Npower

chanz4

They will of most probably charged you for a planned visit, set something up now and they should remvoe

TC54

chanz4 wrote: »

They will of most probably charged you for a planned visit, set something up now and they should remvoe

Yes, its just annoying to have another £30 debt for non existent visit and telephone calls (not rec'd). Am looking at possibility of direct debit on new scheme billsaver May 2013, as it could save a lot over the year. But having direct debits when unemployed has caused me probs in past, so have none now and didn't put any in place whem working, so loathe to go down that route, but ...... needs must I guess. Frustrating.

TC54

End result - payment plan set up, but NO, they can't possibily take off any charges (now there's a surprise). Wanted to make online payment but their online payment system not available til at least 5/3/12!! This has been like it for over a week already! Hey ho, have to wait for payment card.

undaunted

Contact Consumer Focus (through Consumer Direct if you must) and ask for their assistance. Here is what they say on line
"My supplier claims that I have been refused Fuel Direct, but I'm certain I am eligible. What should I do?
Don't be discouraged by the supplier, you can appeal via an appeals tribunal. Your local Job Centre Plus or benefits office is obliged to inform you of this process so it is probably best to contact them directly if the supplier has told you that you have been rejected for the scheme."

http://cfe.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5488/~/information-about-fuel-direct

However Npower appear to have taken it into their heads that unemployment (and related low income) is not a vulnerability. Consumer Focus say that it is. (both have been stated to a former Npower customer who is pursuing a case in the courts)

It seems to me that they need to be aware of this problem being relevant to more than one case in order to start doing something about it.

The Energy retail association, (which Npower claim to follow) says

"A customer is vulnerable if for reasons of age, health, disability or severe financial insecurity, they are unable to safeguard their personal welfare or the personal welfare of other members of the household" http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/30/308.html

A PPM would put you at risk of losing supply if you run out of cash, Fuel Direct does not. I would definitely not therefore accept the PPM.

chanz4

sorry undaunted but they do take income, dont they have something called first step? Fuel direct is refused by the dwp if your usage is a high percentage of your benefit or if a pre-pay / payplan is avaiable

undaunted

My post is based upon factual case specific and written information, yours seemingly on pure opinion.

In this case the customer can't both be living in circumstances that you claim would cause the DWP to refuse Fuel Direct and yet not be vulnerable, that simply isn't logical.

It's obviously better for Npower if they can bully you into paying more off the debt than Fuel Direct would provide for (around 8 or 9* as much based on the figures above) but what about license conditions:-

"27.6 The services referred to in paragraph 27.5 are:

(a) the facility for a Domestic Customer to pay Charges for the Supply of Electricity:

(i) by using, where available, a means by which payments may be deducted at source from a social security benefit received by that customer;

27.8 The licensee must take all reasonable steps to ascertain the Domestic Customer’s ability to pay and must take this into account when calculating instalments, giving due consideration to:

(a) relevant information provided by third parties, where it is available to the licensee; and

(b) where instalments will be paid using a Prepayment Meter, the value of all of the charges that are to be recovered through that meter."

Source: http://epr.ofgem.gov.uk/document_fetch.php?documentid=15997

Again, I therefore suggest you contact Consumer Focus for assistance and do not just be deterred from pursuing Fuel Direct on a third party say so.

chanz4

No myn is on 10 years experience in the industry. Example for you, usage is 50pw, benefits are 70pw its not possible as its a high percentage of benfits.

undaunted

Whatever your experience in the industry unless you work for Npower / the RWE legal department or Consumer Focus or know the consumer concerned you will not have seen the correspondence which clearly demonstrates a difference in opinion - ie NPower have stated that they do not consider unemployment to be a vulnerability. Consumer Focus have stated that it is in their opinion. This issue appears to also have occured in the above. As to your above argument whether you use Fuel Direct or a PPM the % does not change! The difference in this case is that it appears that the payments proposed would be set at far more than Fuel Direct would facilitate & that is clearly not affordable for the poster. I am suggesting that it is also contrary to SLC above. Do you dispute that suggestion and if so on what basis?