Beware! NPOWER's misleading ad over 'annual Direct Debit Discount'!

Aleks_R

Hi!

I'm here to share negative experience of leaving npower as I have lost Direct Debit discount while I have stayed with them for 17 months!

Even today their advert on the website states:

'Direct Debit Discount.

Pay by Direct Debit continuously for 12 months for your electricity and gas and get up to £100 annual discount.'

In fact, it is a joke. As they bill you only twice a year and their TC's state that no discount is payable on the final bill, effectively, you have to stay with them at least for 19-20 months to qualify for 'annual direct debit discount as 17 is not enough. I should have read reviews here before switching to them initially.

Therefore, my message is to existing customers - make sure you see discount on your bill before switching.

To new customers: ignore annual discount in uswitch and other comparison sites when signing up to any npower tariff if you see them top 1 in the list and read TC as this company is not customer-orientated. To understand it, please look at the number of negative reviews on this forum.

Many thanks

OhReally_2

Aleks_R wrote: »

Hi!

I'm here to share negative experience of leaving npower as I have lost Direct Debit discount while I have stayed with them for 17 months!

Even today their advert on the website states:

'Direct Debit Discount.

Pay by Direct Debit continuously for 12 months for your electricity and gas and get up to £100 annual discount.'

In fact, it is a joke. As they bill you only twice a year and their TC's state that no discount is payable on the final bill, effectively, you have to stay with them at least for 19-20 months to qualify for 'annual direct debit discount as 17 is not enough. I should have read reviews here before switching to them initially.

Therefore, my message is to existing customers - make sure you see discount on your bill before switching.

To new customers: ignore annual discount in uswitch and other comparison sites when signing up to any npower tariff if you see them top 1 in the list and read TC as this company is not customer-orientated. To understand it, please look at the number of negative reviews on this forum.

Many thanks

Which term is that, exactly? :huh:
http://www.npower.com/Home/Electricity-and-gas/Terms-and-conditions/index.htm

Terrylw1

Think you have been blagged there as there is no mention of the bill issue.

Your annualdiscount: If you pay byDirect Debit continuously for12 months (either by making monthly payments orbysettling your quarterly bill in fullby variable Direct Debit) we’llgive youa discount off yourbill (£100if youbuyboth electricity andgas, £50 if youbuy just gas or £40if you buy just electricity). Alternatively, if youpay forbothfuels for12 months by cashorcheque, either when you receive your quarterly bill orbyregularmonthly or fortnightly payments, we’llgive youa £10 DualFuel discount.Your discount will be credited toyouraccount onor before the last dayof the 12th monthafter becomingeligible andthenonorbefore the same last dayof eachyear you continue to paythis way.Dualfuelcustomers must pay forboth fuelsinone combined payment andaccept a combineddual fuel bill orstatement to receive a DualFuel discount.Certaintariffs are excluded. If you don’t pay by Direct Debit and you receive anydiscount that is equivalent toour Direct Debit discount, this equivalent discount willbe replacedby the Direct Debit discount if youswitch to Direct Debit payment. Subject to change.

Aleks_R

OhReally wrote: »

... and then the OP logged off :cool:

Hi OhReally! Sorry I didn't understand your statement.

You maybe right that this is not even mentioned in their TC though advertised. I was referring to their last email (abstract):
'We may have already requested a payment from the bank that we can’t stop – your last payment date is 6th September 2012. You may also miss out on any Direct Debit discount or reward you were entitled to.'


.. and my final bill (3rd bill) where there is no discount applied though it is named as 'projected direct debit discount' on my second bill (12 months into contract).

TC 7.a of your link:
'...If you are entitled to a regular discount, it will be credited to your account on or before the last day of the 12-month period which started when you became eligible for the discount, and again during each further 12-month period, for as long as you are entitled to the discount.'

TC 7.g:
'... You can find details of our discounts on npower (dot) com/discounts or by calling customer services on 0800 073 3000.'

'In your first year with npower any product or payment discounts you’re entitled to will also be built into your monthly payment amount. Please remember, if you decide to leave us or stop meeting the conditions of the discount, e.g. you stop paying by Direct Debit, before the end of the first 12 months, you won’t receive your discount and you may find your monthly payments haven’t covered the energy you’ve used.'


