NPower Switching Problem

Count_Dante

I tried to switch to Npower from EDF in early November using this website, and so far the only communication I have had from Npower is two emails asking me to confirm my email address. I did this both times, but have heard nothing more.

The timeline is:
Apply to switch suppliers: 6/11/13
Asked to confirm email: 8/11/13
Asked to confirm email again: 22/1/14

That's it - no letters, no nothing!

My MSE Cheap Energy Club status is 'switch in progress', but I have lost faith this is taking place.

Does anyone know could be going on?

ber11

I switched to npower April 2015 fix on 5/11/13 using Money Saving Expert Energy Club. I phoned in early January, having heard nothing in the meantime. They said they had my details on their system and the switch would be happening by the end of January. I got an email this morning saying the switch would happen in 5 to 6 weeks i.e. 4 to 5 months from early November and almost 1/3 way into the fixed rate period.


I tried 3 times to ring their complaints helpline and eventually got through. The person I spoke to implied that my details were only transferred over to npower in early January and said it was out of their control. Really?


The only small joy I got was that they said the switch is now scheduled for Feb 21. However, I have been paying my old supplier's new tariff in the meantime.


I would phone them up, but don't expect it to be easy or to get much satisfaction. You definitely won't get an apology!

waspish

There seem to be major problems in trying to switch using Energy Club! I applied to switch via them at the beginning of November and nothing has happened. I am only trying to change from one tariff to another with npower (my current supplier) so it would have been easy to do it direct, but I was lured by the £30 cashback offer. I have spoken to npower and they say they never received the switch request. I have no idea where to go from here. I have emailed Energy Club (only received an automated response) and even the Forum team on this site in case they would pass on the request. Nothing! There seems to be no other way of contacting them. I am very cross as I used Energy Club because I thought they would be reliable, being linked to this site that has a good reputation. If I have to start again, I have lost 2 months on a lower tariff and probably the fixed deal I was trying to get. I am contemplating getting Which legal advice (that I subscribe to) as I have an email from Energy Club confirming the switch request so they can't avoid responsibility and I think they should pay for any loss I've sustained. I will also report them to Which magazine and anyone else I can think of. Anyone else with a similar experience want to join in my complaint?

Count_Dante

Thanks for the replies. It would seem NPower are a shower of rubbish. This is totally unacceptable and the fact they cannot put an email together to say the switchover will take longer than normal is frankly ridiculous. I did try phoning up; I got through to someone in their new accounts department straight away who transferred me to an infinite queue. I hung up.

Utter INCOMPETENCE.

AndyPK

Not easy switching to npower. You need to constantly ring them up and hassle them every few weeks

snoman

Achieving the switch to npower will just be the start of your problems. I applied to switch in October and this was finally confirmed in December as having taken place in November and for which they requested a backdated meter reading. I managed to estimate a meter reading, but their website had lost its marbles and refused to co-operate. Admittedly, npower volunteered that their new IT system was having problems. I then resorted to the 'phone, only to discover that lots of other people were also trying and I was put into a 45min queue. I gave up waiting and tried a few days later. This time I was more successful and managed to get my meter reading accepted by an operator. My joy was short lived, however, as this meter reading seems to have disappeared down a black hole as it has not been recognised by my web account. The web account informs me that I will be charged according to npower's estimate of consumption. In the meantime, npower have tried unsuccessfully, on three separate occasions, to take DD payments from my bank. They are now requesting payment by another method, or inviting me to set up a new DD. I have sent an email requesting an explanation, but I'm still waiting for a reply after one week.

TheMole007

Npower are awful. Sorry to hear you are switching to them.

During my time with them i was left without hot water for 2 weeks due to a faulty meter, mysteriously my usage doubled in the space of 12 months over the same period the previous year this happened after that new meter was installed.

I have since switched and they are holding my £270 credit hostage, its coming up to 3 months they have had my money. Not to mention the countless times i have spent over 30 minutes trying to get through on the phone before giving up.

They never sent me anything confirming i had canceled and was moving to a new supplier, i have had no communication from them since i gave my notice that was not instigated by me.

That huge price rise was the last straw and i am a loyal customer usually. I will never go back to Npower even in the unlikely event they turn out to be the cheapest when my new deal runs out.

snoman

I switched to npower because they offered the best deal for gas, without needing to install a smart meter. Their standing charge is high, but unit charge is low, so beneficial to a high user like me. They were able to undercut Atlantic, even before Atlantic's recent increases, so I'm happy with the deal. Currently, I'm not paying anything, until such time npower discover how to make DDs work.

nPower

Hi all,

Sorry to hear you're having some issues with our service. If you'd like to email your queries across to me at the email address showing on our profile page I'll be happy to take a look into your queries.

Thanks,
David

owdbob

Unfortunately you'll get no help from anyone. I tried to switch dual fuel to np in October 2013. They did elec but still, 11Feb have not done the gas. I have complained time and again, and to MSE. For me it's a nightmare too.
Monday I got a letter from np saying that as 8 weeks have passed I can now complain to the Ombudsman!
I plan to await transfer of gas, whenever - to switch away now would mess further. And then I will be off elsewhere, even if it's dearer. I will never use MSE again for a fuel switch and I'll never use npower.

davet1982

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi all,

Sorry to hear you're having some issues with our service. If you'd like to email your queries across to me at the email address showing on our profile page I'll be happy to take a look into your queries.

Thanks,
David

Can you possibly give me any information as to why we have recieved a bill from our previous address especially as we were on a pre pay meter. I have spoken at length to various people at Npower over the last three months and no one can give me an answer other that they are going to raise an investigation and then nothing happens. Is there any explanation that anyone can come up with.many thanks