Switching with npower

spiidey

We were on the Go Fix 11 offer from npower, which was a fixed price tariff until 21st May 2013.

On 29th April, I done a utilities comparison with the MSE Cheap Energy Club, and the Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff, from npower, was the most competitively priced out of all suppliers.

At that point, I clicked through on the links from the MSE Cheap Energy Club to sign up to the new tariff and get £30 cashback, thinking that it would take between 4-6 weeks to transfer me over (stupid I now know, given that it is the same company but I was thinking about what happened when we moved from EDF to nPower last year).

I've now received an Email (dated 3rd May) from them saying they have transferred me over to the new tariff with effect from 29th April.

However, there is nothing in there about early exit fees, which from a look at the T&C's seems to be £20:-

"If before 21st May 2013, you change your supplier or tariff for electricity or gas, or both, to which your Go-Fix 11 Agreement applies, you agree to pay a termination fee of £20 in respect of each such fuel (“Early Exit Fee”). If you have been paying your energy bills by Direct Debit, you agree that we may also take this fee by Direct Debit."

Couple of questions:-

1. Does switching a tariff with npower, and not actually changing supplier, still incur the Early Exit Fee of £20?
2. The Email states I have a 14 day period to cancel this and go back to my old tariff. If I were to do this:-

a. Would I then be able to, on or around the 21st May, switch to the Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff, or does switching on 29th April and then cancelling within the 14 day period prevent me from doing this?

b. If the answer to "a" is that I can still switch to the Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff, what is the best (or most cost-effective) day to do this on through the Cheap Energy Club - in advance of the 21st, on the 21st itself, on the 22nd, or from the 23rd onwards?

chanz4

The cashback will decline, you cant switch via any comparison site to the same supplier. Also post a fully copy of the email, Im on the same tariff and your dates dont tie up

spiidey

chanz4 wrote: »

The cashback will decline, you cant switch via any comparison site to the same supplier. Also post a fully copy of the email, Im on the same tariff and your dates dont tie up

Copy of Email posted below:-

Dear Mr ###########

Your new gas and electricity tariff

Thank you for getting in touch with us and asking to change your gas and electricity tariff. Your new tariff takes effect from 29th April 2013 and all the details are shown below.

Your new electricity prices

For electricity Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN): ############

Payment method: Monthly Fixed Direct Debit

Online Price Fix June 2014 Electricity
(excl/incl VAT)
Daily Standing Charge
36.60p/38.43p

Unit rate

10.95p/11.49p

Your new gas prices

For gas Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN): ############

Payment method: Monthly Fixed Direct Debit
Online Price Fix June 2014 Gas
(excl/incl VAT)

Daily Standing Charge

22.900p/24.045p

Unit rate

3.580p/3.759p

Please remember, if any of your details change this may affect the prices we’ve quoted and the tariffs available to you.

If you change your mind for any reason, no problem. Just let us know within 14 days and we’ll switch your account back to your previous tariff.

If you’d like to talk to us about anything at all please get in touch - that's what we're here for.

Discounts and rewards

Your discount was confirmed to you as part of your sign up process.

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 t! o 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.

Kind regards

Gareth Pickles

Customer Services Director

If we'd sent you this letter in the post we'd have included some extra information in the envelope. Please click below to read a copy.

spiidey

And the remainder of Email:-

Some useful information about our bills and prices

How we work out your bill

For most of our tariffs, you will pay a standing charge (pence per day) which will cover the fixed costs we have to pay in supplying energy to you e.g. distribution and metering costs, and a single unit rate (pence per kWh used).

For some non-standard electricity tariffs you will pay for two units a day throughout the year at the higher primary rate and then at a lower rate for the remainder of electricity that you use.

For more details go online to npower.com/understandingprices or call Customer Service.

Calculating bills when we change our prices

When we change our prices we’ll estimate your meter reading as at the date of the price change. To work out this estimate we look at your previous energy usage (or, if we don’t have this information, we use standard industry data for the type of property you live in) and our typical customer’s usage pattern for the time of year. We’ll use this reading to calculate your charges at the old prices up to the date of the price change and at the new prices from that date. You’ll see this calculation on the first bill we send you after we change our prices.

