Npower!

DieHard

I got a request via e-mail from Npower to read my gas and electricity bill. No problem with the electricity but for some reason Npower had estimated my gas usage. When I went to enter my gas reading it wouldn't allow it because it was lower than their estimate but there was a drop down menu where you could give a reason why it was lower than the estimate, so I chose one of the options (I think I chose energy saving measures) but to be honest how would I know why their estimate was higher than the actual reading.

Anyway I thought that was the last of it but I got home today and found a letter from them saying these readings are not consistent with previous readings and if they used them I would get a bill for £86.38 for electric and £10000 plus for gas!

It is almost as if they are taking it as having gone round the meter! I don't get it I can't ring them until Monday but I have looked at the previous bills and on the previous bill it was 2044 and my new meter reading is 2173.

Has anyone had experience of Npower pulling this sort of thing before? I should add I have had no bother until now but I had decided to leave them and use EDF so I am also in the process of changing suppliers.

What is the deal with NPower sending out worrying, stressful letters like this? Do they have previous for it?

Even if it does get sorted out quickly on Monday it is ridiculous.

jalexa

DieHard wrote: »

Anyway I thought that was the last of it but I got home today and found a letter from them saying these readings are not consistent with previous readings and if they used them I would get a bill for £86.38 for electric and £10000 plus for gas!

It is almost as if they are taking it as having gone round the meter!

What I would do is take a photograph of the meter and have it in front of you when you contact them. Also the previous bill (was the previous bill closing reading Actual, Customer or Estimated. How long ago?)

Handling meter reading under or overflow is a fundamental function of an energy billing system. If at the conclusion of the customer service contact you are not 100% satisfied with the proposed billing, raise a formal complaint strictly in accordance with the NPower complaint's procedure (also have that in front of you when you call).

I suggest you forget the why's and wherefore's of the apparent incompetence until the billing issue has been addressed to your satisfaction as evidenced by a bill or statement.

DieHard

I am not sure of the date or the actual estimated reading that was on my on-line account when I went to submit the actual reading (none of this seemed like it would be an issue back then, to me it was just a case of them over estimating the usage) but I think they may have estimated on 18/09/2012 but I am not sure. It wasn't that much before they had actually e-mailed me to submit an actual reading) which is strange in itself.

The previous bill (with the reading of 2044) was 11/03/2012 and my new reading (2173) which was taken on 25/09/2012 before that it was 1842 on 20/09/2011. Their estimated reading was only a few (five at the most) units over the actual reading so to take it having gone all the way round the dial is ridiculous (if that is what they have done). I read the meter today and it is now 2179.

I live in a tiny flat, they should know that from the previous readings. There is no way I could use £10,000 worth of gas in my lifetime never mind one year. Also it is now 07/10/2011 and I got this letter on Saturday so it has taken them this long to send the letter and I assume someone has already looked at it and signed off on sending it.

It is staggering.

Terrylw1

Because your read wouldn't go in, it would error out for manual intervention.

It does sound like rather than replace your estimated bill, someone has thought about billing up round the clock, known as a meter rollover.

So, it sounds like an advisor making an error.

The fact it got out to you suggests no one is checking anything so its not signed off by anyone and is just the work of that advisor.

DieHard

I rang the number on the letter first thing (obviously I am very worried). The man who answered the phone just said 'hello' no introduction, no name, no 'you are through to Npower' just hello.

Anyway he said I should ignore the letter for now because I am going through a COS which stands for change of supplier (I had to ask him what that meant) and they would use the readings they get from EDF.

Obviously that phone call has not put my mind at rest if anything it has increased my anxiety. I have made a note of the man's name and the date and time. Is it standard Npower policy to make a note of all phone calls?

I have a feeling this is not the end of this and I will have to call again.

nPower

Hi DieHard,

We understand that receiving a letter suggesting such a large balance may have caused worry, but this would only be sent as a prompt for you to contact us and make you aware that we needed further readings to ensure your account was billed correctly.

I can see that you have rang us this morning and understand your frustration. If you can send me your account details and your up to date meter readings to [EMAIL="forumresponse@npower.com"]forumresponse@npower.com[/EMAIL], I can see if we can get this amended for you before the change of supplier goes through.

Many thanks,

Adam

jalexa

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

We understand that receiving a letter suggesting such a large balance may have caused worry, but this would only be sent as a prompt for you to contact us and make you aware that we needed further readings to ensure your account was billed correctly.

As I read it that is an absurd response. The OP claims to have provided an accurate customer only read but the NPower billing treatment (manual I assume) has incompetently applied meter rollover.

DieHard

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi DieHard,

We understand that receiving a letter suggesting such a large balance may have caused worry, but this would only be sent as a prompt for you to contact us and make you aware that we needed further readings to ensure your account was billed correctly.

I can see that you have rang us this morning and understand your frustration. If you can send me your account details and your up to date meter readings to [EMAIL="forumresponse@npower.com"]forumresponse@npower.com[/EMAIL], I can see if we can get this amended for you before the change of supplier goes through.

Many thanks,

Adam

I have sent an e-mail with an updated gas meter reading to the e-mail address you have provided. The up to date reading is now 2179. The customer service representative I spoke to earlier this morning said the reading you had come to was 2189 but he said it was not an estimate. This is impossible, no one could have possibly read my meter and come up with this figure.

Can you please sort it out.

nPower

Hi DieHard,

I have just got your email - thank you for sending this over to me.

I'll get onto this right away!

Thanks,

Adam

DieHard

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi DieHard,

I have just got your email - thank you for sending this over to me.

I'll get onto this right away!

Thanks,

Adam

Ok Adam, thank you for your help. If you could let me know once it has been sorted I would appreciate it.

davehsug

I don't mean to be flippant, & it doesn't apply to this poster, but often companies will write to or ring customers endlessly to check readings. It's often only when they get a letter saying, contact us or we'll bill you £xxxx that they finally do make contact!