Ridiculously expensive and unexplained NPower Bill

Wolf3

As you have a single reading from your meter i would presume you have an unrestricted tariff for your flat. Npower have clearly overestimated your energy usage for that 2 month period giving that high DD amount
You state you have used 1546 kwh in 76 days which is just over 20 units per day. not that bad for this time of year on an all elec flat. However averaging out for 365 days, it would equate to an annual usage of 7425 kwh, which on an unrestricted tariff would cost approx £900 - £1000 per annum, hence the figure of £80 per month is not that far off for this time of year.

It's just so annoying when our friends live in a flat across the road, all electric, and they have all their lights on ALL the time, the electric heaters on full blast etc, and they're only paying £35 per month!

Wow, i would love to know which energy supplier they are with and what tariff they are on!!!!! because that is a ridiculously low figure and if i were them i would be waiting for a very large bill dropping through my letterbox!!!!

janeybabs

i have a similar sized flat with two bedrooms and a box room. I am all electric and have storage heaters (which i do use). I pay around £60 per month which generally covers the variance between summer and winter. I do have economy 7 right enough, i have two metres but having looked into it you can have economy 7 on a single metre where the night time rate is less. I still suggest you follow the above advice and double check it is the correct metre.
if doing that the easiest way to turn all off would be to flick your main circuit breaker switch off then on again. The kettle thing would be a good plan too.
Good luck....i might add i am fighting with Npower.....worlds worst customer service.
Also they maybe didnt put you on an economy 7 rate even if that is what you have if you didnt tell them - and they only have one tariff for that and it went up about 10%-hence why i switched and am now fighting with them.
Once again...GOOD LUCK!

barnsleybarista

I agree with what you're saying Wolf3, but the thing is, we've been sat in the cold most of the time hoping not to create such a bill. This is the most confusing thing.

All I can do now is investigate the meter, check the serial code to make sure it's mine. Check it with the power off to make sure no electricity is going elsewhere, if not, then find out what is using the electricity, and if it's the water store then speak to building manager about the most economical way of running it.

It's so frustrating, not getting anywhere with nPower. They still havent cancelled the bill they sent me of £300 If that goes out on the 20th dec, ill be a very poor man for xmas!

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

plane_boy2000 wrote:

Npower have just tried to change my direct debit. Over the last year we have used 12,000 kw of gas, so they have decided that we will use 25500 in the next 12 months and are trying to more than double our monthly payment.

Not impressed, combined with the fact that my fix is about to end so they are moving me to one of their most expensive tariffs. Think its time for a change of supplier.

I dont think £50 pcm sounds unreasonable - we use slightly more in a 4 bed house with tumble dryer

Hi plane_boy2000,

Did npower explain how they calculated / predicted that your future Gas consumption would rise from 12,000 kWh to 25,500 kWh? I am asking because npower are having issues with their 'new system'.

The reason I ask is the Suppliers are supposed to explain the changes in the DD.

"27.14 The licensee must provide to each such Domestic Customer an explanation in clear, plain and intelligible
language of the basis upon which a fixed amount (and any variation of that fixed amount) has been determined."

As npower are introducing a 'new system', which is failing SLC 25.6 and 22.8
I was wondering if npower were complying with 27.14.

See
Warning: npower accept new customers without sending them a Contract
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4273611

See also Post #94 where there are links to threads about other Suppliers who are adjusting DDs without explaining how they did this.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

back_against_the_wall

I am very suspicious of the accuracy of installed meters. I live in an all electric flat. I am monitoring my meter readings every day at about the same time each day and also taking the figures for my neighbours. There are 9 flats in my block, 3 on each floor. I have turned off everything I can think of. I have no heating on, not had any heating for months despite the recent cold weather, only have the hot water on for 4 hours a day, never use my oven, only have the TV on for a couple of hours a day, only use the washing machine once a week, and still I am clocking up between 17 - 19 units per day which my supplier Npower have used as the basis to increase my monthly bill to £95 per month which I cannot possibly afford. The meter readings for my neighbours are all over the place. Some are quite ridiculously low, only between 1 - 5 units per day which is impossible to believe as there is no way they can be using less electricity than me. It makes no sense whatever. I am in the process now of changing my supplier to British Gas as customer service at Npower is appalling and they offer no help to people on a poverty income such as myself. I have asked Npower, before I pay my final bill with them, to send an engineer to check that the meter is accurately recording my useage but they have not bothered to either reply or comment.