Please correct me if I'm wrong:
If you look through their TC, you would find only general wording about 'eligibility' to the discount, but you won't find anywhere when it will be actually paid to you. And npower is definitely not obliged to pay discount if you decide to leave and they haven't done so yet as you no longer meet discount criteria. The only way to confirm that you have been credited 'annual discount' is to wait for the 3rd bill (1.5 years into contract) where you would see you discount being 'credited'. So by the time you get to that stage you are already 6 months into your next year....

Aleks_R

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Think you have been blagged there as there is no mention of the bill issue.

Your annualdiscount: If you pay byDirect Debit continuously for12 months (either by making monthly payments orbysettling your quarterly bill in fullby variable Direct Debit) we’llgive youa discount off yourbill (£100if youbuyboth electricity andgas, £50 if youbuy just gas or £40if you buy just electricity). Alternatively, if youpay forbothfuels for12 months by cashorcheque, either when you receive your quarterly bill orbyregularmonthly or fortnightly payments, we’llgive youa £10 DualFuel discount.Your discount will be credited toyouraccount onor before the last dayof the 12th monthafter becomingeligible andthenonorbefore the same last dayof eachyear you continue to paythis way.Dualfuelcustomers must pay forboth fuelsinone combined payment andaccept a combineddual fuel bill orstatement to receive a DualFuel discount.Certaintariffs are excluded. If you don’t pay by Direct Debit and you receive anydiscount that is equivalent toour Direct Debit discount, this equivalent discount willbe replacedby the Direct Debit discount if youswitch to Direct Debit payment. Subject to change.

Hi Terrylw1!

Perhaps you might be right about the final bill thing. I guess I might have confused it with Eon. But!
I've been with npower for 17 months, paid from day one by monthly DD, paperless billing, never had to contact customer service in any way. Why there is no DD discount applied after 17 months then? Even £40 for single fuel? Are you with npower?)

Terrylw1

Aleks_R wrote: »

Hi Terrylw1!

Perhaps you might be right about the final bill thing. I guess I might have confused it with Eon. But!
I've been with npower for 17 months, paid from day one by monthly DD, paperless billing, never had to contact customer service in any way. Why there is no DD discount applied after 17 months then? Even £40 for single fuel? Are you with npower?)

I'm not with them but this deferred discount issue does pop up on here from time to time, especially from those wishing to collect it before switching.

Since there is no mention of the final bill issue, which Eon include in their t&c's, your eligibility if purely being with them for the required period and the fact you have paid in the required manner.

They don't need to create a bill to add a credit anyway since it could always be added as a one off credit adjustment hence it would appear in the next bill.

In your case, you should have it for the 1st 12 months and lose it for the 2nd.

It could be the fact that they haven't got you correctly set up for dual fuel. It could even be that someone has shifted the anniversary date forward hence its hot due for your 1st year yet. So, its worth complaining about.

The fact you haven't had anything, even single fuel, seems to point to a problem with the set up or date or some form of marker since its likely the discount is added automatically by the billing system.

Aleks_R

Terrylw1 wrote: »

I'm not with them but this deferred discount issue does pop up on here from time to time, especially from those wishing to collect it before switching.

Since there is no mention of the final bill issue, which Eon include in their t&c's, your eligibility if purely being with them for the required period and the fact you have paid in the required manner.

They don't need to create a bill to add a credit anyway since it could always be added as a one off credit adjustment hence it would appear in the next bill.

In your case, you should have it for the 1st 12 months and lose it for the 2nd.

It could be the fact that they haven't got you correctly set up for dual fuel. It could even be that someone has shifted the anniversary date forward hence its hot due for your 1st year yet. So, its worth complaining about.

The fact you haven't had anything, even single fuel, seems to point to a problem with the set up or date or some form of marker since its likely the discount is added automatically by the billing system.

I totally agree that it is worth complaining and I have already done so. In a mean time, I have also looked through other threads today and my story seems to by quite true though my reasoning might be incorrect. You generally need to wait 18 months to get a discount.(

Besides, there is no issue with Eon for losing discount with the final bill as you can request intermediate bill online any time before your receive final (and in my case - discount was paid monthly) while you are in a complete dark with npower (you never know what is happening with your account).

The only issue with Eon I have noticed is that they tend to underestimate you annual consumption. So when you decide to switch, you are asked to pay your credit in full (£300-£400 in my case which is not convenient if you aren't on top of your account). While npower employed a strategy of deferred annual discount to keep customers from switching, in my opinion.