npower tries to cut statements - anyone else?

onthehill

Sorry mulder.

I haven't ignored anything.

The potential issue is getting them to send a bill.

Whether they have multiple readings from me or none and are doing it on estimates.

ie repeat, getting them to send a bill.

Am finding this thread somewhat bemusing - full of folk who seem to be under the kindly impression that npower is a normal company.

Google news is your (scary) friend.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

did you read my post above, number 6,

jings,

why do you need a 'sent bill',

just put your meter readings in as you wish, online, get an up to date statement, print it if you need, and pay.

onthehill

er yes Frugal.

I did read it.

I am sure Scottish Power are very good but again I suggest you google news for an awful lot of naive simple old fashioned folks who would like a bill/paper trail.

Or maybe google news npower apology.

Call me Mr awkward but after my experience with npower, which is clearly shared by many many people in the UK, I'm not interested in easy apologies.

If you don't want to google, this -just part of the coverage of the story that eventually broke through.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2517183/Npower-apologise-energy-blunders-appalling-service.html

I'm no great fan of the Daily Mail but this will give an idea.

And the comments from customers who also seem strangely keen on having a bill for all sorts of reasons.

And note the comment from one of their long suffering call centre staff.

That reflects the reality from the other sde of the fence.

But it's same story.

Do they still sponsor the cricket?

Any truth in rumours that they are going to get a pretty new logo?

Responses to OP welcome.

Blue264

onthehill wrote: »

Calling npower is rarely reassuring - I did call and after about an hour and a half of being passed around found that they were all incapable/not empowerered by npower - same old story, despite the fluffy apology of the head honcho - my apology letter arrived today a few days after the arrogant attempt to change my terms and a totally useless time spent on the phone.

So it has gone to complaints - only way to get anything done.

If it carries on like this I will have to get in touch with complaints every time I want them to blow some gas through the pipes.

I will report back.

You have my sympathies.

Just had 2 months of the weekly debate with Npower that culminated with me closing the gas account after having the meter removed, and threatening them with court action for all the time and inconvenience they have caused me.

I received several emails from their head of customer services, b leating that they have over 3 million customers, so I replied with my work email signature stating we have branches in 152 countries and over a 20 million clients. He couldn't answer that....

The simple answer is to change your energy supplier and save yourself a lot of angst. You can still do this, even if Npower claim you have an outstanding debt on your account. I'm switching to OVO because I was impressed with their cheif speaking out recently...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f6ebf2c-40c7-11e3-8775-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2n4IS9E71

I've spoken to their call centre staff a few times and am very impressed by them also. They've been very honest with me, and clear on what they can do, and what it's best that I should get Npower to do before the switch. If nothing else, just give them a call and tell them your situation. It's refreshing to get a second opinion and size up the people you could be dealing with in future. These people treat you like a new client, not just a customer who can be fobbed off with any old chat.

nPower

onthehill wrote: »

Hi

I've been with npower a long time (actually inherited them from a previous occupant) and earlier this year eventually sorted a probem where they had been misreading my meters for several years, resulting in an issue where they thought I owed them for over 200,000 units of electricity.

After this scare I insisted on going on to a scheme where I paid every 3 months for power actually used - ie: not their incompetent estimated/balancing system.

I have this in writing from executive complaints.

Things went better this year though I still had to phone executive compaints to get a quarterly bill raised.

My last statement from the beginning of November shows me on QUARTERLY variable direct debit.

At the end of last week I got a letter from npower - I expected it to be the worthless "apology" referred to in the press.

But it was a letter saying that my next bill will be about May 2014 and that after that back to normal. But for all I know, their definition of "normal" is a new norm they will have establised of every 6 months.

Has anyone else had such a letter?.

What are my rights?

I can overstate how bad this letter is - I need quarterly bills so that I can keep a handle on a company that has shown itself to be serially incompetent.* I also of course may want to leave them.


* In November I encountered a contractor reading my meter. They kindly rang the bell - no probems with that person at all. They told me that they were visiting on a special code as this was the third attempt to read the meter after two failed attempts. This despite the fact that the meter is outside, it has aways been outside and the meter was changed by an npower contractor only a matter of months ago.

Hi onthehill,

Thanks for your post. As you are paying by Variable Direct Debit you should be receiving a bill every quarter from us. The recent letter about your next bill date may be due to the data collector changing the dates when they will come to read your meter, which in turn will affect the dates we bill you.

If you would like me to take a look into this for you and confirm when your next bill is due please drop me an email with your account details to the address in my profile.

Thanks

Leigh

rogerblack

onthehill wrote: »

After this scare I insisted on going on to a scheme where I paid every 3 months for power actually used - ie: not their incompetent estimated/balancing system.

How nice for you.
I note that this is equivalent to them loaning you 1 1/2 months of average consumption.

Jamie_Carter

onthehill wrote: »

Are you with npower Grendel?

All your posts seem to be on the power industry for some reason.

You seem very optimistic about npower's level of organisation.

Calling npower is rarely reassuring - I did call and after about an hour and a half of being passed around found that they were all incapable/not empowerered by npower - same old story, despite the fluffy apology of the head honcho - my apology letter arrived today a few days after the arrogant attempt to change my terms and a totally useless time spent on the phone.

So it has gone to complaints - only way to get anything done.

If it carries on like this I will have to get in touch with complaints every time I want them to blow some gas through the pipes.

I will report back.

If you are unhappy with npower, then why don't you go on www.uswitch.com and change to another supplier?

onthehill

rogerblack wrote: »

How nice for you.
I note that this is equivalent to them loaning you 1 1/2 months of average consumption.

Not sure I understand the import of this.

I don't think npower are doing me any particular favours. I hardly need state why.

onthehill

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi onthehill,

Thanks for your post. As you are paying by Variable Direct Debit you should be receiving a bill every quarter from us. The recent letter about your next bill date may be due to the data collector changing the dates when they will come to read your meter, which in turn will affect the dates we bill you.

If you would like me to take a look into this for you and confirm when your next bill is due please drop me an email with your account details to the address in my profile.

Thanks

Leigh

I will pass on this.

Have seen this sort of offer on here before.

It now appears that I have sorted this issue after several hours of time - letter should never have been sent and even then addressing it should have taken all of about five minutes.

I know of others with the same issue.

So thanks but no thanks.

undercover_peon

I am with scottish power and their website can produce a bill whenever a meter readingis given.

Just to make it clear to those who dont know npower cannot produce a bill for some customers despite the fact they and the customer want to.

Regarding right for billing i think there is very little by way of rights. Basically if they dont bill you for over a year (through no fault of your own) then they can only backbill you for a year.

Bit shoddy but thats the situation.