Add your feedback on energy supplier Npower

dorset_nurse

I have been with N Power for nearly five years. Probably only through laziness of looking elsewhere, in fact I think the previous owners used them so I just kept them. (April 2010).

Initially I had big issues with them- I signed up for monthly direct debit and they didn't take any payments. I contacted them after two months to raise it as I was worried that I wouldn't have enough money in that account if they suddenly took a big payment.

They apologised but still no bill came or payment came out. Each time I called them they said they would sort it and give me plenty of notice.
After 9 months I received a bill for almost 1K, with a statement that they would be taking the money in seven days. Luckily I was able to move money so it didn't cause me a problem.

I contacted them about it and finally adjusted the account properly so that I was paying in monthly payments.

Last month (4th September) I switched using Martins email alerts and listening to the podcast (thanks Martin!) and N Power sent me an "urgent letter to talk to them." It was dated 22nd of September, and didn't arrive until the 31st. The letter implied I needed to call them urgently to make sure the switch went "smoothly".

I called the number on the letter today and was on hold for 15.25 minutes. When the call was answered a lady asked me why I was calling and I told her I'd had the letter. She proceeded to try and sell me a "cheaper tariff" but as the 14 day cooling off period with the new provider has passed I said I would only stay if the new tariff could be beaten and they pay the early exit fee of £50.

The caller said she thought it would be accepted and asked me to hold while she spoke to her supervisor which I did for about 5 minutes, until the line went dead. I waited 10 minutes and called them back- to wait another ten minutes on hold.
The person I spoke to this time (who also said their name so quick I could not catch it) told me there would be no way N Power would agree to pay the exit fee.

N Power wasted my time getting me to call them, and when they could have actually impressed me by saving my money they failed. And if they had contacted me quicker they would have kept a customer.

sparrer

Several months ago, after entering my details on the Cheap Energy Club's comparison page, I switched from my previous provider to npower. I was very disappointed to be told I would be paying £91, which is £11 more for my dual fuel than I was before. However I recently had meter readings taken and yesterday I was delighted to receive a statement telling me my monthly dd has been drastically reduced and I am in credit to the value of £200+.

Due to my circumstances I will always have someone to do the readings rather than trying to do it myself, a very hit-or-miss affair, or to be sent an estimate, a service my last provider didn't offer. It's very comforting to know there will be no horrid surprises after several estimated bills and then a properly read one.

I have to say I am very satisfied with the service I'm receiving and am very pleased to have taken the recommendation to switch.

deldee

I am having great problems with NPOWER. switched via mse energy club end last year. have had my first bill .... £3000 in arrears. totally wrong. revised bill nearly £2000. I have paid £132 a month for 10 months. have been told that start readings from EON wrong. revised bill now down to 200 + but they had taken over £600 in DD despite account on hold. i had a £20 charge and npower said they would pay. another reviced bill £189 but cant take the £20 off as it had been taken off a cancelled bill!!! the £140 warm home as i look after my 83yr old father cant be discounted as taken off last bill but that was also cancelled. i suggested that they work out the energy used then take discounts off to get final figure but this isnt possible!!!why!!!! oh and meter not working properly. Wtll be putting complaint in writing as phone complaints getting me nowhere. will change asap and take to financial ombudsman. They must think we button up the back!!! awful "service"

E.ON_Company_Representative

deldee wrote: »

switched via mse energy club end last year. have had my first bill ....have been told that start readings from EON wrong.

Hi deldee,

I thought I would give you some advice from our side

When you change supplier we’ll use the same meter reading as your new energy supplier. This is to make sure that you only get billed once for the energy you’ve used. Sometimes these meter readings can be taken incorrectly, estimated or not sent through in time. The new supplier is responsible for this reading, whether it’s collecting an actual one from you or estimating it based on your previous meter reading history (which we would send to them)

If this happens we'll raise an agreed reads dispute (ARD) with the other supplier. If both suppliers agree to the new meter reading we’ll both bill you to it. Both suppliers can start this process, so if you’ve already contacted NPower they should have done this.

I hope this helps.

Amy

whiteswan

NPOWER have just told me I cannot leave them until my account is completely clear.

So I have asked them for an (estimated) final bill - they say they cannot do this...........

So I have said I will go to another company - they went on to explain how I cannot go to anybody else - and that they would put a "stop" on any attempt to switch until the account is settled...........so I ask them for a final bill - they say they cannot do this.....................and on, and on, and on.............

Basically they are saying there is no way out...........

How do I get away from them ?

Dave

whiteswan

Here is the head of customer relations name and contact number that their executive complaints refused to give me............

Elizabeth Gibson (head of customer support) PO box177 signet way, Houghton-le-Spring, sunderland, dh4 9aq.

I assume Executive Complaints have been told NOT to give this out to customers as any complaints officially addressed to her will have to be included in their customer complaint figures..............

I think this should be made a sticky...........

Dave

naedanger

whiteswan wrote: »

Here is the head of customer relations name and contact number that their executive complaints refused to give me............

Elizabeth Gibson (head of customer support) PO box177 signet way, Houghton-le-Spring, sunderland, dh4 9aq.

I assume Executive Complaints have been told NOT to give this out to customers as any complaints officially addressed to her will have to be included in their customer complaint figures..............

I think this should be made a sticky...........

Dave

Npower seem to be resorting to underhand tactics to keep their complaint numbers down e.g. they have closed my complaint and are not counting it in their statistics even although they know it is not resolved (after many months).

Their complaints process is here:
http://www.npower.com/idc/groups/wcms_content/@wcms/@busi/documents/digitalassets/puttingthingsright100108.pdf

I suggest people put their complaint in writing to the email address given.

nannygizmo

Dreadful company. I had nothing but problems for almost 2 years. All my bills went missing from my internet account in July. They have sorted it now but it is a total mess. I pay by DD and there are bills issued then refunded then re issued then refunded. Nobody ever knows why or what caused the problem. I switch this month.

tommysmith80

nPower are a nightmare. We moved into a flat in May and gave the readings and they said based on size of flat etc direct debit for electric only would be about £50. Couple of months later our new readings were in line with the payments that were being taken so all was fine.

3 weeks ago I received a letter saying that we owed them money and they are upping the direct debit by more than double to £112 after a reading was mysteriously taken a couple of months ago by themselves where the meter miraculously showed a number lower than what it was when we moved in 3 months earlier and have pictorial evidence of and landlord agreement with. Consequently they'd calculated we'd used a ridiculous amount of electric in the last 2 months.

I called them up and the handler could see the sequence of readings they held for the property didn't make sense and it would be passed to their "back office" for investigation but would take a month. In the meantime they've helped themselves to the £112 out of my account anyway. Will be leaving as soon as it is sorted and hope the meter will miraculously jump backwards again for the final reading!

amberrye

So sorry we ever went with Npower. By far the worst energy provider we have had.


We have had problems for the past several months, not initially due to Npower but their communication is awful - they don't answer questions, don't reply to emails properly (by not addressing the problem, just saying we will look into it, then never hearing anything from them) and to date have ignored 3 official complaints.


We have also subsequently discovered their customer services staff have provided inaccurate information, maybe to fob us off/simply as a sweetener to get us off the 'phone.


We will be leaving them as soon as we can. Come back British Gas, Eon, Scottish Power any day ..............