Npower bizarre bill estimates

sundays_child

hi I'm starting a new thread as tagging on to an old one you'd have to scroll through pages of replies as soooo many customers have been well and truly annoyed by this bunch of clowns.
I changed to these guys earlier in the year;
At first they tried to estimate a bill that was twice my usage.
Then when I complained they multiplied the figure by ten
Now they are back to just double my usage......
To call them idiots would be an insult to all idiots everywhere.
For them to make a feeble excuse about computer errors as they have in the general letter sent to customers is an absolute laugh.
Computers DON'T input data
Computers DON'T create company policies
computers DON'T write their own programmes
.....npower bosses on the other hand are fully accountable for their actions and need to be held accountable.:mad: :mad: :mad:

nPower

sundays_child wrote: »

hi I'm starting a new thread as tagging on to an old one you'd have to scroll through pages of replies as soooo many customers have been well and truly annoyed by this bunch of clowns.
I changed to these guys earlier in the year;
At first they tried to estimate a bill that was twice my usage.
Then when I complained they multiplied the figure by ten
Now they are back to just double my usage......
To call them idiots would be an insult to all idiots everywhere.
For them to make a feeble excuse about computer errors as they have in the general letter sent to customers is an absolute laugh.
Computers DON'T input data
Computers DON'T create company policies
computers DON'T write their own programmes
.....npower bosses on the other hand are fully accountable for their actions and need to be held accountable.:mad: :mad: :mad:

Hi sundays child,

Thanks for your post. When producing estimated bills this should be based on previous energy history that we hold for you or in the event of a transfer, information we receive from industry records about your projected usage.

If you have an online account this is a great way to help keep your account up to date by submitting regular meter readings.

If you are still experiencing issues with the billing of your account please send your account details my way using the email address from my profile and I'll take a look into this for you.

Thanks

Leigh

sundays_child

leigh I've already e-mailed a complaint to n-power, and if not satisfied will take it on to the ombudsman. One of many customers to do so...
How on earth you can claim that n-power estimates are based on ''Industry usage about my projected usage'' I really don't know. When various attempts to estimate bills have been between ten and two times actual usage.
:rotfl:Are are having a joke?

Nerakano

Do you by any chance have a dial meter ????

We do and as we've an ongoing complaint I've been told to take meter readings daily.... just what I needed on top of everything else!!
But I'm taking them....
But I've been told 5 different ways to read it

1. Always take the lowest number if its between two numbers, and the number itself if its dead on
2. always take the lowest number if its between two numbers, and if its dead on a number check the next dial , if the next dial number is between 1-0 take the number before , if the next dial number is between 0-9 take the number its on
3. always take the lowest number if its between two numbers, and if its dead on , if the next dial number is 0-1 take the next number up , 0-9 next number down
4. always take the lowest number and if its on a number take the one before
5. if its on the number take the number, if its between numbers and dial goes clockwise take the lowest, anti clock wise take the highest

The compaints team said 1 lowest number always and if dead on take the number, so I'm sticking with that at the moment...
Some days I'm putting electricity back into the meter!!!!

We started off at £138 , rose to £256 and then to £289, were told by npower we were overpaying and were in credit
They wanted to reduce the payments to £65 we settled on £150
Told we had to take a refund...they wanted us to take over £800 we took £420 and didnt dare spend in May...we waited till August.
The "energy statements" they sent out showed us till in Credit so we spent it on our holiday.
Not until the start of November did they contact us to say that they were wrong...and we were nearly £900 in debit.
Don't see how ...we were paying what they said we should be paying and the energy monitor they sent us matched to what they were saying....

Then even after that call...they refunded £289 into our bank...I rang up straight away "thats because your account is in credit "....but its not ...but their system thinks it is.....but its not...but the " account is showing you are"

Based on the daily readings I've taken so far they think we are using £157 or so a month (gas/electric combined) ....but the complaints team have put our payments up to £229 a month because that's what they've calculated over the year....
So now I'm thinking that we've been over paying since the end of 2012 to April 2013 when they first upped the payments to £256....

2 things make me think this
1. Our reading we've been taking -->this calculates at -->£157 a month
2. Complaints team say based on year they've calculated should be paying £229
So in that case where do the £259 and £289 come into it ????

We're a two bed semi, with 2 adults....I can't wrap my brain around where they are getting their figures from


I checked online after the call in November we were over £2000 in credit ....now they reckon we owe them £854 ....

It doesnt make sense....

