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Npower.....ongoing issue! 4 years now!!! Advice!
Becky_Bloomwood_2
Posts: 8 Forumite
in Energy
I switched from eOn to Npower using uswitch site (end 2008/early 2009). We had been given a quote of £96 a month for dual fuel, were paying £120 with eOn so welcomed the saving..
We set up a Direct Debit but for the first payment they took £145. I phoned them asking for them to refund the £50 and they agreed not to take a DD the following month, They took £96. So I cancelled the direct debit telling them I would set it up again in a month as I was now in credit with them. When I phoned up to do it, I gave meter readings and was told I owed them £200 which I needed to clear before I could set up DD. I told them I didn’t have £200 and couldn’t see how I owed them so much. I asked them for a payment card. They never sent one.
After a few months I had a bill for approx. £800 and rang them. They said I could set up a DD if I cleared half the balance – which I didn’t have! They said they would send a payment card. They didn’t. in October 2009 I finally got them to arrange to fit prepayment meters. The gas man came to fit the meter but looked at our ancient back boiler and told us that if he disconnected it, he couldn’t guarantee it would still work. And he said that as it was threatening to snow and we had a child under 1 in our house he wouldn’t do it. The electricity man came to do the meter but said that owing to the location of the meter he couldn’t fit it because it would have meant taking a carousel unit out of my kitchen, removing the worktop, removing the gas hob, the cooker and the sink. and he wasn’t equipt to do it. So, I phoned NPower. I was told that I now owed £1450 and that I could set up a payment plan if I cleared half of the balance. I explained, that I could not do this. I was told that someone in the “safe” department would ring me to set up a payment plan over 4yrs for a lower payment. I spoke to someone and was told I could pay £250 a month – which I explained would be a struggle for us financially as my husband had just had a pay cut at work, and I had 3 small children to support. I made a couple of payments online in early 2010 – 3 I think – but we struggled with the £250 payment when our household income was only £1200 a month and we had council tax of £130, mortgage of £696, water £37 a month and food (£400 a month), and debt repayments. I phoned npower to explain and ask if the repayments could be lowered and was told that as I had missed 2 monthly payments I had broken my payment plan and that I now had to pay half of what I owed (£1600) to be able to pay monthly. I explained that I had struggled to pay £250 a month so I would not have £800 to pay them. I asked to be put through to the safe team but was told they had to ring me. They rung me but I was out and they left me a message saying they would ring again – they didn’t! And I was unable to contact them, everytime I rang npower, I was told that the safe team would ring me – that’s if I got through after 45mins on hold!
Since then, this has been a regular pattern – I did manage to log onto the website and make a couple of random one off payments but I have forgotten my online password and the website doesn’t allow me to have a reminder sent to me.
I have spoken to Npower several times but it has repeated the same pattern. I now owe them over £4000. I have had several letters threatening prepayment meters again but I have rung them and explained that this is not do-able.
I have explained to NPower that I have 3 children in my house – a toddler, a disabled child and a 9yr old. My husband lost his job and has set up his own business which means our income has dropped a lot. We are in receipt of tax credits which is how we survive. We also received disability living allowance for the disabled son and as I am unable to work we get careers allowance.
We received a letter on 24th December saying they are going to apply for a warrant to enter our home and cut our supply off - court date was 10th Jan. I tried but after 35mins on hold I gave up. On 27th Dec i emailed the CEO - i followed this up with a call to NPower and was told my account was with executive complaints (EC) - the highest possible complaint level.
I spoke to someone from EC department and was told all action was now on hold as it was with their department and they would investigate and come back to me within 28days. Imagine my suprise when i came home on 27th Jan to find 2 men outside my house - one to execute a court warrant and one waiting to fit a gas meter!! Upon entering the house, i found a locksmith drilling through my back door lock!! I was SHOCKED - and furious! I phoned Npower straight away - but the guy in EC dealing with my account was on another call. apparently Litigation didn't stop the court proceeding!!
The 2 men fitted me a prepayment meter (which then broke my very dated back boiler and cost me £400 to put right) and left. Eventually the EC guy rang me back (4pm the next day) and said it should've been all halted and he was sorry. He said that based on the issues i have had - and he can see that i have spent 4yrs continually trying to sort this and NPower have failed at every point to do what they should've done, they would offer me £75 compensation!! I rejected this straight away. He then escalated my case to his higher supervisors for investigation and said he would be in touch within 28 days - meanwhile my gas meter was eating away at £25 -£30 a week!! (thankfully, warmer weather is making this £7 a week!)
