NPower refusing to set-up payments - any advice?

KashaUK2013

I've been with NPower for my electricity since I moved here about 6 years ago - same tariff, no idea how other suppliers compare. About a year into living here I lost my job and I've been unemployed ever since, as a result I'm in debt with NPower so am stuck with them as they won't let me switch while in debt.

I currently pay via Fuel-Direct so payments come directly out of my benefits - as I can't afford smaller payments, and I can't have a payment meter fitted due to being in a flat with everyone's meters being in cupboard in a shared entryway.

I switch back and forth between Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance (I have to; I'm 'too disabled' for JSA but 'not disabled enough' for ESA)...every time my benefits change my Fuel-Direct payments have to be set back up again...

...problem; I can't use a telephone.

- NPower refuse point-blank to set-up Fuel-Direct via email or post, they also insist on my providing a meter reading despite the fact I have no access to the electricity meters. I'm getting letters threatening to cut-off my electricity for non-payment, but the only advice they could offer is to tell me to try going to CAB to get them to call NPower on my behalf.

- I go to CAB in September just to find that NPower refuse to talk to them, nothing is set-up to allow this to happen, but after a lot of phone calls between CAB and NPower they agree that if I can send written consent they'll allow CAB staff to talk on my behalf.

- A week later I go back to CAB, they call NPower...NPower still refuse to talk to CAB. So, CAB end-up calling DWP to re-set my Fuel-Direct payments...great, it's sorted...or so I thought...

- About a month later I get a letter about trying to gain access to my property on behalf of NPower for non-payment. I've had no other letters to inform me of non-payment so I assume it's a letter sent before Fuel-Direct was re-set. I email NPower to be safe.

- NPower auto-reply tell me they'll get back to me within 5 days...10 days later there is still no reply, so I send another email...no reply...another email...still no reply. I forget about it.

- A month and a half later (today) I get an email from NPower stating that there has been no payment set up since AUGUST - they didn't inform me of this. They still insist on my phoning them.

:wall:

In the past this has been resolved by going to CAB and having them contact DWP to set-up the Fuel-Direct payments from that end...but both DWP and NPower can spend months arguing about who is responsible for setting up Fuel-Direct, ultimately it should fall to NPower, and they should be willing to talk to me about payments in any situation. I end-up being stuck in the middle with threatening letters, worried that my electricity is going to be cut-off, and gaining additional fees for late payments.

I can't get to CAB for the next two and a half weeks as I'm away from home. Besides my ESA appeal is on this Friday, so my benefits may well change yet again so I'll have to start this whole thing all over again, and of course even if I get to CAB they still may not be able to talk to NPower on my behalf.

I have no idea where they are in terms of gaining access because back when I originally went to CAB in September they were threatening to cut-off my electricity...according to them now there has been no payment since August, so despite having gotten only one further letter I have to assume they're closer to cutting me off than they were in September. I just have to hope they don't try to gain entry to my home in the mean time!!

Can anyone offer me any advice on how to stop this from happening and get this sorted once and for all?

rogerblack

KashaUK2013 wrote: »

I can't get to CAB for the next two and a half weeks as I'm away from home. Besides my ESA appeal is on this Friday, so my benefits may well change yet again so I'll have to start this whole thing all over again, and of course even if I get to CAB they still may not be able to talk to NPower on my behalf.?

Addressing only this part.
If you are not granted ESA by the tribunal, you can reapply for ESA, if it has been over 6 months since the decision which you are appealing against.
The benefits/tax-credits board may be more appropriate to discuss this on.

KashaUK2013

To clarify.

The last payment they have from me is actually back in JULY!!
It's also taken from 15th November till now to reply to my emails.

undaunted

As you appear happy to have the £3.50 or so a week deducted & paid to Npower I suggest that as "a goodwill gesture" / sign of your good faith (which you will point out in Court should matters at any point proceed legally) you make that payment manually at any point that DWP stop payments.