VAT: We calculate your bills using VAT exclusive prices shown. For residential customers VAT is currently charged at 5% and will appear as a separate line on your bill.

IGT networks: Your gas comes to you through a pipe network partly owned by an Independent Gas Transportation company (IGT). You usually find IGT networks on housing developments built after 1995 and there’s no difference in the quality or security of your gas supply. But it does mean all energy companies who supply gas to customers through IGT networks pay slightly higher costs, and that’s reflected in our tariffs for IGT customers. We include the extra charge either within the first unit rate or the standing charge and it adds up to £10 a year (£10.50 including VAT).

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 statem! ent 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.

A handy guide to the tariff you've chosen

Online Price Fix June 2014

We've put together this handy guide to help you get to know your new
tariff. It includes all of the features and benefits, plus information about our other tariffs, to help you feel you're on the one that suits you best.

Key features and benefits of your tariff

Every tariff we introduce fits into one of five tariff families; Standard, Online, Partnership, Price Guarantee and Green. Below we outline the tariff families and show where the tariff you've chosen fits in.

Our tariff families
Standard tariffs
Our standard tariffs offer electricity and gas at competitive rates. These are our most popular tariffs.

Partnership tariffs
These tariffs are brought to you to celebrate our partnerships with like-minded companies.

Online tariffs
Our online tariffs offer competitive rates and the convenience of managing your account online.

Green tariffs
These tariffs provide both certified green energy and extra environmental benefits.

Price Guarantee tariffs
With these tariffs you can feel reassured as your prices are either fixed, capped or discounted for a set period.

Online Price Fix June 2014: Requires a residential contract with npower for electricity and/or gas on our Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff entered into on or after 15/04/13, paying by monthly or quarterly variable direct debit and managing your account online with paperless billing. Prices will be fixed until 30/06/14 providing you continue to meet the eligibility criteria and no charge or cost is imposed by or as a consequence of any action, order, decision or imposition by any governmental, statutory or licensing authority, and, when added to our charges, this causes our prices to exceed the fixed price. Offer subject to availability and may be withdrawn, suspended or amended at any time – full terms and conditions available at npower.com

Discount to standard: Compares npower’s Online Price Fix June 2014 with npower's Standard gas and electricity tariff (as at 15/04/13) at prices averaged across mainland UK. Based on a customer with a typical annual average electricity consumption of 3,300 kWh and gas consumption of 16,500kWh. Includes the annual dual fuel direct debit discount and VAT at the reduced rate of 5%. Actual discount/premium to our standard tariff will vary according to the number of fuels taken, the applicability of discounts and by region and consumption. npower’s Direct Debit discounts are applied to accounts on or before the final day of the 12 month period starting when you become eligible proving you pay continuously in this way. Correct as at 15/04/13.

Your annual discount: If you pay by monthly or Quarterly Direct Debit continuously for 12 months 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). 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 ofeach 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 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.

Meter read reminders: We’ll use the reading(s) you supply to produce your next bill whenever possible. There may be some circumstances when it isn’t possible to use your meter reading and in this case we’ll estimate your consumption. Our agents will still require access to your meter to take readings and for safety checks. The meter reads you supply will be in addition to our own meter reads and will be used to provide the most up-to-date view on your statement.

Your monthly payment amount: In your first year with npower any product or payment discounts you’re entitled to will also be built into your monthly payment amount. Please remember, if you decide to leave us or stop meeting the conditions of the discount, e.g. you stop paying by Direct Debit, before the end of the first 12 months, you won’t receive your discount and you may find your monthly payments haven’t covered the energy you’ve used.

· Your prices are fixed at the rates you signed up to until 31st June 2014 when you’ll revert to our standard variable online standing charge tariff. On average across mainland UK, our charges for the average dual fuel direct debit customer are 5.9% lower on an annual basis when compared with our standard (off-line) tariff (as at 15th April 2013), until 30th June 2014. Annual charges for individual customers will vary and may be higher than our standard charges.
· A standing charge applies.