Anyway, fast forward to start of April and i hadn't heard anything so i rang EC - was told that Colin no longer works in that department and hasn't passed my case to anyone!! Had to explain the whole thing to a new person (getting VERY fed up with explaining the story now).The lady said she would look in to it and ring me back the next day. I get a call the next day - the offer of £75 is their final offer! They have now closed the case in EC and they have passed it to collections and litigation who i now need to ring to see when they are fitting my electric meter (and ripping my kitchen to pieces!!). SO, i ring them - explain the whole story AGAIN to Ian who takes it up for me and says he will see what he can do!
That was 2 weeks ago!! The only thing Ian has sorted is that:
1. he agrees that £75 compensation is a P take - and he acknowledges that Npower are totally in the wrong here and he will try to do everything he can to help me get my £4800 balance reduced!
2. We have now set up a payment plan so i can pay my electric at £50 a month usage and £50 off of the debt (on top of what i am paying for gas) and no meters will be fitted.
I do not dispute that i have used the energy, i just feel that npower should have a warning alert on their system that would flash alarm bells when a customer has managed to get a £1000 debt and hasn't paid anything for 2yrs - they should do everything they can to contact that customer and sort it - not make it more difficult to pay!!
I have been told by Npower that i am now within my rights to go to the regulator and complain to them - i know that is an option but i actually want to give Npower the chance to put things right and do the right thing!
What i would love to do is leave them for another company but this "payment plan" means i'm with them for the foreseeable future!
Other people have advised me to contact watchdog, contact Martin Lewis, or go bankrupt!!
I guess what i am after here is:
What would you do?
Do you think it's unreasonable of me to ask NPower to reduce the debt quite substantially due to their series of !!!! ups?
Has anyone else had a similar experience - something i can maybe use when i speak to Npower?
Let this act as a warning when using "switching sites" that they don't always charge you what they say they will per month - you may be better off staying with who you are with!!!
Many thanks for your input - and sorry for the long post (imagine how i feel having to tell that story on the phone almost weekly for 4yrs!! :mad: )
We set up a Direct Debit but for the first payment they took £145. I phoned them asking for them to refund the £50 and they agreed not to take a DD the following month, They took £96. So I cancelled the direct debit telling them I would set it up again in a month as I was now in credit with them. When I phoned up to do it, I gave meter readings and was told I owed them £200 which I needed to clear before I could set up DD. I told them I didn’t have £200 and couldn’t see how I owed them so much. I asked them for a payment card. They never sent one.
After a few months I had a bill for approx. £800 and rang them. They said I could set up a DD if I cleared half the balance – which I didn’t have! They said they would send a payment card. They didn’t. in October 2009 I finally got them to arrange to fit prepayment meters. The gas man came to fit the meter but looked at our ancient back boiler and told us that if he disconnected it, he couldn’t guarantee it would still work. And he said that as it was threatening to snow and we had a child under 1 in our house he wouldn’t do it. The electricity man came to do the meter but said that owing to the location of the meter he couldn’t fit it because it would have meant taking a carousel unit out of my kitchen, removing the worktop, removing the gas hob, the cooker and the sink. and he wasn’t equipt to do it. So, I phoned NPower. I was told that I now owed £1450 and that I could set up a payment plan if I cleared half of the balance. I explained, that I could not do this. I was told that someone in the “safe” department would ring me to set up a payment plan over 4yrs for a lower payment. I spoke to someone and was told I could pay £250 a month – which I explained would be a struggle for us financially as my husband had just had a pay cut at work, and I had 3 small children to support. I made a couple of payments online in early 2010 – 3 I think – but we struggled with the £250 payment when our household income was only £1200 a month and we had council tax of £130, mortgage of £696, water £37 a month and food (£400 a month), and debt repayments. I phoned npower to explain and ask if the repayments could be lowered and was told that as I had missed 2 monthly payments I had broken my payment plan and that I now had to pay half of what I owed (£1600) to be able to pay monthly. I explained that I had struggled to pay £250 a month so I would not have £800 to pay them. I asked to be put through to the safe team but was told they had to ring me. They rung me but I was out and they left me a message saying they would ring again – they didn’t! And I was unable to contact them, everytime I rang npower, I was told that the safe team would ring me – that’s if I got through after 45mins on hold!
Since then, this has been a regular pattern – I did manage to log onto the website and make a couple of random one off payments but I have forgotten my online password and the website doesn’t allow me to have a reminder sent to me.
I have spoken to Npower several times but it has repeated the same pattern. I now owe them over £4000. I have had several letters threatening prepayment meters again but I have rung them and explained that this is not do-able.
