I owe Npower over £5000

zephi

Over the space of 5 years I have accumulated a debt of just over £5000 with Npower. In the early stages I received letters and phone calls about the debt on my account (when it was around £1000-2000). After setting up a payment plan and switching to paperless billings Npower stopped pursing me for my debt. This was about 3 years ago.

They still however email me with quarterly bills but I have not paid them for over 2 years. I receive no threatening letters or communication to clear my debt just a bill each quarter adding to what is a massive debt.

I took this as a chance to clear other debts I have. I was irresponsible with money and accumulated large payday loan debts a few years back. I'm worried about the rate in which the bill are accumulating. It could even get bigger once they take another meter reading, their last meter reading was in March.

I'm assuming there is a fault in their system where they send out bills but do not check if they get paid. But I'm worried as I cannot afford to pay the current balance and not sure what they would do if I contacted them. I do not want to be stuck with a pre payment meter paying over the odds for energy for an eternity compounding my debt.

Any advice on how to proceed would be welcomed.

rogerblack

Prepayment meters are not significantly more expensive these days.

RuthnJasper

rogerblack wrote: »

Prepayment meters are not significantly more expensive these days.

True. I'm on them. Hope not to be when my IVA ends in a few months' time - but they aren't too bad, as long one isn't wasteful (i.e. having the heating higher than it needs to be, leaving lights on, etc.) and some of the 'dual fuel' offers are quite good.

OP - if you are worried, the best advice is to contact them. Be honest about repaying if you can only afford, say, £1 per week. They MIGHT have written-off the idea of pursuing you for your debt as being not worth their time and effort, but really only they can advise you.

If the full amount appears on your bill I would assume they know about it. Key meters aren't so bad and you don't HAVE to be stuck with them forever.

It's difficult to advise you, really, as every case is different. I suppose, if it were me, I would contact them and offer to pay what I realistically could, for peace of mind's sake. But if the amounts on the bills are going up and no payment is being made then the situation probably isn't going to go away.

Have they never sent you any indication that they'd cut you off if you didn't make some payment at any point? Are you a home-owner or renting? I only ask because I rent from a Housing Association and, when I first moved in a few years ago, I received high bills for the former tenant, which were nothing to do with me. I returned the bills with an explanatory note and they stopped.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. But don't make yourself ill for fretting about this. Give NPower a call, it might not be as bad as you think. Best wishes. x

macman

PPM's cost the same as Standard tariff. In your situation, there isn't really any alternative long term.
If you want to know what the actual billing situation is, then submit a reading (which you should be doing every 3 months anyway). They will then send a revised bill.

Wywth

zephi wrote: »

Over the space of 5 years I have accumulated a debt of just over £5000 with Npower. In the early stages I received letters and phone calls about the debt on my account (when it was around £1000-2000). After setting up a payment plan and switching to paperless billings Npower stopped pursing me for my debt. This was about 3 years ago.

They still however email me with quarterly bills but I have not paid them for over 2 years. I receive no threatening letters or communication to clear my debt just a bill each quarter adding to what is a massive debt.

I took this as a chance to clear other debts I have. I was irresponsible with money and accumulated large payday loan debts a few years back. I'm worried about the rate in which the bill are accumulating. It could even get bigger once they take another meter reading, their last meter reading was in March.

I'm assuming there is a fault in their system where they send out bills but do not check if they get paid. But I'm worried as I cannot afford to pay the current balance and not sure what they would do if I contacted them. I do not want to be stuck with a pre payment meter paying over the odds for energy for an eternity compounding my debt.

Any advice on how to proceed would be welcomed.

As posted by another user on the other thread you created earlier asking exactly the same question,
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4750881
I would also suggest you start by contacting your supplier.