They're coming to check the meter in January, putting in a secondary meter to run with our dial meter for 4 weeks, then they're going to check the readings
So we're stuck paying £229 a month Dec,Jan,Feb at least.
And if they dont find a fault with the meter, even if shows were using the £150-£157 ...they're not going to change the payments and then they'll want to add extra to clear the £850
They've told me if I want the meter changing and it isnt faulty I can pay for a new meter....I'm going to argue that if their team can't read it the same way consistently it should be replaced anyway because how do we know if any of the meter readings that have been taken over the years are actually correct

They've totally ruined Christmas and New Year for us with all the worry and aggravation ....my husband is in poor health and they've actually made him ill...now they've finally made me a secondary contact on the account(we've been trying to get me added since 2009) I'm trying to handle it all myself and spare him but he's still worrying himself sick.

Finally:
I work with computers, how on earth can they get a computer system so badly wrong.....

If the account has a query (and we were told the April meter reading for the electric I cant see , isnt showing because it has a query flag against it)...you don't give refund, alter payments etc ...you just don't ....I don't know of any other system that would allow it....
And to refund again after a complaints been raised....madness!!! Absolute Madness!!!

sundays_child

yes their whole computer system seems up the spout, After I spoke to the lady in complaints I checked out their new tariffs for this year the calculator system used to compare tariffs quite literally could not get its' sums right, not the ladies fault, but honestly, it's not rocket science, why can't they just get their act together?
Oh and I got over £300 pond over payment refunded, will keep an eye on usage, roll on these new ''smart-meters'' they need them NOW!!!!!

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Nerakano wrote: »

...But I've been told 5 different ways to read it...

NPOWER's online instructions for reading a meter.

Nerakano

Hi
Whoever added them ....Thanks for the online instructions, I have already found these and have these printed off and stored in the cupboard where the meter is , I have mentioned them to the team I've been given the readings to when I've needed to cross check them.
Two people have confirmed to following them, more have said to take the lowest number and if on the number that number, these instructions are apparantly "out of date"

Please can NPower please issue a definitive way to read the dial meters to their staff and customers.

Today I have another bill on our online account
There a period where it says we're using 43 units a day the rest are around 19 - 24 .....(there's an oddball 7...but this was when the readings were going backwards)
But our usage has changed .....

More convinced than ever now we've been overpaying since 2012 They corrected in April 2013 and now we're overpaying again...

My readings and calculations Npower have asked me to keep taking confirm this.....
Just waiting for them to test the meter in January to totally confirm what I already know....
I'm hoping they're not going to attach a second dial meter to our current dial meter....if they do I may actually CRY!!

ianthy

Hi - I am now convinced that NPower does not have a clue what it's doing and should be taken over and run by the regulator.


My current tariff ends Jan 2014 and I was informed that the new tarriff including increases in rates would generate a bill of £3,500 for dual fuel. I used the same info and found Ovo cheaper by £1k. After starting the transfer process I was sent the 'sorry you are leaving' letter and called NPower - they now forecast that my annual bill will be £2500 on their Oc 2015 fixed deal, but this is not guaranteed as the rates may change. When is a fixed rate deal not fixed = when you are with NPower. Today, I also received 2 emails from them - my future monthly payments will be £89.00 and the other email states my payments will increase from £305 to £357.00! I currently pay £305.00 a month.

This is just plain crazy - how are customers meant to understand their energy usage and plan ahead to pay their bills, when their energy provider is in chaos.

scaredofdebt

A fixed price deal isn't fixed as your consumption may and probably will vary. It's only the unit rate/standing charge that's fixed.

sundays_child

I had similar bonkers bills in the summer . on the same day received two letters suggesting monthly payments would both twenty something and also seven hundred plus,
I am all for equal opportunity employment, bur honestly, the billing department really needs to employ staff with basic numeracy skills, though I expect the real problem is that they have rubbish computer programmers, or just purchased the cheapest computer package to do the job, and have now found it does not actually work. Who knows, good old-fashioned industrial sabotage maybe? What ever the reason, it needs sorting.

scaredofdebt

sundays_child wrote: »

I am all for equal opportunity employment, bur honestly, the billing department really needs to employ staff with basic numeracy skills, though I expect the real problem is that they have rubbish computer programmers, or just purchased the cheapest computer package to do the job, and have now found it does not actually work. Who knows, good old-fashioned industrial sabotage maybe? What ever the reason, it needs sorting.

It cost nPower over £250M and counting to implement their SAP IT system, so it's not exactly great value for money.

But at least IBM are doing well out of it - they're the contractors doing the work.