I have explained to NPower that I have 3 children in my house – a toddler, a disabled child and a 9yr old. My husband lost his job and has set up his own business which means our income has dropped a lot. We are in receipt of tax credits which is how we survive. We also received disability living allowance for the disabled son and as I am unable to work we get careers allowance.
We received a letter on 24th December saying they are going to apply for a warrant to enter our home and cut our supply off - court date was 10th Jan. I tried but after 35mins on hold I gave up. On 27th Dec i emailed the CEO - i followed this up with a call to NPower and was told my account was with executive complaints (EC) - the highest possible complaint level.
I spoke to someone from EC department and was told all action was now on hold as it was with their department and they would investigate and come back to me within 28days. Imagine my suprise when i came home on 27th Jan to find 2 men outside my house - one to execute a court warrant and one waiting to fit a gas meter!! Upon entering the house, i found a locksmith drilling through my back door lock!! I was SHOCKED - and furious! I phoned Npower straight away - but the guy in EC dealing with my account was on another call. apparently Litigation didn't stop the court proceeding!!
The 2 men fitted me a prepayment meter (which then broke my very dated back boiler and cost me £400 to put right) and left. Eventually the EC guy rang me back (4pm the next day) and said it should've been all halted and he was sorry. He said that based on the issues i have had - and he can see that i have spent 4yrs continually trying to sort this and NPower have failed at every point to do what they should've done, they would offer me £75 compensation!! I rejected this straight away. He then escalated my case to his higher supervisors for investigation and said he would be in touch within 28 days - meanwhile my gas meter was eating away at £25 -£30 a week!! (thankfully, warmer weather is making this £7 a week!)
Anyway, fast forward to start of April and i hadn't heard anything so i rang EC - was told that Colin no longer works in that department and hasn't passed my case to anyone!! Had to explain the whole thing to a new person (getting VERY fed up with explaining the story now).The lady said she would look in to it and ring me back the next day. I get a call the next day - the offer of £75 is their final offer! They have now closed the case in EC and they have passed it to collections and litigation who i now need to ring to see when they are fitting my electric meter (and ripping my kitchen to pieces!!). SO, i ring them - explain the whole story AGAIN to Ian who takes it up for me and says he will see what he can do!
That was 2 weeks ago!! The only thing Ian has sorted is that:
1. he agrees that £75 compensation is a P take - and he acknowledges that Npower are totally in the wrong here and he will try to do everything he can to help me get my £4800 balance reduced!
2. We have now set up a payment plan so i can pay my electric at £50 a month usage and £50 off of the debt (on top of what i am paying for gas) and no meters will be fitted.
I do not dispute that i have used the energy, i just feel that npower should have a warning alert on their system that would flash alarm bells when a customer has managed to get a £1000 debt and hasn't paid anything for 2yrs - they should do everything they can to contact that customer and sort it - not make it more difficult to pay!!
I have been told by Npower that i am now within my rights to go to the regulator and complain to them - i know that is an option but i actually want to give Npower the chance to put things right and do the right thing!
What i would love to do is leave them for another company but this "payment plan" means i'm with them for the foreseeable future!
Other people have advised me to contact watchdog, contact Martin Lewis, or go bankrupt!!
I guess what i am after here is:
What would you do?
Do you think it's unreasonable of me to ask NPower to reduce the debt quite substantially due to their series of !!!! ups?
Has anyone else had a similar experience - something i can maybe use when i speak to Npower?
Let this act as a warning when using "switching sites" that they don't always charge you what they say they will per month - you may be better off staying with who you are with!!!
Many thanks for your input - and sorry for the long post (imagine how i feel having to tell that story on the phone almost weekly for 4yrs!! :mad: )
0
Comments
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How can you owe them £4800? If their estimate, presumably based on your usage, was £96pm and you agreed to this, presumably you could afford it, right? Either their estimate was wildly wrong or you've barely paid any of your energy bills over the past 4 years.0
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How can you owe them £4800? If their estimate, presumably based on your usage, was £96pm and you agreed to this, presumably you could afford it, right? Either their estimate was wildly wrong or you've barely paid any of your energy bills over the past 4 years.
Um, did you actually read the thread??0 -
You have a faulty/dodgy boiler that you refuse to repair/alter to allow YOUR choice of payment method to be installed. That is your responsibility, surely?
If you did not want to pay the costs of alterations then you should be paying your bills. You are choosing not to (and have chosen not to put any money aside for four years for when bills are put through.)
