Npower's over estimation of electric usage due to wrong meter reading

Dejavu

In September 2010 I decided to change my electric supplier from Eon to Npower. I gave my final reading to Eon and they passed this reading onto Npower. That was when my problem began.

In Jan 2011 I received my first bill from NPower. I checked the estimated reading against the actual reading and noticed that the estimated night rate was wrong – it was out by one digit! (should have been 18185 but npower had 1817). I phoned Npower and was told that they would correct this and they will send a revised bill in the next few months. I waited until I received my next bill, and the night rate was still not right and out by one digit. I phoned nPower and again I was told that they would correct it and they will send a revised bill. It wasn’t until August 2011 that I received a bill with the correct reading but it showed that I had used a lot of electricity. So I phoned NPower again and I was told that they will resolve this.

I received my latest bill in January this year with a whopping bill and a chart showing my electricity use with my annual consumption and predicted costs. Npower states that they have calculated that I will use 33,325kWh of electricity over the next 12 months (which equates to 91kWh a day) and estimate that I will spend £1,972.61!!!!

I live in a new build 2 bedroom, one bathroom flat. It’s all electric with no gas. There are 2 of us and we both work 9-5 Mon-Fri and the heating is rarely used at all. All electrical appliances and TV, PC etc are turned off at the socket at night and not used until the following evening.

I've been paying £44 per month by direct debit but on my latest bill, Npower had adjusted my payment to £252 – this was taken from my account this month. I phoned nPower and demanded that they correct my bill and confirm my monthly direct debit payment. The person I spoke to could not confirm the monthly amount by direct payment but promised that they would send me an updated bill with the correct usage and the monthly amount by 21 March.

Today, instead of receiving an updated bill, I received a letter from Npower to say that they are still working on my query, and doing everything they can to resolve it as quickly as possible. I laughed at the ‘as quickly as possible’.

This is very frustrating! I don’t understand why it has taken so long for NPower to sort this out! Has anyone experienced anything similar and can anyone advise on what to do?

Terrylw1

When you gave Eon your reading, I take it that was on your final bill? If so, this would be your start reading with npower, so was it? If not, something has gone wrong between Eon and npower or their agents.

If npower started you on the Eon reading, then its a different problem related to a missing digit. To correct this they would only need to get a reading off you to create a bill and it would all be OK from there.

Given the enormous bill, its likely they have billed you from a 5 to 4 digit reading thus causing a "spinning" effect ( where it goes passed 99999 back to 00000 and up to your 4 digit reading) or they have started you on a 4 digit reading and billed up to a 5 digit one which would mean billed you for in excess of 10,000kwh. Either of these would cause massive erroneous bills.

Given what you have said and they fact they kept dropping a digit, I'm thinking that your start reading is 4 digits hence you flag it as incorrect. At this point they have to amend your opening reading and then bill you up to date. This would explain why an inexperienced (or just lazy) employee may drop a digit off to create a bill rather than do the right (and more time consuming task) thing and investigate and correct it for you.

dogshome

Hi Dejavu - From your post it seems that you gave your old supplier, Eon, a reading and they passed it on to n'power.
This is not the way it is supposed to work - The new supplier requests a meter reading from you, and it is they who pass it on to the old.

However, no matter how many bumps, curves and missing digits there have been in n'powers billing, what counts are the Day/Night meter readings on Eons Final Bill and what the meters read now - If you don't still have Eons last bill, ask them for a copy

With these two figures you know for certain what your Day/Night consumptions were over the entire period, and can check it against the total on n'power's billing

It's highly likely with the digit confusion that n'power have over-charged, but do not make a complaint by phone
You must WRITE to them heading the letter Complaint giving the Start & End meter readings
Once this is done n'power should cease demands and taking excessive D/Debit payments until the matter is resolved - If they do not resolve it in 8 weeks you can take it to the Ombudsman

Dejavu

Guys, thank you for replying.

Terrylw1 wrote: »

When you gave Eon your reading, I take it that was on your final bill? If so, this would be your start reading with npower, so was it? If not, something has gone wrong between Eon and npower or their agents.

No, it was not on my final bill. Eon's final bill was dated 20 Sept 2010 and it showed estimated readings Day 6572 and Night 18177 (even though I phoned them on 5 Sept with my final actual readings Day 6412 and Night 18185). Eon overestimated the readings by about 152 units - but I didn't bother to argue this as long as the final reading with Eon and the start reading with Npower match and are the same.

