Npower ARRGHHHH!!!

jilljill2891

Hi all, can anyone help me npower are confusing me!!

Right, we have dual fuel with npower and were paying £73 per month in total (direct debit). I read the meters and sent them the readings on 23rd October, they said the bill would be ready within 5 days. Two weeks later I was still waiting (I only wanted to know if I owed them money before winter!!). I then emailed them asking where my bill was, to which I got an automated response saying they'd be in touch in 24 hours. This didn't appear so I emailed again about a week later, and finally got a response on 7th December.

This response said I owed them £250 - eeekkk I was thinking that would be a lot of power we'd used over the summer. I went online and it said I was £250 in CREDIT! After the bill had been paid. Most confused. Then £230 appeared in my bank account yesterday as a credit from them! Which I wouldn't have minded if they hadn't increased my direct debit from 73 to 130 a month!! Why?!! If they think I'm going to use that much then keep the money in there!

Anyway, when looking carefully at my bill they estimate my usage to be about £900 per year. Well by my calculations if I pay £130 per month, surely that means I'll be in £660 credit in 12 months time?

I don't understand why they've done this a it's their calculations about yearly usage yet they've whacked up my direct debit!

Honestly they might be getting a strongly worded letter, beginning with the fact it takes them about 6 weeks to send a bill and 4 weeks to respond to an email!

Sorry for the long post - should I ring them and say have the £230 back and keep my direct debit the same? Will they negotiate on the monthly payment? Only thing is I don't want to owe them any money.

Thanks for any advice.

HappyMJ

6 weeks to send a bill. You're lucky. I've been waiting since November 2011.

Yes you can renegotiate the monthly payment. I'd keep the money until the difference of £230 has been paid back then ring them up and change it back to £73. i.e...after winter around March maybe April.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

jilljill2891 wrote:

...
Anyway, when looking carefully at my bill they estimate my usage to be about £900 per year. Well by my calculations if I pay £130 per month, surely that means I'll be in £660 credit in 12 months time?

I don't understand why they've done this a it's their calculations about yearly usage yet they've whacked up my direct debit!
...

Hi jilljill2891,

I am also finding npower makes me want to say ARRGHHHH!!!

As npower are having major issues with their 'new computer system'
it is possible that your experience is a 'knock on effect' of this.

I offer this as an explanation not an excuse.

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."

Source: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Licensing/Work/Pages/licence-conditions-consolidated.aspx

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.
From what you have posted it does not look like it at all. :eek:

See
Warning: npower accept new customers without sending them a Contract
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4273611
for more information on their 'new system', which is obviously 'in a mess'.

npower have ignored all the more difficult questions asked in the thread.
npower have tried to 'play down the whole issue' be as 'bland as possible'.

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

jilljill2891

Just looked at my account online again, now I'm £149 in DEBIT!!! Omg what on earth are they on?? Utterly confused. Why would they refund the money? I was £16 in credit yesterday now they've charged me £165 somewhere along the line!

I want to give them an ear bashing right now!! Gonna wait until tomorrow to calm down. Might just give them the money they refunded me back!

undaunted

Dont give them any money back at the moment, just keep it aside. If you were in credit for £250 there is no reason your Direct debit should be changed

I suggest you write complaining & asking for a clear explanation before you decide what to do next with that money

amcg100

I'd advise you to switch, but other companies are just as bad. There is no substitute for calculating it all out yourself then telling them how much you are going to pay. This is what I do every year and they don't argue. Its daunting at first, but once you have done it once its a doddle, you could even write a spreadsheet to monitor your usage and balance, or get one of the aps that are knocking about.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

_undaunted wrote:

Dont give them any money back at the moment, just keep it aside. If you were in credit for £250 there is no reason your Direct debit should be changed

I suggest you write complaining & asking for a clear explanation before you decide what to do next with that money

I totally agree. Write. You need a "clear explanation".

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

jilljill2891

Well I phoned them and the lady I spoke to seemed as confused as me as to 1 - why they refunded me, and 2 - why they had put my direct debit up so much.

We agreed on £95 per month which according to npower's calculations of our yearly usage would still put us in about £300 credit. Never mind, much better than the £130 they wanted to take from us!

Must say too, the lady on the phone was very helpful and very polite. And I liked that she was as confused as me about what they had done!

Krojan

Had similar probs myself, my DD went from £74 to £157(!) per month although I only found this out after having to ring them to get them to generate the bill that was over a month late again... Their excuse? the increase was to cover increased useage over the winter months... despite them having accurate meter readings for at least 12 months which shows I average about £800 p/y on gas and electric combined.. seriously!? nPower really need to sort their stuff out