[Deleted User]

OP you must take control of your own meter readings and if you have an eco 7 dual rate meter spend some time understanding how it works, what times the rates switch over and dont rely on the meter readers getting the rates correctly identified. All our meter readers nearly always read rate 1 on digital meters as the night rate.The suppliers dont really have much idea neither

plane_boy2000

Hi 25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

In terms of explanation its a page tagged on the back of my last bill that just states predicted usage. It shows the date on my bill up to the end of my fix, and then an assumed usage from the end of my fix to this time next year. This is then laid out as total expected cost for the next 12 months along with a caveat that its an assumption and will vary depending on changes of fuel costs, weather etc.

In essence they have explained how they arrived at the revised monthly payment, but no explanation as to how they have assumed that I will use more energy next year than this year

chanz4

back_against_the_wall wrote: »

I am very suspicious of the accuracy of installed meters. I live in an all electric flat. I am monitoring my meter readings every day at about the same time each day and also taking the figures for my neighbours. There are 9 flats in my block, 3 on each floor. I have turned off everything I can think of. I have no heating on, not had any heating for months despite the recent cold weather, only have the hot water on for 4 hours a day, never use my oven, only have the TV on for a couple of hours a day, only use the washing machine once a week, and still I am clocking up between 17 - 19 units per day which my supplier Npower have used as the basis to increase my monthly bill to £95 per month which I cannot possibly afford. The meter readings for my neighbours are all over the place. Some are quite ridiculously low, only between 1 - 5 units per day which is impossible to believe as there is no way they can be using less electricity than me. It makes no sense whatever. I am in the process now of changing my supplier to British Gas as customer service at Npower is appalling and they offer no help to people on a poverty income such as myself. I have asked Npower, before I pay my final bill with them, to send an engineer to check that the meter is accurately recording my useage but they have not bothered to either reply or comment.

op you say one min you dont use heating the next you do, the water heater maybe your issue and is the source along with storage heaters of high bills. A company wont do a meter test if your moving due to the cost. You may find that if you take reads every day for a few days at the same time your reads will advance by roughly the same.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

Hi plane_boy2000,

Thanks for your Post #18.

Post #10

plane_boy2000 wrote:

Npower have just tried to change my direct debit. Over the last year we have used 12,000 kw of gas, so they have decided that we will use 25500 in the next 12 months and are trying to more than double our monthly payment.

Not impressed, combined with the fact that my fix is about to end so they are moving me to one of their most expensive tariffs. Think its time for a change of supplier.

I dont think £50 pcm sounds unreasonable - we use slightly more in a 4 bed house with tumble dryer

Post #18

plane_boy2000 wrote:

Hi 25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

In terms of explanation its a page tagged on the back of my last bill that just states predicted usage. It shows the date on my bill up to the end of my fix, and then an assumed usage from the end of my fix to this time next year. This is then laid out as total expected cost for the next 12 months along with a caveat that its an assumption and will vary depending on changes of fuel costs, weather etc.

In essence they have explained how they arrived at the revised monthly payment, but no explanation as to how they have assumed that I will use more energy next year than this year

As you said in Post #10, what is quite difficult to follow is HOW they 'think' your usage will double to 25,500 kWh. The explanation (Post #18) seems to be totally inadequate.

"27.14 The licensee must provide to each such Domestic Customer an explanation in clear, plain and intelligible language of the basis upon which a fixed amount (and any variation of that fixed amount) has been determined."

npower have not explained 'in clear, plain and intelligible language ... the basis' of the change they are predicting in your consumption.

This is looking like yet another issue with their 'new system'.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

chris1973

If you don't like the predicted Direct Debit then switch to paying by Cash / Cheque / Online (with Credit Card) quarterly tariff, its only about 1.5% more expensive than direct debit and provided meter readings are submitted you'll only pay for what you use.

Paying by Direct Debit is a choice and not a legal requirement, and if you think the energy companies are extracting the urine then cut them short and go back to being in control of your payments, rather than letting their Sinclair Zx Spectrum predict it.

After 12 months, you'll have billing history and some idea of your total annual winter - summer consumption, and therefore will be able to challenge any direct debit which will work out noticably greater, than your previous years' consumption

Besides, Utility companies hate it when people pay by this 'old fashioned' method, so its worth it just to stick two fingers up at them and do it for the hell of it.