What is reasonable compensation for utility company harrassment - advice required

Purplehazy

I've previously documented our problems with npower over on thread #62748344 "nPower problem with safety inspection - advice required" (sorry as a newbie I can't post links). The advice was very helpful and so we thought we'd ask this question too, in the hope that the problem will, one day, be sorted.

What is a reasonable amount of compensation to ask for? And what is a reasonable amount to expect?

We've spent hours (over 20 and counting) on calls and making notes about the visits, the letters, and the subsequent complaint. This has caused my partner considerable stress over several months.

The situation has been made worse by their continuing the process to applying for a Warrant of Entry when they have already had access twice (and they said they would suspend the process whilst our complaint was looked into). This seems like harassment. It's not nice to receive letters saying that your house can be broken into.

In the end we had to sort the problem - we had to get them and their agents together, and we had to steer them towards discrepancies in the account numbers as the possible cause.

We've just received a letter offering us £40 including £15 over the standard to acknowledge their errors.

Do people think this is a reasonable offer?

Thanks.

Purplehazy

sheffield_lad

EDIT, sorry op you are a newbie so I will scratch my last remarks.

but I would suggest you consider the time it took you to post the above and then chase the complaint to your satisfaction.

Is it really worth it given your partners precious time?

Purplehazy

@Sheffield lad

Thanks for both your first reply and the subsequent amendment.

I guess what you don't realise is that we have spent many hours, and experienced much stress, over 3 months trying to get this sorted, ending in their applying for a warrant of entry. We have given them the access they needed, twice. 5 minutes on the post was nothing in comparison!

Claiming compensation is not something we do, hence we asked the forum. In fact npower acknowledge they do owe us something - we have just opened their offer of £40. Clearly you think we should have nothing - I admire your spirit in just putting up with stuff like this.

What do others think is reasonable?

I'll also respond to your implied advice and simplify the original post.

Purplehazy

chanz4

well if you didn't want anything £40 is fine then, you will not get much more been honest

macman

What others think is 'reasonable' is not relevant. Compensation is based on a calculation of the actual losses incurred, not some mythical amount.
So for example if you've spent 5 hours on it and you charge your time at @£20ph, then your claim should be £100, plus actual cost of calls etc if relevant.

insanegloss

macman wrote: »

What others think is 'reasonable' is not relevant. Compensation is based on a calculation of the actual losses incurred, not some mythical amount.
So for example if you've spent 5 hours on it and you charge your time at @£20ph, then your claim should be £100, plus actual cost of calls etc if relevant.

I'm afraid macman, that's simply not true as usually as part of the terms of supply usually include a clause that companies are not liable for financial loss. Put another way, is it fair that someone on minimum wage should claim at this rate versus someone who earns significantly more for the same issue?

Compensation is regulated at set amounts for things like missed appointments. Goodwill gestures are not regulated and are the descrection of the company subject to agreement with the customer. They are not required to do this except by the ombudsman or a court.

Given my experience, somewhere around the £50 mark is a fair figure. Others may disagree

macman

I don't think for a moment that the OP will get more than a token goodwill payment either. The point I was making was that any compensation claim (however unlikely it is to succeed) can and should be quantified and based on actual losses. Not on 'what do you think I should ask for?'
It's fair that a higher earner should (in theory) get more, as long as their loss is demonstrably greater. If you take a day off work for a missed appointment, your loss is clearly greater than that of a retired person who would have been at home anyway.