Warning: npower accept new customers without sending them a Contract

downshifted

Update - my account is being dealt with as an erroneous transfer. I have had a cheque for £50 from NPower recognising my complaint. The transfer back is taking forever and I spoke to NPower (thank you Helen) today - she apologised and said their new system is not putting flows through back to the old supplier - but they are working on it (!)

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

Thanks downshifted for updating both threads:

Problems with NPower and MoneySuperMarket.com
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4324783
See Post #4 (03-12-2012) for the first post by downshifted, then #14, #23, #24 etc.

and Post #104 (above) in this thread.

"... new system is not putting flows through back to the old supplier ...":
looks, to me, like another serious issue!


Another thread (the 5th Poster, sha1512) about rebilling following the November 2012 price change.

Where do I stand on npower error?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4554863
See the points in Post #191 (above).



BBSpringer has given a very interesting update (Post #9, on 19-04-2013) in
NPower - Have not transferred Gas 6 months later
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4544489

This thread was also linked to in Post #191 (above).

The Ombudsman has ruled in BBSpringer's favour.
I'm delighted because others, here at MSE, have had a poor experience of the Ombudsman Service:
see Post #4 of that thread.


On Friday 19/04/2013 "Adam at npower" has posted in seven threads.
I don't recall seeing so many posts by him, in a single day, in the last 6 months.

The most informative Post is this confirmation in Post #17 of
npower problem, can anyone please help with some advice?
made at 12:30 on 19-04-2013.

nPower_company_representative wrote:

...
Between Friday the 12th and Monday the 15th, npower was closed to move our customers into our new system and to make sure this move went as smoothly as possible. This also meant that parts of the website had to be updated.

Everything is now open again and the website is running so you shouldn't experience any further problems accessing npower.com.
...

IMHO this information was given at least a week too late.

I note that although npower have a blog:

npower blog
http://blog.npower.com/

No one bothered to use the blog to inform their Customers about
either the 'online Meter Readings are closed until 17 April 2013' (for about a month)
See Post #181 and the threads linked there.

or about the 'switch over weekend', 12-15 April 2013.



Here is a list of threads that "Adam at npower" posted in on 19-04-2013:

N power not listening
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4550273

This thread illustrates major issues with DDs.
Three more people (TREVORCOLMAN, Ghty5 and parcival), despite many calls still have trouble. Some of this dates back to July 2012.

As already noted in
Post #128 Timeline - npower's 'new system' and SAP
it is quite conceivable that the issues with the 'new system' extend back to July 2012.
In this thread, there is plenty of evidence that npower were aware of some of the issues in September 2012.


npower problem, can anyone please help with some advice?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4170125

NPower website won't accept reading
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4551917

NPower bills
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4551183

NPOWER wont amend my bill!!
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4551997

FURIOUS with NPOWER closed on friday! Unreachable today
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4553383
"Adam at npower" has posted twice in this thread.

NPower issues Economy 7
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4554415



25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

Npower I wish I hadn't bothered
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4560731

"Switched to Npower from Scottish Hydro back in early February. Electricity switch no problem, all set up on the internet. The same can't be said for my gas switch. I've phoned countless times asking what is happening and they basically cannot give me a definitive answer. They hit me with all sorts of Jargon relating to corrupt data,
computer problems, "bad flow", whatever that means! ..."

Another case. You will note that this was February 2013 (months after the problems of October and November 2012) when some people assumed 'npower had fixed everything'.


Add your feedback on energy supplier Npower
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4415573

Problem with NPower
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4252307

Additional posts have been made to both these threads.
The second has been cited before in this thread: see Post #74 (above).
In these two threads there are many illustrations of the 'broken system' in action.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

TheSilentOne_2

A family friend of mind had her meters read and a bill was then produced in October last year. They got the Electric reading correct but failed on the gas side. She received a bill for £1400 and changed her payments from £60 to £350.

Her usage is low and always has been but npower failed to notice that over all bills this later one advised her gas usage was 800% higher than previous years.

