Suddenly a huge electric bill!!!

knightstyle

An organisation I help has been sent a bill for nearly £4,000!!!
Consumption up to 2010 was around £250-300 a quarter, then switched to nPower. Mixture of actual readings which were wrongly recorded, day as night, plus very inaccurate estimates have resulted in this big underpayment. They do not dispute the amount of electricity used but can they get some written off or time to pay?
They have started an "Expression of Dissatisfaction complaints procedure" but are there any precedences or points of law they can use?

Wywth

knightstyle wrote: »

An organisation I help has been sent a bill for nearly £4,000!!!
Consumption up to 2010 was around £250-300 a quarter, then switched to nPower. Mixture of actual readings which were wrongly recorded, day as night, plus very inaccurate estimates have resulted in this big underpayment. They do not dispute the amount of electricity used but can they get some written off or time to pay?
They have started an "Expression of Dissatisfaction complaints procedure" but are there any precedences or points of law they can use?

What Expression of Dissatisfaction did they make? :huh:

Get their legal advisers to look into contract law for a starter

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

Hi knightstyle,

Unfortunately, there are many issues with npower's 'new system' as documented in the long thread:

Warning: npower accept new customers without sending them a Contract
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4273611

See the 80 most recent posts for some examples.

As for the term "Expression of Dissatisfaction" in your Post:

"... started an "Expression of Dissatisfaction complaints procedure" but are ..."

I think, but am not 100% sure, that npower use this term "Expression of Dissatisfaction" as an 'internal to npower' expression for a Complaint that is not an 'Official Complaint'.
So it can be used for a "concern". An Official Complaint will have a Complaint Number.

To make sure that you have an Official Complaint phone 0800 316 9328.

As a first step I would:
A. Research what has happened at the organisation.
B. Phone npower to clarify.

However, if/when you Complain it is best to put everything in writing.

Complaints Team
npower
PO Box 97
Peterlee
SR8 9AP

Does the organisation that you are assisting have a Domestic or a Commercial Contract?

Is it a "micro business" according to the following definition?

Ofgem Condition 7A
http://utilitiessavings.co.uk/resources/ofgem-condition-7a/

For Business Contract Complaints see npower's Complaints page at
http://www.npower.com/Business/Customer-services/Make-a-complaint/

There are many helpful posters here at MSE.

Some of them know about "back billing relief" but we would need more detail about what has happened before anyone could give advice.

Backbilling: how to handle backdated business energy bills
http://www.businessjuice.co.uk/energy-forecaster/guides/backbilling-business-energy

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

P.S.
For Domestic Contract Complaints see npower's Complaints page at
http://www.npower.com/Home/customerservices/contact-customer-services/complaints/index.htm

Fire_Fox

knightstyle wrote: »

An organisation I help has been sent a bill for nearly £4,000!!!
Consumption up to 2010 was around £250-300 a quarter, then switched to nPower. Mixture of actual readings which were wrongly recorded, day as night, plus very inaccurate estimates have resulted in this big underpayment. They do not dispute the amount of electricity used but can they get some written off or time to pay?
They have started an "Expression of Dissatisfaction complaints procedure" but are there any precedences or points of law they can use?

Another thread on virtually the same topic yesterday
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4533655
Plenty of others if you run an advanced search.

knightstyle

Thanks both of you for all that. I am only checking the installation to try to see where the electricity is being use, it is 3 phase but to me everything is on one phase except the lift. There is a large water heater only on at night, two small counter top water heaters only used a few times a week, fans on the heating system etc. 12amps just now, went up to 23amps with a water heater on so everything seems OK.
I am hoping to meet with the guy who is going through all the paperwork, it was he who said a "Expression of Dissatisfaction complaints procedure" had been instigated but I don't know if he realised it was just internal.
So thanks again, looks as if I am going to be busy.

[Deleted User]

Hi Knightstyle, I take it you are registered as a small business. I had the same sort of thing with a small businesses in Goole, where he had had his eco 7 meter mis billed reversed for years and years until i came along and read the rates correctly, ( r1 was day, and not night as it had been recorded for years )this resulted in British Gas issuing him with a catch up bill of approx 2k. I helped him out with a few things including email address of the transposition dept to fight his case . This resulted with British Gas dropping all claims for the catch up bill. It was entirely their fault ,together with non trained meter readers not able, by a simple visual sign on the meter which correctly indicated which rate the meter was on. My company G4S , STILL havent trained any of the meter readers how to identify different rates on different meters, so the problem just carrys on

nPower

knightstyle wrote: »

An organisation I help has been sent a bill for nearly £4,000!!!
Consumption up to 2010 was around £250-300 a quarter, then switched to nPower. Mixture of actual readings which were wrongly recorded, day as night, plus very inaccurate estimates have resulted in this big underpayment. They do not dispute the amount of electricity used but can they get some written off or time to pay?
They have started an "Expression of Dissatisfaction complaints procedure" but are there any precedences or points of law they can use?

Hi knightstyle,

Could you ask the organisation to get in touch with me at [EMAIL="forumresponse@npower.com"]forumresponse@npower.com[/EMAIL] and I can take a look into their account to see what we can do?

Kind regards,

Adam