Tears because of NPower!!! :-(

Blue264

After this happened several times with mine, and for a number of consecutive months with my friend, I've cancelled my direct debit with them.

The final straw was when I received a bill in the post and by email, both of which stated my direct debit would be £81, yet they still took £149 from my account. I got so far in credit with npower that, the bill I paid this weekend for the last quarter, was a grand total of £39.

The total costs of calling Npower to correct this came to over £24.

Now, I take readings every 4-6 weeks and enter them online.

If you don't trust a company with your money, don't give them access to it, which is exactly what a direct debit mandate does. Change to quarterly bills or standing order.

MelMcM

I enter my meter readings every month on the app.

I think I'll ring the bank and then be cross on the phone to Npower.


Thank you everyone x

macman

Are you sure they didn't email you or send a message via your online account? Checked your spam filter?

sparkymarcopolo

nPower's system works by forecasting on a 12 month basis using an automated system, when you call and speak to an agent, they base their review on 6 months (bizarre).


This sounds oh so common with them, I've had notifications that my latest Bill is ready, checked online and it still says the usual amount, hence nothing to worry about.


Then weeks later, go back and an if by magic the monthly DB has increased. By then the monies already been taken from account and they insist they have given notice. I know of several people I know who have not been given two weeks notice.


If it makes you feel better, rant at them because they do not give a toss.


Hope you sort it out, maybe asked for a free temporary overdraft.


Going forward, if you intend to stay with nPower (I'm moving from them), provide meter readings every month, take screenshots of your view of the account details (including latest Bill details) and take what they say with a pinch of salt.

ed110220

I've had the same problem with Npower. If I divide up the yearly cost of the energy we use (plus standing charges) by 12, we should pay less than £100 per month, yet Npower put up our direct debit to £149 per month and built up a large credit, even though I provide online meter readings at least once per month.

I recently switched to Ovo as they were cheaper and hopefully we won't have the same problem with them.

kirkbyinfurnesslad_2

Just ring your bank and do a claim under the DD guarantee Scheme, dont let them fob you off, by saying you should contact the energy company!

Stand your ground and get your money bk:)

Strebor

Sorry to hear it's still awful with npower. I got so much grief and stress from them during the whole year contract I left them. I decided to try and do something about it and set up an e-petition. Please consider signing it, really need people to support it for change.

Cheers
Steve
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56280

nPower

MelMcM wrote: »

I am fuming!!!

Npower have taken £198 by DD. My normal DD is £46.

This is because my account has been in credit for over a year. My online Npower now says I am £398 in credit!!!!

I have emailed NPower and my bank.

What else can I do please? Any advice appreciated.

I am so stressed. I have no money in January and not paid until the 31st. Every penny is accounted for and now I have to find £200 to cover my council tax and bank charges.


Cross, overdrawn in an account with no overdraft, notification of charges from HSBC alerted me to this.... que tears!!! :-(

Hello MelMcM,

Thank you for your post.

I am sorry to hear what is going on. I can look into this for you?

When your payment amounts change this will calculated off the back of a reassessment bill and your new payment will be shown on page 1 and page 4 of that bill with the date it will take effect from.

If you can send me all your details on an email to the address on my profile page I will check all of this out for you and look into your repayments amount also for future months.

Thanks

Carmel

TraySelect

@MelMcM

Just to confirm like others have - npower are in breach of the DD Guarantee if they take a DD without telling you first of a changed amount.

Plus - if you incur bank charges, claim these from npower. You should not be out of pocket because of this.

Last - ask for financial recompense from npower for the stress and difficulty, time-wasting, loss of sleep npower have caused you.

Write everything down, dates, times, discussions, outcomes.

Deal with them in writing - phone calls are a waste of time - npower say one thing and do (or usually don't do) another.

Go to the Ombudsman if npower haven't rectified this within 8 weeks.

Good luck

Strebor

"Calculated off the back of a reassessment bill"

Yeah right! So how come it has no relation to the real historical figures?

There are too many people who are being over charged on dd, but of course the energy companies don't mind that.