nPower 12mth DD discount - what is 12mth?

alinwales

Sorry, it may sound like an odd question.
I'm planning to switch away from nPower at the earliest opportunity as my fix is about to end (21 May).
However, their supply was the cheapest when taking into account the 12m £100 DD discount. So, as my first DD was on 6 June last year, should I get the discount on the 6th May, or will they expect me to be a customer still on 5th June?
Does any current customer have a good indication of this?

I realise that if I set up the switch now, it probably wouldn't come into effect before the 6th June (7 wks), but I wouldn't want to cut it too fine if this date were the cut-off for my discount, and the switch happened slightly before!

Many thanks.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

I think npower expect 12 DDs to be taken from your Account before they apply the Discount.
In my case I joined npower on 21 September 2012
(I started the switch on 17 August 2012).

So, I think I will NOT get the '12 Month Discount' credited to my account until after the October 2013 DD has been processed. Some readers may think this is 'not what I thought 12 months meant'.

I advise you ask npower to confirm your date.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

PS
As you can see from this thread, I think the only safe assumption is to wait until you receive the credit. However, npower should tell you if you ask them. The other factor is the 'total switch time': this is not in the Consumer's control and some switches can be less than 4 weeks.

npower annual discount
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3947023

chanz4

Look on any tariff on their site:

Your annual discount: If you pay by Direct Debit continuously for 12 months (either by making monthly payments or by settling your quarterly bill in full by variable Direct Debit) we’ll give you a discount off your bill (£100 if you buy both electricity and gas, £50 if you buy just gas or £40 if you buy just electricity). Alternatively, if you pay for both fuels for 12 months by cash or cheque, either when you receive your quarterly bill or by regular monthly or fortnightly payments, we’ll give you a £10 Dual Fuel discount. Your discount will be credited to your account on or before the last day of the 12th month after becoming eligible and then on or before the same last day of each year you continue to pay this way. Dual fuel customers must pay for both fuels in one combined payment and accept a combined dual fuel bill or statement to receive a Dual Fuel discount. Certain tariffs are excluded. If you don’t pay by Direct Debit and you receive any discount that is equivalent to our Direct Debit discount, this equivalent discount will be replaced by the Direct Debit discount if you switch to Direct Debit payment. Subject to change.

chanz4

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig wrote: »

I think npower expect 12 DDs to be taken from your Account before they apply the Discount.
In my case I joined npower on 21 September 2012
(I started the switch on 17 August 2012).

So, I think I will NOT get the '12 Month Discount' credited to my account until after the October 2013 DD has been processed. Some readers may think this is 'not what I thought 12 months meant'.

I advise you ask npower to confirm your date.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

PS
As you can see from this thread, I think the only safe assumption is to wait until you receive the credit. However, npower should tell you if you ask them. The other factor is the 'total switch time': this is not in the Consumer's control and some switches can be less than 4 weeks.

npower annual discount
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3947023

No it cant, you have a 2 week cooling off period then a 2 week transfer

Nada666

It is not true that you require twelve debits to be taken. All that is required is that you are a customer for twelve months following the date the later fuel started (usually gas). Provided you are twelve months mod a little when you switch you are due your credit.

If you are staying with npower it matters little whether it is credited this month or that.

zerog

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig wrote: »

PS
As you can see from this thread, I think the only safe assumption is to wait until you receive the credit. However, npower should tell you if you ask them. The other factor is the 'total switch time': this is not in the Consumer's control and some switches can be less than 4 weeks.

npower annual discount
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3947023

Then you may end up waiting 2 years as they say they only bill every 6 months, but in reality it is more like 1 year.

alinwales

The linked thread was generally mixed opinions, with no facts from someone with an actuall bill in front of them. From the T&Cs pasted above, I should get the discount 364 days after I agreed to pay by DD. 12 payments would probably have to have been paid, unless you sign up towards the end of a month.

"the last day of the 12th month after becoming eligible"
All depends on what 'eligibility' means!

Nada666

I have stayed with npower for only twelve, thirteen or fourteen months several times. I have never not received the full annual credit.

boingsaidzebedee

I received confirmation that my account with nPower went live on 08-08-2011.
I received the £100.00 discount on my 6 monthly bill dated 30-1-2013.

This was for dual fuel and though they took a DD for electricity straight away it took them a couple of months before they started taking the Gas element.The discount was applied on my 6 monthly bill date.The delay in setting up the Gas DD would account for being over the 12 months--at the time they said this was the way they generally worked.
So I should check exactly what date they began taking the DD from your account.

This is what Nada666 said above----the date the 12 months starts appears to be when both Electric and Gas start being taken---note this could be several months delay after the first electric DD till the Gas element of the DD begins.

chanz4

boingsaidzebedee wrote: »

I received confirmation that my account with nPower went live on 08-08-2011.
I received the £100.00 discount on my 6 monthly bill dated 30-1-2013.

This was for dual fuel and though they took a DD for electricity straight away it took them a couple of months before they started taking the Gas element.The discount was applied on my 6 monthly bill date.The delay in setting up the Gas DD would account for being over the 12 months--at the time they said this was the way they generally worked.
So I should check exactly what date they began taking the DD from your account.

This is what Nada666 said above----the date the 12 months starts appears to be when both Electric and Gas start being taken---note this could be several months delay after the first electric DD till the Gas element of the DD begins.

so if bill based, just put a read in the day after the 12 month

zerog

boingsaidzebedee wrote: »

I received confirmation that my account with nPower went live on 08-08-2011.
I received the £100.00 discount on my 6 monthly bill dated 30-1-2013.

This was for dual fuel and though they took a DD for electricity straight away it took them a couple of months before they started taking the Gas element.The discount was applied on my 6 monthly bill date.The delay in setting up the Gas DD would account for being over the 12 months--at the time they said this was the way they generally worked.
So I should check exactly what date they began taking the DD from your account.

This is what Nada666 said above----the date the 12 months starts appears to be when both Electric and Gas start being taken---note this could be several months delay after the first electric DD till the Gas element of the DD begins.

No, it's not what Nada666 said. What he/she said was

It is not true that you require twelve debits to be taken.

I have emailed them about this several times but each reply says something different. I have been struggling to get them to answer me in writing.

I switched dual fuel on 21 May. Elec DD was first taken 1 July, Gas DD was not taken until 1 Aug. If I switch again on 2 May (to see if I can benefit from any seaonal weighting refund), would the annual discount come up on my final bill?