Npower issue

monkey1977_2

Hi There

I moved into a flat this time last year and immediately moved energy supplier (from Utility Warehouse to Npower) and it has been a nasty mistake.

It took the until November (6+ months) to get my account started up, during which time i was adivsed to pay the old supplier as i was still receiving bills from them. When Npower finally got the account set up they billed me for the whole period, even though I was paying Utility Warehouse. So i have in effect been billed for the electricity TWICE. Also, UW have STILL not recieved closing readings from Npower to enable them to close my account and refund me some money from the cross-over period.

Npower initially said that they would get my money back from Uwarehouse but are now refusing to do anything at all and maintain that I should also be paying them for the electricity that i already paid the UW for.

They are now threatening court action unless I pay them the backdated money, even though I have already paid it. This is all caused by their failure to get the account set up on time (taking 6 months).

Now I have found out that my bills are ALOT higher than they should be because the timers on the storage heaters have been set wrong, so rather than storing heat at night (when the electricity costs less) it has been storing it during the day. They have agreed that they should look into it and have arranged for someone to come out in May.

I told them that as this is their responsibility I expect them to adjust my bill, but surprise surprise, they have refused. As it stands my bills over the winter have been £85 a month. This is for a studio apartment consisting of 2 rooms, when i am at work 5 days a week from 6 in the morning until 8 at night. I have nothing to drain the electricity that much. only the fridge is on during the day.

I am my wits end with npower bullying me and trying to take more and more money from me. I need some advice, if anyone can find the time to give me some I would be very grateful.

thanks

m

pudding06

do you have copies of the bills showing you have paid them to the other company? they should have meter readings on them etc. to prove that you have been paying them.

It is up to you often to provide final meter readings too. I did when I changed from npower to scottish power. I'm sure they do check them though.

failing that there is ofwat - I think that is the energy watchdog organisation which regulates the sector and they should be able to offer you advice. Or try the citizens advice bureau.

good luck


pudds

sparkleworld

Join the club Monkey1977!
Npower have been my worst nightmare for 5 YEARS!!!!
They landed me with a bill for over £600 :eek:
Despite paying them every quarter quite hefty amounts too.
I wont bore you with the details but your best bet is to contact Energywatch as long as you have proof of payments to the other electricity comany they should be able to help you. Good Luck 'cos I think your gona need it!
kind regards
Sparkleworld

Ken68

http://www.energywatch.org.uk/

tripled

monkey1977, if you haven't done so already you need to ring your local MPAS service and confirm with them what date the transfer from UW to nPower went through. Before that date pay UW should be paid, after that date nPower should be paid, period. If you have made any overpayments to UW you will need to arrange with UW for them to be refunded, nPower can't do that for you whatever they may or may not say.

As for the final reading, I would recommend putting a complaint in writing to nPower along with a copy of the meter reading, and send a copy to UW for their information. If it isn't resolved after 28 days then energywatch or the energy ombudsman are your friends. I wouldn't go to ofwat - they regulate water

With regards to the storage heaters, are the timers yours or theirs? Usually they just come on when the meter clicks over, I would guess if this is where the fault is then your utility co would be responsible for it, however if you are responsible for the timers that set the heaters then you wouldn't have any comeback on the electricity provider.

monkey1977_2

Well know the electrician who do all the work on the building when it was renovated last year and he told me that Npower were responisbile for the timers. Its nothing to do with the units installed in the flat. He says the timers attached to the electricity meters and as such are npowers responsibility.

I have supplied UW with the final meter readings on more than one occasion but they keep saying they need to receive them from Npower. Npower in turn keep saying they have already sent them and there is nothing more they can do.

I feel like i have no power to get this sorted.

Npower will not reduce the bill or help me get my money back and UW wont refund me as they dont agree that i should of been paying Npower.

I just feel like giving up and agreeing to pay nPower just to try and move things along.

tripled

As I said, check with MPAS when your changeover went through, you will then no who you should be paying for what, and if they don't sort it out go to energywatch.