you their standard rate. : (

stephga23

sol tariffs aren't available for non tankard metering which is why you can't change onto it. Can you get your E10 meter removed and live with E7 as this will be the only way to get onto those tariffs. I would think carefully about removing it though as you may not realise how much you use the afternoon boost until its gone

HappyMJ

psyjrobe wrote: »

After much ringing around I have found out that I have an Economy 10 metre and not economy 7 as I originally thought. Apparently, my metre switches to the cheaper 'night' rate for 3 hours in the afternoon. I've lived here for 4 years and never knew this. It is completely useless for me as I work during the day and we don't have storage heaters. Despite this, Npower refuse to give me the sign online tariff.

My main argument though it that they knew about this way back in August. Apparently a letter was sent out but I didn't receive it. I'm pretty angry that they can charge me something completely different from the original fees I was quoted without my formal consent.

I'm really surprised that I have economy 10 as I live in a new build and since I'm out during the day, I don't really see how I can get much benefit from it. I've had to ring around to find suppliers who will agree to take on economy 10 customers and they will normally only offer you their standard rate. : (

If you don't have storage heating then pay the £50 fee to change the meter and then switch to SOL23. Or whatever will be the cheapest after the switch.

What are your current usage levels on your 3 tariffs? Is it worth it?