PLEASE HELP! Apparently my house doesn't exist!

simonh

Firstly, hello to everyone, I've been reading these forums for a bit. My first post is going to be a long one.

I bought a new house last year, moved in Dec 13th. The house is around 9 years old, on the same estate I've lived on for the past 10 years. When I've got around to sorting my gas & electricity out, it seems that for gas everyting is ok, supplied by npower, but for my electricity the house isn't on any system anywhere as having an electricity supply. I've gone from Scottish Power's MPAS, to United Utilities MPAS, eventually to Energy Watch on 15th Jan, who had no record of the address, or meter serial number, anywhere on the national database.

So, Energy Watch asked me to nominate a supplier, and they would contact them and get a new supply set up. Anyway, I picked npower, who contacted me weeks later asking me for an MPAN!! I explained the situation to them, and the CS advisor said that they'll try to set up a new contract and see what happens.

Last week I get a letter from npower saying that they need a supply number to set up my contract. :mad: I have telephoned npower last night, and thay have told me to get in touch with Scottish Power's MPAS. I've gone round in a circle for the past 3 months now. It's great having free electricity, but my worry is that if the meter breaks or some other problem arises I'm stuck. I'm going to contact Energy Watch again and try to escalate this.

Does anyone else have any experience of this happening? Or has anyone got any advice of what I should be doing to get this resolved?

Sorry for the long post! Thanks in advance.

tripled

If my memory serves me correctly the nominated supplier needs to send a d-flow through to the distributor, can't remember the details, I'll have a look in my file this evening.

Mr&MrsSkint

I'd call Scottish Power Distribution and ask to be put through to the Manager of their MPAS Service. They are the ones responsible for ensuring that your meter has an MPAN and once they realise that you know what you are talking about (it might be an Idea to see who their MD of Distribution is too) they will almost certainly get their act together.

Your supplier should be able to send a flow requesting this information, but I suspect that the problem is more than just a lack of an MPAN they probably haven't got your meter recorded on their system.

If all this fails I suggest writing to the MD Scottish Power distribution and the MD of Retail for Npower plitely suggesting that they start talking because you are ever so slightly fed up with their incompetence. Sadly, their incompetence isn't unusual, they are all shockingly inept.

arealhighlander

How about you call up nPower and tell them you've built a new house and please come and install a meter. They'll come round say "oh, you have one" take a note of the number and add you as a new build LoL!

tripled

It's a d0168 I was thinking of... it should work. Otherwise you will have to deal with MPAS.

saver_sam

Have you thought of asking the previous occupiers of the home? They may have an old bill with the mpan number wich might help.

simonh

Thanks for the replies.

@ saver_sam: I've asked the previous owner, and he seemed to think it was npower, but it obviously isn't. I suspect that he was getting free electricity all the time he was living there. Fair enough, but I don't want to be stuck with no electricity if the meter breaks or there's a problem with the supply.

@Mr&MrsSkint: I think I will try that if I get no more joy from Energy Watch. I'm going to ring them on Friday and see what I can get done.

@tripled: Thanks for that info, I'll mention that to npower/Energy Watch next time I speak to them.

In the meantime, free electricity!!

@

Taffyfella

Might be stating the obvious but have you read the METER SERIAL NUMBER and submitted that to NPower? If you have this info they should be able to relate this to your MPAN by searching a system called ecoes.

Goodluck

Taff

simonh

Taffyfella wrote: »

Might be stating the obvious but have you read the METER SERIAL NUMBER and submitted that to NPower? If you have this info they should be able to relate this to your MPAN by searching a system called ecoes.

Goodluck

Taff

Yep, tried that, there's no record of the meter serial number.

ilovemycats

Ah, that old chesnut. Been there. Quite fun actually when you actually want to give them money and they don't want to know. I think on my many travels I ended up in an Indian call centre and all this woman was obsessed with doing was logging a complaint. "You can only log a complaint if you give me your customer number." LOOK, I don't want to log a complaint, I want to pay someone for the electricity I'm using.

So it's swings and roundabouts really. While on the one hand they overchage and take no interest whatsoever, on the other, they don't have any record of you and couldn't care less either.

We put the money into a savings account in anticipation of the day that a bill did arrive, some 12-months later when they were having a purge on all of the newbuilds.

They all go by numbers, with that 'MPAN' number being the one they're interested in. The actually meter serial number is pretty worthless really. They don't use it.

Just save up the money and sit back.

simonh

But how can I be billed by a supply company if nobody is prepared to take responsibilty for supplying me? Is it right that they can only bill me from the date they set up a contract, take a meter reading and start a supply? I find it really hard to believe that for almost 10 years this house has had free electricity, surely someone must have noticed. Maybe I'm being too honest about this, lol.