Npower increase my monthly bill by over 40%

zzzLazyDaisy

OP Have you checked if you are entitled to pension credit? If you are, you may also be entitled to Npower's warm home discount which would help you with your bill.

http://www.npower.com/spreading_warmth/Content/WarmHomeDiscount/index.htm

However, you really need to be in credit by more than £25 at this time of year because a sudden cold spell could mean you will have a big bill that you may not be able to afford to pay.

amcg100

The most likely reason that you have seen a big jump is because you have accumulated debt which they have calculated repayments for over a year. If you switch be prepared for a a substantial final bill from them.

back_against_the_wall

Many thanks for all recent replies. I have now changed supplier to British Gas and I am refusing to pay the final bill up to the end of my account with Npower (which I have not to date received) until they address my concerns about my ridiculous meter readings. These are still averaging about 14 units per day (I take meter readings daily) which is absurd given that I have had no heating turned on since last March, and the only items I have switched on all day are my new fridge (with a rating of just under 0.5 kwh/24 hours), my laptop computer and a freeview TV recorder most of the time on standby. To clock up 14 units each day I would have to have the equivalent of a 1000 watt electric fire going for 14 hours each day or, to put it another way, about 30 fridges plugged in and running at the same time. I have 12 circuit breaker switches and I have experimented in switching so far 7 off for periods of 24 hours with very little effect on the meter readings. The five left all cover the lighting and the power to the sockets in the rooms of my flat. It is very difficult to see how these can account for my useage figures. Npower just ignore all my e-mails to them about my concerns over my meter but I think something must be very wrong somewhere. Next I will have to turn off all 12 circuit breakers for several hours and see if my meter is still turning over which will be solid proof that I have been grossly overcharged for months if not years.

imho

Switch off all the circuit breakers and see if the flat above you lights go off as well.

horngkai

I do not think its npower's responsibility to sort your meter reading out. Their job is to provide you with electricity. If your meter is connected to, possibly your neighbour's meter as well, then you need to get an electrician to check it out. I live in a 2 bedroom flat (2 adults and 2 toddler) and my elec/gas bill per month from npower is GBP56 currently, increased from GBP50. And more often than not, I am in credit by the end of the year, in fact, npower paid me back GBP150 last year.

notbritishgas

back_against_the_wall wrote: »

Many thanks for all recent replies. I have now changed supplier to British Gas and I am refusing to pay the final bill up to the end of my account with Npower (which I have not to date received) until they address my concerns about my ridiculous meter readings. These are still averaging about 14 units per day (I take meter readings daily) which is absurd given that I have had no heating turned on since last March, and the only items I have switched on all day are my new fridge (with a rating of just under 0.5 kwh/24 hours), my laptop computer and a freeview TV recorder most of the time on standby. To clock up 14 units each day I would have to have the equivalent of a 1000 watt electric fire going for 14 hours each day or, to put it another way, about 30 fridges plugged in and running at the same time. I have 12 circuit breaker switches and I have experimented in switching so far 7 off for periods of 24 hours with very little effect on the meter readings. The five left all cover the lighting and the power to the sockets in the rooms of my flat. It is very difficult to see how these can account for my useage figures. Npower just ignore all my e-mails to them about my concerns over my meter but I think something must be very wrong somewhere. Next I will have to turn off all 12 circuit breakers for several hours and see if my meter is still turning over which will be solid proof that I have been grossly overcharged for months if not years.

Have you followed dogshome's advice in Post 9.
It seems very likely that the meter on your bill is not the meter actually supplying your flat, a seemingly common problem.

To check, either switch everything off for a few hours and see if your "apparent" meter stops or another one stops recording.
Or switch something on with a high power rating, eg an electric oven or fire, then see which meter is wizzing round.

zzzLazyDaisy

OP switching supplier won't resolve your problem with the meter readings. The new supplier will still be taking their readings from the same meter.

macman

So how is the property heated and hot watered?

grannyjo

how have you got on with switching off all circuit breakers- when the flat upstairs are in. Don't get an electrician in- it will cost you and on your budget that is too much. You could also try switching off every appliance in your flat and see if the meter reads more units. You could go for a walk or the local library for an hour or two. . Thats what I would do as then it proves someone else is getting electricity from your meter. Turning off all circuit breakers could stop the other flat as well- or not. They could just think its a power cut and ignore it for a while. Also document what you do.
If it is your consumption, then do some of the hints above. We have rugs when we watch tv to save switching heating on- Look at insulation too. Put draught proofing on windows and doors. It makes a big difference. There are grants for some types of insulation and on some, you pay only as much as the insulation is saving you. That is done by the utility companies. Most companies charge to check your meter- but give it you back if proved to be their fault. On a 4 beroomed house (2 of us) we use about 14-20 units a day. - but have gas central heating
good luck.

back_against_the_wall

Yes I followed the advice in Post 9 and checked that the meter no. on my bills was the same as the number on the actual meter and it was so this is not unfortunately the cause of the problem. Npower, or one of their contractors, installed this meter back in April 2010 after the previous meter went faulty and was showing a blank reading. Surely they should be responsible for any inaccuracies in the meter readings as it is their hardware. The new meter had obviously been used before as it was already showing a start reading of 25639. The property is a ground floor flat with 2 bedrooms and a combined kitchen/living room. There is central heating but this has been fully switched off both at the individual storage heaters and at the central circuit breakers which control the supply to the system for months. There has been no heating in this flat since last March/early April. The hot water is on a timer which only comes on for 4 hours a day. It used to be on for 24 hours but I changed this to 4 hours hoping this might be the cause of the problem but it made very little difference to my daily useage which is still up about 14 units per day. I am well aware that changing supplier will not solve the problem with the meter but I am disgusted at the way I have been treated by Npower. Also, British Gas are rolling out a new "smart meter" replacement system which I have signed on to. I have no current debt with Npower. I have paid all my bills according to the meter readings by direct debit and my last bill dated November 2012 showed I was in credit by about £25. I am awaiting my final bill from Npower up to the end of my account but Npower say this might take 28 days to come through. I am concerned that I have been grossly overcharged by Npower throughout the period of my account but have no means of getting any redress or compensation. One day this week I am going to shut down the supply at source and turn off all the circuit breakers and monitor the meter for the next subsequent hours to see if it is still clocking up any useage. Regards to all who have replied. David.