If mobility is an issue do you have a relative, friend or neighbour who would help you do so?

I suggest you also write a complaint (forget about the call centre staff) to Npower explaining the difficulties as you do above and asking how they feel they are meeting their ERA safety net obligations http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/30/308.html and that they remedy the situation by liaison with DWP and or CAB (there is no reasonable basis for them to refuse to speak to CAB if you place a written authorisation to do so until further notice on file).

If your meter is inside they will need a warrant to gain entry to the property. If they apply for one you will have the opportunity to go and contest it (and a Judge wont have issue with you taking a CAB advocate / witness with you I suspect). If you can show that you have made reasonable efforts (as above) I don't believe they would grant a warrant, particularly if you have disability issues and therefore can't service it with ease.

Previously I would have said you should contact Consumer Focus for assistance however I believe they have handed over responsibility for energy to the CAB. You may therefore wish to forward a copy of your complaint to Ofgem in order that they are aware of the issues here.

Npower are not the easiest of companies to deal with over such issues and have a reputation for this kind of thing I'm afraid but you should get there with persistance.

Good luck

chanz4

KashaUK2013 wrote: »

I've been with NPower for my electricity since I moved here about 6 years ago - same tariff, no idea how other suppliers compare. About a year into living here I lost my job and I've been unemployed ever since, as a result I'm in debt with NPower so am stuck with them as they won't let me switch while in debt.

I currently pay via Fuel-Direct so payments come directly out of my benefits - as I can't afford smaller payments, and I can't have a payment meter fitted due to being in a flat with everyone's meters being in cupboard in a shared entryway. (unless locked nothing stopping this)

I switch back and forth between Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance (I have to; I'm 'too disabled' for JSA but 'not disabled enough' for ESA)...every time my benefits change my Fuel-Direct payments have to be set back up again...

...problem; I can't use a telephone.

- NPower refuse point-blank to set-up Fuel-Direct via email or post, they also insist on my providing a meter reading despite the fact I have no access to the electricity meters. I'm getting letters threatening to cut-off my electricity for non-payment, but the only advice they could offer is to tell me to try going to CAB to get them to call NPower on my behalf.
(acurate billing is a requirement for fuel direct, its so they are not repaying estimated usage. For continues authority you need a signed auth form on file)



- I go to CAB in September just to find that NPower refuse to talk to them, nothing is set-up to allow this to happen, but after a lot of phone calls between CAB and NPower they agree that if I can send written consent they'll allow CAB staff to talk on my behalf.

- A week later I go back to CAB, they call NPower...NPower still refuse to talk to CAB. So, CAB end-up calling DWP to re-set my Fuel-Direct payments...great, it's sorted...or so I thought...

- About a month later I get a letter about trying to gain access to my property on behalf of NPower for non-payment. I've had no other letters to inform me of non-payment so I assume it's a letter sent before Fuel-Direct was re-set. I email NPower to be safe.

- NPower auto-reply tell me they'll get back to me within 5 days...10 days later there is still no reply, so I send another email...no reply...another email...still no reply. I forget about it.

- A month and a half later (today) I get an email from NPower stating that there has been no payment set up since AUGUST - they didn't inform me of this. They still insist on my phoning them.

:wall:

In the past this has been resolved by going to CAB and having them contact DWP to set-up the Fuel-Direct payments from that end...but both DWP and NPower can spend months arguing about who is responsible for setting up Fuel-Direct, ultimately it should fall to NPower, and they should be willing to talk to me about payments in any situation. I end-up being stuck in the middle with threatening letters, worried that my electricity is going to be cut-off, and gaining additional fees for late payments.

(fuel direct is actually your liability to get setup, you have to contact your supplier whom will then fwd it to the benefits agency. Its not the supplier, its fuel direct rules.)