· Online Price Fix June 2014 is not available to prepayment or receipt of bill customers or customers with non-standard metering. There may also be some existing customers whose account cannot be moved to this tariff.

· Payments must be made by monthly or quarterly variable Direct Debit. When you pay this way continually for 12 months you’ll receive up to £100 annual Direct Debit discount.

· You must manage your account online which means you can easily view your bills and send us your meter readings whenever it suits you.

· An early exit fee of £30 per fuel may apply if you change supplier or tariff before 30th June 2014.

You've chosen: Online Price Fix June 2014

npower Online Price Control Agreement
for Online Price Fix June 2014 offer

When this Agreement ends

At the end of your Online Price Control Period, or at the end of your Online Price Control Agreement if earlier, and you continue to take supply from us, we will place you on our standard online standing charge product which may be more expensive than Online Price Fix June 2014, unless we have another offer that we feel may be suitable for you and have agreed alternative terms with you. We will notify you of your new prices before the end of your Online Price Control Period and will tell you about other product(s) that may be more suitable for you than the standard product mentioned above.

Changing your mind

You can cancel your Online Price Fix June 2014 Agreement within 14 days from the date when we tell you that we have agreed to supply you under the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer. To do this, simply write to us at npower, PO Box 9647, Oldbury B69 2PZ, stating that you want to cancel your Online Price Control Agreement. If your Online Price Control Agreement is cancelled in this way but you continue to take supply from us, we will continue to supply you on our normal standard (off-line) prices under our Standard Terms as if you had never been supplied on the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer.

Early Exit Fee

If before 30th June 2014 you change your supplier or tariff for electricity or gas, or both, to which your Online Price Fix June 2014 Agreement applies, we may apply a termination fee of £30 in respect of each such fuel (“Early Exit Fee”). You agree to pay any such Early Exit Fee and if you have been paying your energy bills by Direct Debit, you agree that we may also take this fee by Direct Debit.

Changing tariff

If you change your tariff during the Online Price Control Period for an alternative npower tariff you will no longer be eligible for the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer and will be supplied under the terms of your new tariff. You may not be able to switch back to the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer at any point in the future and may incur an Early Exit Fee.

Changing supplier

If you change your supplier for electricity or gas, or both, to which your Online Price Fix June 2014 Agreement applies, you may incur an Early Exit Fee.

Moving home

If you move home you may be able to transfer your Online Price Fix June 2014 Agreement to your new home if you continue to meet the eligibility criteria of the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer and we agree to continue with the Agreement. Contact our Home Movers Team to check.

If we agree, the prices you will pay for your supplies for the rest of the Online Price Control Period will be the prices under the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer applicable to your new home. Those prices may be different from the prices in your present home, for example due to regional variations in our prices, different metering or gas being supplied by an independent gas transporter.

If you don’t transfer it to your new home your Online Price Fix June 2014 Agreement will end and you may incur an Early Exit Fee.

08.04.13

These terms are in addition to and do not replace npower’s Standard terms for supplying electricity and gas to domestic customers (“Standard Terms”). Terms defined in the Standard Terms shall have the same meaning in these additional terms. If there is any conflict between these terms and the Standard Terms, these terms will prevail. The main terms are set out in bold.

Online Price Fix June 2014 offers a price fix until 30th June 2014. Charges will be based on our current prices for your area that you opted for and may be at a discount, equal or at a premium to our standard (off-line) prices.

In order to take up and remain on our Online Fix June 2014 tariff you must:

· have us (npower) supply your gas and/or electricity;

· be a domestic customer;

· agree to pay your energy bills by monthly direct debit or quarterly variable direct debit;

· provide your email address and inform us if it changes;

· use npower.com as your primary method of contact with customer service;

· receive your bills online by registering for paperless bills at npower.com/mynpower within 30 days of receiving your account number;

· provide meter reads online when requested;

· notify us immediately online of changes to any of your details;

· conduct your online account with any new features we may introduce and notify you of from time to time;

· pay on the tariff where our charges are wholly based on a single rate metered standard domestic tariff (or two rate metered economy 7 tariff for electricity);

· have an account capable of being serviced by our new billing system; and

· have chosen and we must have agreed to supply you on our Online Price Fix June 2014 offer.