My next direct debit payment is due in a week and I don't want to be paying another £252. To save time I'm wondering if I should send a letter of complaint to Npower with a copy of my final bill (with the estimated readings) from Eon and also a copy of the first bill from Npower which showed the actual day reading from Eon (even though they weren't actual but were estimated) and the night reading with one missing digit?

Terrylw1

I'm with you now, if they had your start reading in 5 digits and your latest reading, estimate or not as 4 digit it would cause a massive overcharge by causing the "spinning" effect as it would go up to 99999, then start again at 00000 and go back up to your 4 digit reading.

Its a cobble up. Suppliers have internal bill validation to trap this sort of this and they shouldnt send you a bill unless they are totally sure you have used it. Such bills have caused some suppliers to appear in the press where it has been elderly customers.

I bet your first bill is just 4 digits as a start read and current read. When you told them the correct reads, they should have withdrew the bill, then corrected your opening reading and finally billing up to a current reading fron you or at the worst a 5 digit estimate.

I would suggest you email their complaints dept and demand they place the account on hold so they don't sweep your DD.

Luckily, this is very simple to correct. The only factor that could make it longer would be if the reading npower had for your change of supply reading came from their agents. If so, they have to also get that corrected or all your future reaings taken will be failed by the meter readers until they catch up. This is important because they estimate change if supply for the supplier so if you changed again, it could hit you again after if npower didn't correct it. With any luck, it will just be an input error fron npower in which case thy will probably get it corrected and a knew bill to you in the next few weeks.

nPower

Hi Dejavu,

Sorry to read about the problems you've been having. I'm a little concerned this is taking longer than it should be.

If you can send your details to [EMAIL="forumresponse@npower.com"]forumresponse@npower.com[/EMAIL] and I'll see what I can do to speed it up!

Many thanks,

Adam

nPower

Hi Dejavu,

I've received your details and will look into this straight away for you.

Many thanks,

Adam

Dejavu

Hi

I would just like to say that Npower have contacted me and they have apologised for taking so long to sort this out.

I spoke with Andrew, who was very polite and helpful. He explained how to take things forward - I'm now happy with the outcome.

Npower have cancelled my previous bills and have now sent me a revised new bill (with a 5 digit night reading).

Thank you for the advice and to Adam who offered to look into the matter for me.

Regards
Tayo (Dejavu)

beelzebeck

Hi, this is my first post so I hope I am posting in the right place.

Npower have been billing my day and night units incorrectly and say my account (once they have updated it) will be £1700 in debit!!!!!!!

Can someone advise me if I have a leg to stand on please as I don't have that sort of money and this has come as rather a shock to say the least.

I have been with Npower since 2005 and they have only just noticed? Is this my fault as it's their mistake? My account is currently in £400 credit and they have said that will come off the bill for starters.

Just to give a bit of background a few years ago I was paying £170 a month for gas and elec, Npower then dropped this to £19 per month and when I tried to switch I was told I was £250 in debit........completely at a loss at where to go from here so any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

DUTR

beelzebeck wrote: »

Hi, this is my first post so I hope I am posting in the right place.

Npower have been billing my day and night units incorrectly and say my account (once they have updated it) will be £1700 in debit!!!!!!!

Can someone advise me if I have a leg to stand on please as I don't have that sort of money and this has come as rather a shock to say the least.

I have been with Npower since 2005 and they have only just noticed? Is this my fault as it's their mistake? My account is currently in £400 credit and they have said that will come off the bill for starters.

Just to give a bit of background a few years ago I was paying £170 a month for gas and elec, Npower then dropped this to £19 per month and when I tried to switch I was told I was £250 in debit........completely at a loss at where to go from here so any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

Welcome to the forum, but please don't do as if the readers are stupid! £19 a month for both fuels is unrealistic today, so it seems like there was an error and you chose to go along with it, get your bill up date so that you can switch.
£250 is not too bad considering you were paying not far short of £200 anyways

beelzebeck

DUTR wrote: »

Welcome to the forum, but please don't do as if the readers are stupid! £19 a month for both fuels is unrealistic today, so it seems like there was an error and you chose to go along with it, get your bill up date so that you can switch.
£250 is not too bad considering you were paying not far short of £200 anyways

Thanks for the welcome and I didn't realise I was treating the readers as stupid?
My point about the £19 quid a month was that I had obviously overpaid by a huge amount and it suited my circumstances at the time to accept the new lower monthly amount, however I was never informed that I was up to speed with the overpayments until i was back in debt again.........anyway my concern is about the £1700 debt that i am now told I will be in due to the incorrect meter readings taken by Npower.....:eek: