Npower doubled my direct debit

Fire_Fox

AliceBanned wrote: »

Excuses?!! I'm only trying to explain.

anyone would think you work for Npower. I'm not changing my opinion of them. I have other companies to compare them with, and I still think they are being OTT. Don't know why I posted on here to get castigated like this. I owe £180, big deal, in two months it will be paid off, and my energy consumption will be much lower soon. I always send in meter readings when asked, so don't know why you've assumed that I don't. the reason it has ran over is the higher cost than previously, nothing to do with me not doing meter readings.

It is a known fact that energy companies obfuscate the details of different tariffs etc, so it doesn't take a dim person to not be able to work it out or keep track properly. Don't really see the point in all this blame, it's really uncalled for when I have asked for help. I accept i owe the money, it's not as though I'm a bloody criminal or a I don't pay my way.:mad:

You are three full months use in arrears, you won't be paid off in two months because you won't be using zero energy between bills. Your new DD has to cover your ongoing usage AND a contribution towards the debt.

People ARE helping you but you refuse to accept that monthly DD is a method of budgeting where you are expected to be in credit for part of the year. If you want to pay in arrears you get quarterly bills which you settle in full. This has NOTHING to do with NPower it's standard practice.

I didn't say anything about meter readings when asked to supply them, I said regular meter readings. You do not have to wait to be asked because you are not a child or a subordinate, you will get the most accurate bills and DDs from reading, say, monthly.

Nobody said or intimated anything about criminal, nor does 'anyone' think I work for NPower, it's all over MSE and in my profile that I work in lifestyle healthcare. That is a childish accusation, you are clearly more intelligent than this.

And no that is not a 'known fact' many of us feel that has been exaggerated by the media. It gets confusing when people needlessly get underestimated bills followed by catch up bills followed by overestimated bills followed by accurate bills. Easily resolved by taking regular meter readings and feeding actual KWH usage into price comparison sites. Thanks to whingers who don't bother to keep track of or understand their usage, those who are very frugal users will have to pay massively more for their energy because 'no standing charge' tariffs are going.

AliceBanned

Fire_Fox wrote: »

You are three full months use in arrears, you won't be paid off in two months because you won't be using zero energy between bills. Your new DD has to cover your ongoing usage AND a contribution towards the debt.

People ARE helping you but you refuse to accept that monthly DD is a method of budgeting where you are expected to be in credit for part of the year. If you want to pay in arrears you get quarterly bills which you settle in full. This has NOTHING to do with NPower it's standard practice.

I didn't say anything about meter readings when asked to supply them, I said regular meter readings. You do not have to wait to be asked because you are not a child or a subordinate, you will get the most accurate bills and DDs from reading, say, monthly.

Nobody said or intimated anything about criminal, nor does 'anyone' think I work for NPower, it's all over MSE and in my profile that I work in lifestyle healthcare. That is a childish accusation, you are clearly more intelligent than this.

And no that is not a 'known fact' many of us feel that has been exaggerated by the media. It gets confusing when people needlessly get underestimated bills followed by catch up bills followed by overestimated bills followed by accurate bills. Easily resolved by taking regular meter readings and feeding actual KWH usage into price comparison sites. Thanks to whingers who don't bother to keep track of or understand their usage, those who are very frugal users will have to pay massively more for their energy because 'no standing charge' tariffs are going.

Lifestyle healthcare? Please then go and throw your dummy out of your pram on someone else's thread. You are not here to help, you are here to get on your high horse. there is no way that high gas bills are due to people not regularly meter reading. Once a month. Give us a break, some of us have a life..:rotfl:

AliceBanned

Ps and read my previous post before you start preaching and ranting about how I should pay my bills. I've already decided to do that, as I personally don't believe the utility companies have a right to ask me to pay in advance. I never disagreed with the fact that I should pay the arrears, but I've only just been informed of the arrears. Surely if Npower or whoever else were that concerned they could send an email requesting a meter reading.

That would be the lifestyle change I need then would it, preach to everyone about not reading their meters or monitoring their gas usage "properly". And by the way I am not three months in arrears, just two months, now that I am paying the amount I have been asked to pay.:A

bengal-stripe

With n-power you can opt for a quarterly DD (still getting the DD discount), which will take the exact amount owed for the consumption of the last three months. You submit your reading (you get prompted by e-mail), the computer generates the invoice 2 or 3 days later and the DD is taken another fortnight later.

Of course, the winter bills will be higher than those for summer. But you pay for the energy used fully in arrears (which seems to be important to you).

Fire_Fox

AliceBanned wrote: »

Ps and read my previous post before you start preaching and ranting about how I should pay my bills. I've already decided to do that, as I personally don't believe the utility companies have a right to ask me to pay in advance. I never disagreed with the fact that I should pay the arrears, but I've only just been informed of the arrears. Surely if Npower or whoever else were that concerned they could send an email requesting a meter reading.

That would be the lifestyle change I need then would it, preach to everyone about not reading their meters or monitoring their gas usage "properly". And by the way I am not three months in arrears, just two months, now that I am paying the amount I have been asked to pay.:A

What on earth are you on about now? Where has anyone suggested you don't intend to pay the bills or settle the arrears?? Are you reading the same thread I am?

The supplier DOES have the right to have you in credit at the end of the summer with monthly DDs, that IS helpful advice because it is factually correct. Telling people to read the meters regularly is ALSO helpful advice, because is helps people avoid frighteningly huge arrears building up and with budgeting. If you bothered to run an advanced search you'd see many other posters helpfully advocating the same.

But feel free to completely dismiss all the factual and helpful advice you have been given, and then whinge about not being helped.

Jules2012

This is exactly the reason I switched, DD was £101 then they changed it to £144. This was to take into account £135 debit on the January bill.

Switched to Co-op in March and had £138 refunded! God news why they thought I had to pay an extra £44 a month.

Nada666

Jules2012 wrote: »

This is exactly the reason I switched, DD was £101 then they changed it to £144. This was to take into account £135 debit on the January bill.

Switched to Co-op in March and had £138 refunded! God news why they thought I had to pay an extra £44 a month.

Secondary school arithmetic rather then omniscience is all that is required.

Very similar sum - £155 extra over six months is an extra £26. Plus £114 for your ongoing usage (including underspend +£20 for underspend for Feb and Mar). Total £140.

Co-op will do the same if you choose to pay by direct debit.

starryshell

They have done the same with me - and my bills have gone up a staggering £60 a month. My consumption has not gone up nearly as much as the raise in DD. I'm a single person living in a small flat, and I only put the heat on at night and only when I'm desperate. But I'm still paying nearly £90/month now on DD.

They've also now changed their rates, eliminating the two-tiered pricing system for a standing charge and single rate system.

Nada666

This will be a combination of price increase (due to standing charge) and underpayment. £30 per month is pretty low - it is not unlikely you were underpaying. There is also the possibility that the £8.66 per month annual discount is not included after thirteen months. Blah blah six months to repay blah blah twelve month estimate.

starryshell

Nada666 wrote: »

This will be a combination of price increase (due to standing charge) and underpayment. £30 per month is pretty low - it is not unlikely you were underpaying. There is also the possibility that the £8.66 per month annual discount is not included after thirteen months. Blah blah six months to repay blah blah twelve month estimate.

Oh, I agree - the previous price was silly low, and I expected an increase to a total payment of about £50 or perhaps £60/month. My arrears was £180 - so for six months £30/month. In my eyes, I'm overpaying £30/month, money they'll earn float on - and there was no negotiation with nPower about this amount.