A request was put in to correct this but it was removed due to her account moving to the 'popular' new system but they failed to re-raise the request. She suffers from depression and anxiety and this upset her hugely.

She rang to get this matter resolved and her payments back to normal but was told it can take 28 days or longer to have the account rebilled on the right meter readings. Nothing happened so she called them back and was told that the request was closed so nothing would happen as they needed meter readings, of which they already had.

The request was raised again but still nothing, account still wrong.
She was told to submit readings online to get an up-to-date bill and once they received them then the account would be corrected....

NO! Rather than sending a corrected bill it then produced a bill for £1700 and changed her payments to £450 a month. She is in a low wage job and this takes half her money.
This shows npower don't listen, don't care for it's customers and ignore call back requests, complaints and back office requests.
She has written an official complaint and if this isn't dealt with within 28 days then she is going to media, ombudsman and the likes.

This company is an utter joke and needs some regulatory action against it to wake it up. So pleased to see people are taking a stand and taking necessary action. I left this company and do you know how many problems I have had with my new supplier?? That's right NONE!

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

Hi TheSilentOne,
I am sorry to read about another unfortunate case.
Some readers may not realise just how frustrating and difficult it is dealing with npower and their 'broken system'.
Thanks for adding to the evidence here.

In Ofgem's latest letter to me (02 May 2013), a very senior person has written:
"... We are aware that the issues npower are experiencing with their new computer system may extend beyond the issuing of contracts that you have previously reported to Ofgem. We have raised a number of matters with npower to which we are waiting a response. ...".

My interpretation of this is Ofgem are taking this 'whole mess' seriously but, as I hinted in Post #190 the regulatory wheels move slowly.

I wish that they would move faster. In the mean time, more evidence can be added here.


Npower: The only way is up
By Tim Probert
Published In: Intelligent Utility Magazine March/April 2013
http://www.intelligentutility.com/magazine/article/308003/npower-only-way

"Npower is among the least popular organizations in Britain. For the fifth year in a row, the British utility has been voted the country's worst energy supplier in terms of customer satisfaction by price comparison website uSwitch and for the second successive year by the Consumers' Association, more commonly known as Which? ..."
1. See end of this Post for link to the Which? Survey.

There is some interesting background information in this article.

Readers will be able to compare npower's optimistic comments to Tim Probert with the actual issues in this thread and the linked threads.


Recent Posts in other threads (see the threads for the full story).

NPower - No bills
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4403035

joncombe has now had a Bill that has arithmetical errors: see Post #18 of the above thread and the next thread.

Npower bill doesn't even add up
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4575335

This is concerning and, I fear, similar to the very long running saga at EDF.

See EDF direct debit manipulation
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4292717
This EDF thread has had more than 300 Posts!
backfoot is in direct contact with Ofgem on this issue.
See Post #304 for his latest helpful Post.

Npower – beware of these mendacious chisellers
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4574949
Difficulty in getting a final bill. OP left npower in early Feb 2013.


The next two cases look to me to be caused by 'data errors'.
The impact to the Customer is considerable.

Npower - When they say your in credit but only pay half of what the owe you ?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4574609
OP has more then one Account Number and now Pre Payment Meter as well.

npower problems
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4566261
OP has a pre payment meter but npower are demanding £87.


This thread now has had more than 12,000 views, the linked threads have had more than 24,000 views.

The chaos continues.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

1. See the survey at Which? - conducted in October and November 2012.
Energy companies rated
http://www.which.co.uk/switch/energy-suppliers/energy-companies-rated
npower are 15th (worst rated).

chanz4

You may want to read this then , http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/media/pressrel/Documents1/CERT%20and%20CESP%20May.pdf
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25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

While some may find it interesting to read about how Energy Suppliers are getting on with the
Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) and the
Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT): the subject of Ofgem's Press Release.

This has little bearing on how npower are failing their Customers - as documented in this thread.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

chanz4

you forget every supplier had the same issues, including bg so looking at your posts seem a witch hunt

paulo1888

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4560731

chanz4

Just an update, I notice they now send a copy of the tariff terms with every bill