I am not sure what your complaint is - you are paying arrears off at only £50 per month. What is the grievance? There was a hiccough when you first set up the debit four years ago and you have been stamping your foot ever since?0 -
You have a faulty/dodgy boiler that you refuse to repair/alter to allow YOUR choice of payment method to be installed. That is your responsibility, surely?
If you did not want to pay the costs of alterations then you should be paying your bills. You are choosing not to (and have chosen not to put any money aside for four years for when bills are put through.)
I am not sure what your complaint is - you are paying arrears off at only £50 per month. What is the grievance? There was a hiccough when you first set up the debit four years ago and you have been stamping your foot ever since?
I have been trying to set up the direct debit since the 3rd month of them supplying me, they are the ones who have messed up. Npower themselves acknowledge that.
I don't have a dodgy/faulty boiler - i have a back boiler which is old and the engineer said they can't guarantee it will re-ignite on the pilot light if they did it. Firstly it doesn't need replacing so to do so would be a waste of £2000 that i dont have (isn't this supposed to be a money saving website) and secondly, my boiler isn't the issue, its Npower!
Wow, i've read things on here before and thought how horrid some people can be in their response to people looking for advice/help but still surprised that 2 people who clearly havent read the whole post and seen exactly what has happened and what i'm asking have commented in such a way!0 -
Most of it, yes. It is pretty long.Becky_Bloomwood wrote: »Um, did you actually read the thread??
By the end you say you're £4800 in debt and at the start you say the payments were meant to be £96pm. Like I said, this indicates that either you've barely paid any of it, or their estimate was totally wrong (or they're not acknowledging payments but that doesn't seem to be the case here). Clarification would be useful.
The rest of it is a separate issue - it seems they've made some pretty big mistakes and you'd be right to turn down £75 compensation. I'm sure you'll get much more, but they won't just give you 4 years' worth of energy for nothing. It's a bit puzzling that you say you don't have enough money to pay for these bills - from the sounds of it it's not like they've sprung it on you after 4 years of nothing.0 -
Oh, and the payment meter isn't my choice of payment method!0
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Becky_Bloomwood wrote: »I do not dispute that i have used the energy, i just feel that npower should have a warning alert on their system that would flash alarm bells when a customer has managed to get a £1000 debt and hasn't paid anything for 2yrs - they should do everything they can to contact that customer and sort it - not make it more difficult to pay!!
What ever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions (or inaction!)?0 -
Most of it, yes. It is pretty long.
By the end you say you're £4800 in debt and at the start you say the payments were meant to be £96pm. Like I said, this indicates that either you've barely paid any of it, or their estimate was totally wrong (or they're not acknowledging payments but that doesn't seem to be the case here). Clarification would be useful.
The rest of it is a separate issue - it seems they've made some pretty big mistakes and you'd be right to turn down £75 compensation. But I don't understand why you don't have enough money to pay for these bills - from the sounds of it it's not like they've sprung it on you after 4 years of nothing.
As i mentioned in the post, i have made some one off payments but they won't allow me to make one of payments online anymore.
Also, as mentioned my husband lost his job and set up his own business and I have had to become a full time carer to a disabled child so unable to work so putting aside £100 a month, not knowing when/if it would be sorted wasn't a priority! It's always said on here that you pay your mortgage and council tax first - things you can lose your house over!! and obviously food is a high priority.
Like i said, i have made random payments - when they let me - but when they demanded i pay £200 to set up a direct debit that i didn't have there wasn't a lot i could do! By that point i was 2 months into my contract with them, having been quoted £96 a month and having paid £145 in the first month so how could i owe £200?0 -
What ever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions (or inaction!)?
How is it my inaction? I have repeatedly rung emailed and written to them asking how i can set up payments. The only time Npower have initated contact with me is to post a bill or a letter about further action - which i have then rung them about straight away.
I acknowledge with them that i have used the energy but my arguement is, how could they let it get that high without a payment plan being in place?? Surely there should be a system that flags up when an account goes over £1000 in debt and they should cut you off?0 -
Becky_Bloomwood wrote: »How is it my inaction? I have repeatedly rung emailed and written to them asking how i can set up payments. The only time Npower have initated contact with me is to post a bill or a letter about further action - which i have then rung them about straight away.
I acknowledge with them that i have used the energy but my arguement is, how could they let it get that high without a payment plan being in place?? Surely there should be a system that flags up when an account goes over £1000 in debt and they should cut you off?
So why couldn't you keep making adhoc payments until the issue was resolved? - or at the VERY LEAST put the money in to a savings account each month so you could pay the bill when it was all finally resolved.0
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