NPower help, please

sweetfannyadams

Please help - I need advice!

NPower were our energy supplier at our previous home. We moved out in October 2010 and put the house up for rental, finding tenants the following April. The energy account was transferred into their name. We gave them notice to leave the property after a year, and they moved out on 1st July 2012. We subsequently discovered that NPower had installed card meters for both gas and electricity as the tenants had not been keeping their account up to date. I changed the card meters into my name and paid the standing charges on them - no power was being used as the house was empty. We didn't take any more tenants, but put the house up for sale.

When we found a buyer, we decided to have the card meters removed and 'normal' meters put back in. This was done in September 2012. I was there for the installation of both meters, and they were at zero. The electricity was turned off at the consumer unit and there were no electrical items in the house, other than the oven, which was obviously switched off. All gas appliances, including the boiler, were switched off. No one was in the property during the following six weeks, other than us dropping in once a week to collect post and check all was safe. My husband went to the house a couple of days before the sale completed (completion date 15th October 2012)and the meters were still at zero. He THINKS he phoned the readings through, but has no written record. NPower say they have no record of the meter readings.

We were then somewhat surprised to have a final electricity bill of £77, which showed an estimated reading of 519 units. I contacted Adam on the NPower Twitter account (I assume the same Adam who posts here!), who looked into it and thought that the new occupiers, who had provided a reading on 31st October 2012, may have given an erroneous reading, including the number after the decimal point, and contacted them to ask for fresh meter readings, which I have been told were not forthcoming.

We then received an £8 final gas bill, which was fair enough, standing charges. We paid this. This was then followed by yet another final gas bill of £377, again based on an estimated reading! This is clearly absurd - there was literally no power used in that 6 week period - even if there were anyone living there and the boiler was on, I think it would be hard to rack up that kind of usage in six weeks, no? It wasn't even winter.

I went back to Adam on the NPower Twitter account (who I have to say has been unfailingly helpful, courteous and concerned). He referred us to a case handler in the complaints department, who my husband has spoken to on several occasions. It was reiterated that meter readings would be taken (though clearly this is now many months after the new owners moved in) but we haven't had any follow up information, the bill reminders keep arriving and today a telemessage to my husband, talking about debt collectors. I am out of my mind with worry over this. We are currently applying for a mortgage and I am extremely worried that this will jeopardise it.

I emailed the CEO's office today and the same complaints handler got in touch with me off the back of it. She claims that in her last conversation with my husband, on 4th June, he agreed that he would go to our old house and read the meter! He firmly denies that and says he was told that NPower would organise a meter reading (that is certainly what he told me when he came off the phone after that conversation - and I can't believe that he would misunderstand to that extent!). I can't think that my husband turning up on their doorstep nine months after the event is either advisable or useful and surely an official reading would make far more sense. There is also a dispute apparently about the date of sale of the property - I have forwarded the completion statement for the sale. We have never had an unpaid bill in our lives, but this is clearly an error and we are seemingly having no success in sorting it out.

Does anyone have any idea if there is anything else we can do and what the implications of this telemessage are? The telemessage says we must get in touch to arrange payment or it will be referred to a debt collection agency. Is this going to go on our credit report? I would really appreciate any advice.

nPower

sweetfannyadams wrote: »

Please help - I need advice!

NPower were our energy supplier at our previous home. We moved out in October 2010 and put the house up for rental, finding tenants the following April. The energy account was transferred into their name. We gave them notice to leave the property after a year, and they moved out on 1st July 2012. We subsequently discovered that NPower had installed card meters for both gas and electricity as the tenants had not been keeping their account up to date. I changed the card meters into my name and paid the standing charges on them - no power was being used as the house was empty. We didn't take any more tenants, but put the house up for sale.

When we found a buyer, we decided to have the card meters removed and 'normal' meters put back in. This was done in September 2012. I was there for the installation of both meters, and they were at zero. The electricity was turned off at the consumer unit and there were no electrical items in the house, other than the oven, which was obviously switched off. All gas appliances, including the boiler, were switched off. No one was in the property during the following six weeks, other than us dropping in once a week to collect post and check all was safe. My husband went to the house a couple of days before the sale completed (completion date 15th October 2012)and the meters were still at zero. He THINKS he phoned the readings through, but has no written record. NPower say they have no record of the meter readings.

We were then somewhat surprised to have a final electricity bill of £77, which showed an estimated reading of 519 units. I contacted Adam on the NPower Twitter account (I assume the same Adam who posts here!), who looked into it and thought that the new occupiers, who had provided a reading on 31st October 2012, may have given an erroneous reading, including the number after the decimal point, and contacted them to ask for fresh meter readings, which I have been told were not forthcoming.

We then received an £8 final gas bill, which was fair enough, standing charges. We paid this. This was then followed by yet another final gas bill of £377, again based on an estimated reading! This is clearly absurd - there was literally no power used in that 6 week period - even if there were anyone living there and the boiler was on, I think it would be hard to rack up that kind of usage in six weeks, no? It wasn't even winter.

I went back to Adam on the NPower Twitter account (who I have to say has been unfailingly helpful, courteous and concerned). He referred us to a case handler in the complaints department, who my husband has spoken to on several occasions. It was reiterated that meter readings would be taken (though clearly this is now many months after the new owners moved in) but we haven't had any follow up information, the bill reminders keep arriving and today a telemessage to my husband, talking about debt collectors. I am out of my mind with worry over this. We are currently applying for a mortgage and I am extremely worried that this will jeopardise it.

I emailed the CEO's office today and the same complaints handler got in touch with me off the back of it. She claims that in her last conversation with my husband, on 4th June, he agreed that he would go to our old house and read the meter! He firmly denies that and says he was told that NPower would organise a meter reading (that is certainly what he told me when he came off the phone after that conversation - and I can't believe that he would misunderstand to that extent!). I can't think that my husband turning up on their doorstep nine months after the event is either advisable or useful and surely an official reading would make far more sense. There is also a dispute apparently about the date of sale of the property - I have forwarded the completion statement for the sale. We have never had an unpaid bill in our lives, but this is clearly an error and we are seemingly having no success in sorting it out.

Does anyone have any idea if there is anything else we can do and what the implications of this telemessage are? The telemessage says we must get in touch to arrange payment or it will be referred to a debt collection agency. Is this going to go on our credit report? I would really appreciate any advice.

Hi sweetfannyadams,

You're correct that it's the same Adam on Twitter, and thank you for your kind words.

I'm speaking to your complaint handler to try and get further with this and will see if we can get a hold placed on the account until this is all sorted. I've also asked if we can get a meter reader over to the property to check the readings - your husband shouldn't have to do this.

Thank you for your patience. I'll make sure you receive another update as soon as possible.

Best wishes,

Adam

sweetfannyadams

Adam, I really appreciate your help. Thank you. I thought there should have been a hold on the account while this was sorted out. Hopefully the complaints handler can get things sorted. Am happy to pay the standing charges for the six weeks, but not to subsidise the new owners' fuel bills!