Npower - bad customer service, share here.

Parafira

Hi All,

Just want to share my bad experience with Npower and hope you will share yours as well.

In November 2012 I requested a switch to Npower, they switched the electricity within 2 months, although messed up the opening meter readings twice!

It has been almost 9 month, but my Gas account is still not open (I have a supply, but I cannot submit readings, check balance, receive bills, etc). For the first 5 months they have been promising to fix everything asap and to add some credit to my account for my troubles. Initially I did not want to complain to Ombudsman, as I understand that sometimes things can go wrong and I gave Npower time to sort everything out. But then they have just stopped responding and stopped contacting me, as if they saw my unwillingness to Complain to Ombudsman as a weakness. They ignored all my contacts. I have experienced the WORST customer service in my life. In addition they sent wrong closing Gas meter reading to my previous supplier and I was harassed and overcharged by my previous supplier.

Eventually I took the matter to the Energy Ombudsman and the Ombudsman told Npower to fix all my problems and to pay me £100 (which is nothing compared to all the problems they have caused to me). It will soon be 28 days since the Ombudsman’s decision, but Npower has not done anything so far. Ombudsman said that he will chase them after 28 days, but chasing is not a solution. Something needs to be done to stop such disrespectful and ignorant attitude towards paying customers.

If you had a bad experience with Npower, please add it to this topic, with the explanation of your problem and what has been done to resolve it.

Maybe eventually we will collect several such stories and will file a group complaint to Ombudsman asking to fine Npower for that bad Customer Service, just like they did a few years back.

Thanks,

chanz4

are they waiting a disputed reads process with the old supplier, if so this can take over 28 days

parcival

You will need to trawl though all the various threads on here and you will soon get a picture of the shambles that is known as NPower.

Have you written to Gareth Pickles who is the Customer Services Director. Has your complaint been looked at by the Executive Complaints Team. It may be that you are now well beyond all this.

Maybe a solution would be to move to another supplier and 'persuade' NPower to write off any balance you owe them. This can be achieved as I have recently concluded a relationship with NPower with this kind of settlement.

Wywth

Parafira wrote: »

Hi All,

Just want to share my bad experience with Npower and hope you will share yours as well.

In November 2012 I requested a switch to Npower, they switched the electricity within 2 months, although messed up the opening meter readings twice!

It has been almost 9 month, but my Gas account is still not open (I have a supply, but I cannot submit readings, check balance, receive bills, etc). For the first 5 months they have been promising to fix everything asap and to add some credit to my account for my troubles. Initially I did not want to complain to Ombudsman, as I understand that sometimes things can go wrong and I gave Npower time to sort everything out. But then they have just stopped responding and stopped contacting me, as if they saw my unwillingness to Complain to Ombudsman as a weakness. They ignored all my contacts. I have experienced the WORST customer service in my life. In addition they sent wrong closing Gas meter reading to my previous supplier and I was harassed and overcharged by my previous supplier.

Eventually I took the matter to the Energy Ombudsman and the Ombudsman told Npower to fix all my problems and to pay me £100 (which is nothing compared to all the problems they have caused to me). It will soon be 28 days since the Ombudsman’s decision, but Npower has not done anything so far. Ombudsman said that he will chase them after 28 days, but chasing is not a solution. Something needs to be done to stop such disrespectful and ignorant attitude towards paying customers.

If you had a bad experience with Npower, please add it to this topic, with the explanation of your problem and what has been done to resolve it.

Maybe eventually we will collect several such stories and will file a group complaint to Ombudsman asking to fine Npower for that bad Customer Service, just like they did a few years back.

Thanks,

The ombudsman shouldn't just order a supplier to 'fix the customers complaints'

They should detail what is needed and either ensure the supplier does it, or at least specify a date by which it must be done.

Now I am aware that, with all the complaints sent to the ombudsman, and new recruits they are taking on, sometimes the initial settlement offer is not as detailed as it should be.
If it wasn't, you should have asked for this when they contacted you for your agreement.

Otherwsie what have you agreed to? The supplier will fix all your complaints - something the supplier agreed to do before you even went to the ombudsman. (plus £100 compo)

gc_bus

I've had awful experiences with Npower - taking nearly four months simply to get me onto the correct E7 tariff. Too'ing and fro'ing between teams. At least I'm finding the Executive Complains team appear to be trying to help. I think their billing systems are in a complete mess at the moment. I am leaving them (after having only been with them for less than a year) as soon as I can.

Parafira

Wywth wrote: »

Otherwsie what have you agreed to? The supplier will fix all your complaints - something the supplier agreed to do before you even went to the ombudsman. (plus £100 compo)

I have a detailed explanation of what Npower has to do, I just do not want to list everything here.

Parafira

parcival wrote: »

Have you written to Gareth Pickles who is the Customer Services Director. Has your complaint been looked at by the Executive Complaints Team. It may be that you are now well beyond all this.


Maybe a solution would be to move to another supplier and 'persuade' NPower to write off any balance you owe them. This can be achieved as I have recently concluded a relationship with NPower with this kind of settlement.

I have been with the Executive Complaints, they are the ones who were useless and started ignoring me.


I have 5 months left until my £100 Duel Fuel discount, will swithc the supplier as soon as I get the money. I do not want to give Npower the pleasure of not needing to pay me.

Wywth

You've presumably agreed to the ombudsman's proposed resolution.

The supplier is only obliged to now follow the ombudsman's resolution that you agreed to, and that will be considered the end of the complaint.

If there is anything the supplier has failed to do, then you can contact the ombudsman and report that fact.

But without any timeframes, I'm afraid all you agreed to was for the supplier to fix all your complaints (which they already said they were doing) plus £100

I can understand your frustration, and hence presumably why you are posting here today, but you agreed to the ombudsman's proposal as to how to resolve your compliant. If you were not happy with the ombudsman's proposals, you should have explained that to the ombudsman giving the reasons why. If, for example, it was because they didn't stipulate a timeframe, they would have almost certainly have added one.

Parafira

Wywth wrote: »

You've presumably agreed to the ombudsman's proposed resolution.

The supplier is only obliged to now follow the ombudsman's resolution that you agreed to, and that will be considered the end of the complaint.

If there is anything the supplier has failed to do, then you can contact the ombudsman and report that fact.

But without any timeframes, I'm afraid all you agreed to was for the supplier to fix all your complaints (which they already said they were doing) plus £100

I can understand your frustration, and hence presumably why you are posting here today, but you agreed to the ombudsman's proposal as to how to resolve your compliant. If you were not happy with the ombudsman's proposals, you should have explained that to the ombudsman giving the reasons why. If, for example, it was because they didn't stipulate a timeframe, they would have almost certainly have added one.

I agreed to Ombudsman's proposal, and I am more or less happy with this. I posted here to let people know how bad Npower is, and to encourage people to take their complaints to Ombudsman.

Funkygibbon

I've had an experience with npower. I left in April, Electric bill was produced within a month. But the gas has taken 4 phone calls and two official complaints to get it produced.

The have finially produced a bill yesterday which is £300 over what the balance of dd payments where. But they have back dated the bill to the 15th July and asked for full payment by the 30th July.

honeybean

I was transfering from british gas to n power but the shambles they got into was unbelieveable and i had a horrible feeling it was not going to get any better so thought i would cut while i could ,I was lucky I cancelled before it went thro , I think I am lucky I must say that british gas for me have been excellant would not swap now.