NPower extra bill

debsinbrighton · 23 December 2011 at 2:42PM

[FONT=&quot]Hi,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]my partner & I moved into a new property in late October 2010. We immediately signed up for electricity from Scottish Power, but were still supplied by the old company, Npower, until 13th Dec 2010. We were then sent a final[/FONT][FONT=&quot] energy [/FONT][FONT=&quot]bill for £150 which we paid. £150 for just over two months' power[/FONT][FONT=&quot] already seemed quite high, as we live in a small flat and our bills from our new supplier for both gas and electricity[/FONT][FONT=&quot]are only £50 per month. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, in Nov 2011 we received another bill from NPower stating that we owe them another £70[/FONT][FONT=&quot] for electricity, as they made an error and had only charged us for gas. We checked their final bill from last year, and they are correct, the section for electricity states that we used 0 units, and the £150 was only for gas. We didn't notice this at the time. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]This seems extortionate to me, but I don't think there is anything we can do.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]However, we also checked whether the new final electricity reading NPower have given us matches the one we gave Scottish Power when we moved to them, and[/FONT][FONT=&quot]it doesn't - the [/FONT][FONT=&quot]reading we gave Scottish Power is lower. So we think we probably do owe them money for the electricity, but not as much as they say[/FONT]. [FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I'm not sure what to do next.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
1: How do we prove Npower's reading is wrong[/FONT][FONT=&quot] - they say it is an accurate reading, not an estimate?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2. We read on here that Electricity providers can't amend bills after a year. Can Npower amend the bill again as it is now over a year since the original bill? Or is the year counted from the revised bill that we were sent in Nov 2011?[/FONT]

debsinbrighton · 24 December 2011 at 9:44AM

anyone? really need some advice on this. thanks.

jalexa · 24 December 2011 at 10:03AM

debsinbrighton wrote: »

We read on here that Electricity providers can't amend bills after a year. Can Npower amend the bill again as it is now over a year since the original bill? Or is the year counted from the revised bill that we were sent in Nov 2011?

Given that you have been quick to bump the post what have you done about the NPower bill between November and 23 Dec? Anything?

First of all regarding the "12 months backbilling" issue, and this is just an opinion, if you did not provide an initial reading on entry to the "deemed supplier" (NPower) I believe you have forfeited your Billing Code rights.

Regarding the NPower closing reading being greater than the transfer reading you should make one attempt (should have done it a month ago) to get NPower to amend the bill to the gaining supplier's opening reading. If they do not play ball at the first time of asking formally dispute the bill via the Complaints procedure.

debsinbrighton · 24 December 2011 at 11:16AM

Thanks for your reply. We did give NPower a reading when we moved in, which is correctly reflected on the bill, so I don't think that's under any doubt. I am also sure that we gave them the reading when we moved out as well, although they don't seem to have a record of it and I'm not sure how we could prove it.

We have been in touch with them a couple of times since they sent the bill. The process has taken a while as the first person we spoke to couldn't work out why they had sent an extra bill, then we spoke to someone else who worked out that this was because there had been a mistake in the first bill, then we had to go through our files and check the new reading matched the one on our first Scottish Power bill, and so on.

The person we spoke to at Npower said that their new reading for when we moved out was an 'actual' reading, although the person we spoke to didn't know whether this meant a customer reading or that someone had been around to read the meter.

I know that we need to call them back to discuss this further, I just thought I would ask what the legal situation was before I called them back today.

jalexa · 24 December 2011 at 11:31AM

debsinbrighton wrote: »

The person we spoke to at Npower said that their new reading for when we moved out was an 'actual' reading, although the person we spoke to didn't know whether this meant a customer reading or that someone had been around to read the meter.

I know that we need to call them back to discuss this further, I just thought I would ask what the legal situation was before I called them back today.

Moved out? Do you mean switched?

Anyway you have had more than one telephone contact without "success". I suggest you move immediately to a Complaint (that the transfer reading supplied to Scottish Power has not been applied to your revised NPower account). In the circumstances it is irrelevant that the reading is "actual". It is the transfer reading which should be billed. Or not.

Regarding "backbilling", IMO the circumstances are not entirely clear. Read here and make up your own mind...
http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/industrycodes/code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills/

debsinbrighton · 24 December 2011 at 11:35AM

thanks, yes I did mean switched!

chanz4 · 24 December 2011 at 10:24PM

You need to get scottish power to dispute the oppening / closing read through the cos gains team. It would be spower that gives the loosing supplier the read.