Npower trouble with tarrifs.

midjet666

Our bill suddenly increased from £72 a month in December to £152 a month in January. We didn't receive a letter etc as we're on online billing. The lady on the phone told us we hadn't checked it, but then backtracked and said she couldn't tell.

Anyway, they said we'd been on this average tarrif since some time in 2010 and have now changed us to a cheaper tarrif which is £92 a month. I asked for the excess £60 a month we've been paying since January to be credited to our account as the bill was suddenly increased without our knowledge and we thought we'd been changed onto a different tarrif (this is what a different npower person had told us, they said it had ended in December hence the higher bills.)

Where do we stand on this? I'm really confused about it all. I don't know whether the previous person was correct or the one I was speaking to today. I feel like we've been ripped off with over £60 a month since January (£300!) Even if we do have online billing, would they have to notify us by post that our direct debit is going up? My partner was told that it's illegal to change our tarrif without our consent, the lady on the phone today said that it "ended in 2010" so we were changed without our consent. Please help! (Thank you in advance!)

midjet666

Can anyone help please?

sithmaster

was you on a fixed price?

jalexa

midjet666 wrote: »

Even if we do have online billing, would they have to notify us by post that our direct debit is going up? My partner was told that it's illegal to change our tarrif without our consent, the lady on the phone today said that it "ended in 2010" so we were changed without our consent.

It is a requirement that notice is given for changes to Direct Debit amounts. The notice may be by mail or when on online billing the notice could be on the online bill. In that case you would need to receive an email notification that there was a bill to view.

Regarding being changed without your consent, when a fixed term tariff matures typically you are transferred by default to an (expensive) standard tariff. That does not require your consent (techically you consented when you signed-up), however I would have expected one or more mail or email communications about what was about to happen.

You need to set aside for the moment the financial isses and concentrate on getting on (now) tariff of your choice and then finding out the reason why you do not appear to be receiving supplier communications. My initial suspicion would be an email setup problem. If NPower have the wrong address you need to find out why. If the fault of the supplier you have grounds for complaint.

EvieSaver

It does always seem that when any price tariff ends you are put onto a 'standard' tariff which is much more expensive. Their website is quite good for finding out which is their cheapes tariff for you.

To find out if you are owed any money back you could call them with your meter readings and ask them to assess your account.

In the past when my account has been overpaid they have only re-paid the money if the overpayment is above £50 on an individual fuel. So even though both my gas and electric were overpaid they only refunded my electric part - even though I'm a duel fuel customer and pay one DD a month.

I find that with npower if the first call to customer services is no help just wait an hour and call again. I usually get a completely different answer from the second person. Happened to me this morning.

Also, they always re-assess my DD too high. I always call back and have them reduce it and even then I'm always still in credit. They do not take into account the £100 duel fuel discount when calculating the DD payment and the usage figures are always much higher than the same period in the previous year.

leezuk1

I had exactly the same problem with Npower - changing me to most expensive tariff with no letter - after several heated lengthy telephone conversations - I managed to get the excess amount accrued paid back. A year later they did a very similar thing - again no letter - more very stressful, lengthy conversations - not worth going into - got some compensation - but have bided my time for the end of my 'tie-in' with them and hoped the Big Switch would prove fruitful - but apparently not. So will be switching in the next few days.

Don't trust them - I got them several times on 'misconduct/mishandling' of my account and some outright lies were told to me aswell - which is when their recording of calls comes in handy! Have to say I think I lost several years off my life with the amount of stress it caused.

Good Luck.