I can't get to CAB for the next two and a half weeks as I'm away from home. Besides my ESA appeal is on this Friday, so my benefits may well change yet again so I'll have to start this whole thing all over again, and of course even if I get to CAB they still may not be able to talk to NPower on my behalf.

I have no idea where they are in terms of gaining access because back when I originally went to CAB in September they were threatening to cut-off my electricity...according to them now there has been no payment since August, so despite having gotten only one further letter I have to assume they're closer to cutting me off than they were in September. I just have to hope they don't try to gain entry to my home in the mean time!!

Can anyone offer me any advice on how to stop this from happening and get this sorted once and for all?

Only way to stop is to get the fuel direct setup.

chanz4

undaunted wrote: »

As you appear happy to have the £3.50 or so a week deducted & paid to Npower I suggest that as "a goodwill gesture" / sign of your good faith (which you will point out in Court should matters at any point proceed legally) you make that payment manually at any point that DWP stop payments.

If mobility is an issue do you have a relative, friend or neighbour who would help you do so?

I suggest you also write a complaint (forget about the call centre staff) to Npower explaining the difficulties as you do above and asking how they feel they are meeting their ERA safety net obligations http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/30/308.html and that they remedy the situation by liaison with DWP and or CAB (there is no reasonable basis for them to refuse to speak to CAB if you place a written authorisation to do so until further notice on file).

If your meter is inside they will need a warrant to gain entry to the property. If they apply for one you will have the opportunity to go and contest it (and a Judge wont have issue with you taking a CAB advocate / witness with you I suspect). If you can show that you have made reasonable efforts (as above) I don't believe they would grant a warrant, particularly if you have disability issues and therefore can't service it with ease.

Previously I would have said you should contact Consumer Focus for assistance however I believe they have handed over responsibility for energy to the CAB. You may therefore wish to forward a copy of your complaint to Ofgem in order that they are aware of the issues here.

Npower are not the easiest of companies to deal with over such issues and have a reputation for this kind of thing I'm afraid but you should get there with persistance.

Good luck

Its not their rules, its fuel directs

undaunted

I believe you are mistaken chanz4.

Npowers own website states "If you think you may be eligible for Fuel Direct please contact your benefits agency or call us on the number on your bill or reminder letter. We are here to help Mon-Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat 9am - 6pm."

whilst "Sally", the Npower rep stated in a relevant thread here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2568215 "Fuel Direct it set up by your energy supplier, not your benefits office."

I believe Ofgem may consider Fuel Direct the best option for you Kashauk2013 based upon your post and this 2010 document (see P27 onwards) http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Monitoring/SoObMonitor/Documents1/Social%20obligations%202009%20annual%20report.pdf

though they also unfortunately found that many suppliers found it a cumbersome process and therefore sought to avoid the administration , ie

"6.6. We also understand from discussions with suppliers and other parties, such as the ERA, that suppliers sometimes find the process of getting a customer onto Fuel Direct administratively complex and time consuming. Consumer advisors also identified this as an issue during the research noting that suppliers often request that they make the arrangements with DWP to get the customer onto Fuel Direct."

taken from here http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Publications/Documents1/Debt%20Review%20Report.pdf

Nevertheless various bodies (eg Courts issuing fines or Councils with a liability order) can and do take payment by deduction from benefits - which they, not "the consumer", set up with DWP - so it can certainly be done

chanz4

utilitys cant be placed without a court order on forced. What happens is the supplier fills a form out and sends it to you. Its the person whom signs and send to the benfit agency

undaunted

But, as stated in post 1, they haven't filled out a form for the customer to sign, nor seemingly sought any court order either, so maybe it's just far easier to just try & bully the customer onto PPM?

Wywth

KashaUK2013 wrote: »

...problem; I can't use a telephone. ...

Get someone who can to call on your behalf with you stood alongside them.

Simples :cool:

chanz4

Wywth wrote: »

Get someone who can to call on your behalf with you stood alongside them.

Simples :cool:

thats too easy