If at any time you do not meet any of these eligibility criteria or do not comply with the terms of the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer, we may transfer you to our standard (off-line) variable prices applicable to you, and you may not be able to switch back to the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer at any point in the future.

You cannot be supplied on our Online Price Fix June 2014 offer if your supply is through a prepayment meter.

If you are an existing npower customer transferring to Online Price Fix June 2014 you will lose any benefits of your previous npower tariff and may not be able to return to that tariff later.

Online Price Control Period

These terms apply from the date when we agree we will supply you under our Online Price Fix June 2014 offer until 30th June 2014 or any earlier date on which you change your tariff or you do not meet the eligibility criteria and your Online Price Control Agreement ends. We call this the Online Price Control Period.

Our charges

During the Online Price Control Period our prices for electricity and gas will be fixed at the current prices for your area that you opted for at sign-up, these being the prices (and standing charge) indicated in the Online Price Fix June 2014 offer, applicable to your area on the opening date of the offer. The only exceptions to this are i) if any charge or cost is imposed by or as a consequence of any action, order, decision or imposition by any governmental, statutory or licensing authority, and, when added to our charges, this causes our prices to exceed the fixed price; or ii) we provided incorrect prices to you in error when you signed up and need to correct your prices.

spiidey

Can anyone help?

chanz4

Ahh thats why, you have asked to transfer tariff before Go fix 11 ends, the date you requested it was the date it will apply. Watch out for your discount. I very much doubt though the cash back will go through.

nPower

spiidey wrote: »

We were on the Go Fix 11 offer from npower, which was a fixed price tariff until 21st May 2013.

On 29th April, I done a utilities comparison with the MSE Cheap Energy Club, and the Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff, from npower, was the most competitively priced out of all suppliers.

At that point, I clicked through on the links from the MSE Cheap Energy Club to sign up to the new tariff and get £30 cashback, thinking that it would take between 4-6 weeks to transfer me over (stupid I now know, given that it is the same company but I was thinking about what happened when we moved from EDF to nPower last year).

I've now received an Email (dated 3rd May) from them saying they have transferred me over to the new tariff with effect from 29th April.

However, there is nothing in there about early exit fees, which from a look at the T&C's seems to be £20:-

"If before 21st May 2013, you change your supplier or tariff for electricity or gas, or both, to which your Go-Fix 11 Agreement applies, you agree to pay a termination fee of £20 in respect of each such fuel (“Early Exit Fee”). If you have been paying your energy bills by Direct Debit, you agree that we may also take this fee by Direct Debit."

Couple of questions:-

1. Does switching a tariff with npower, and not actually changing supplier, still incur the Early Exit Fee of £20?
2. The Email states I have a 14 day period to cancel this and go back to my old tariff. If I were to do this:-

a. Would I then be able to, on or around the 21st May, switch to the Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff, or does switching on 29th April and then cancelling within the 14 day period prevent me from doing this?

b. If the answer to "a" is that I can still switch to the Online Price Fix June 2014 tariff, what is the best (or most cost-effective) day to do this on through the Cheap Energy Club - in advance of the 21st, on the 21st itself, on the 22nd, or from the 23rd onwards?

Hi spiidey,

In this instance, I would advise you to cancel the tariff change with the online broker and give us a call on or around the 21st May with a current meter reading so we can change to the required product without penalty.

Kind regards,

Adam

oldandgrumpy

spiidey wrote: »

Can anyone help?

I don't know how much you use but I have just worked a best guess comparison between npower and Scottishpower based on my use.
At 2000 kwh elec and 1650 gas, npower will charge £564, less any discounts, and SP £400 less lower discounts. That is using the tariff quoted above which I must say is quite different to that offered to me, despite a protracted phonecall to npower! I guess, what with solar power, heat pumps and a woodburning stove, adn longer vacations to warmer climes, we are low users, but npower are punishing the lower users....