MSE News: Warning: Npower's slapping ex-customers with huge bills

Former_MSE_Helen

Some Npower customers who've switched away have reported receiving bills months later demanding money...

Read the full story:

Warning: Npower's slapping ex-customers with huge bills



Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Nada666

What rubbish. People know what their balance is when they switch - they have to know that to see whether or not they can switch at that time. Customers have that money in their banks earning interest - absolutely no reason why they can't hand it over to npower when they receive the bill.

Another silly campaign to try to put up the prices of fuel for customers who pay their way and to let shady customers steal money. Ridiculous story.

chanz4

Its true utility companys recover the money from paying customers. As most are moving to the smaller providers, eg first utility ....will they melt under the heat when they cant cope

iwannabefree

We recently received a bill from last July for just under £200. We had moved house and had the account closed AND we did receive a final bill which we paid. All accounts were closed and settled. We had moved house again and we had a clear out of documentation, the bills and receipt for the previous address were shredded. Funny old thing it was after this we received this recent bill. Following a phone call and NPower asking for proof of payment, we finally settled on them seeing a copy of my bank statement saying the bill had been paid by Post Office Counters. At the minute NPower have accepted this as proof of payment. Watch this space for further repercussions.


Idiots!!

MABLE

I recently switched from NPower. I worked out what my final bill would be and put my account in credit by that amount. So when the final bill is produced the money is there waiting.

No doubt some of the ex customers will get away without paying their final bills at the expense of the existing customers.

Cardew

iwannabefree wrote: »

We recently received a bill from last July for just under £200. We had moved house and had the account closed AND we did receive a final bill which we paid. All accounts were closed and settled. We had moved house again and we had a clear out of documentation, the bills and receipt for the previous address were shredded. Funny old thing it was after this we received this recent bill. Following a phone call and NPower asking for proof of payment, we finally settled on them seeing a copy of my bank statement saying the bill had been paid by Post Office Counters. At the minute NPower have accepted this as proof of payment. Watch this space for further repercussions.


Idiots!!

When moving house, for a closing bill to be valid it has to based on exact meter readings on the day of departure that - importantly - are not challenged by the new occupant.


Often people leave an address and their final bill is based on estimated readings - which are later corrected and a further bill issued.


You may well have phoned in the meter readings when moving out, however are you sure the new occupant has accepted those meter readings?


Is it possible therefor that the bill for just under £200 is in that category, i.e. money still claimed as owing after the final bill paid?


Notwithstanding the above, it is totally unacceptable that it takes some utility companies so long to raise these bills. We get posts on MSE when the first they hear about your sort of bill is a letter from a Debt Collection Agency.


Is the entry on your bank statement exactly the same as the disputed bill?


Incidentally you should keep bills for 6 years for just this type of dispute.

fhl66

Just reading some of the threads regarding those who say that ex-customers must know what their balance is or they wouldn't switch. I recently switched as was fed up not getting a bill. I want to pay and know what I am paying for. The final straw was when they upped my direct debit nearly £70 to £170+ without a letter or e-mail to say they were going to be doing this. That was in January and still no letter. I also live in a medium 3 bed terraced house and watch the energy I am using so was absolutely astounded when they put my bill up by this much. I am pretty sure they will owe me money not the other way around but I have no idea how to work out how much I am owed just like those who owe money. In conclusion I would say that I have never come across a business before that is so bad at sending out bills and reckon they do it on purpose so that you don't know how much energy you are using and therefore don't bother to switch. Leave them anyway!!!

Save_me_the_money

I moved from npower nearly a year ago. When I left I was in credit on both gas+electric. There was some problems with both companies agreeing the final read due to an npower engineer submitting a reading 2weeks late for reasons unknown. However I was assured that once the final amount was calculated I would be re-emburst. This did not happen and after around 9months npower have now decided that I owe them money although they cannot explain the discrepancy despite my having called them numerous times and talked to many different people who have agreed that looking at my account I should be in credit. I honestly think that they have no idea what they are doing and would never consider returning to them.

Getting_There_Slowly_2

N Power are horrendous. My direct debit was coming out on time in full every month, and at the same time I was receiving "final demand" letters claiming my direct debit was not set up! Paying for energy just shouldn't be that difficult and stressful!

Comments like " you must know what you owe" could only come from somebody who has not experienced them. Not even N-power themselves know what I owe, so what chance do I have? I have never dealt with such a terrible company. The people in customer services are fine and try their best, but their billing systems are not fit for purpose.

I knew their reputation was poor so I only tried them because there was no minimum contract. I left after six months, my account shows zero balance so hopefully I will not be affected by this, but I don't trust them at all. Everybody avoid them please!

Consumerist

Nada666 wrote: »

What rubbish. People know what their balance is when they switch - they have to know that to see whether or not they can switch at that time.

Has Angela Knight resigned? Are you applying for the job?

Someone spare us from the energy lobby.

Sun_Addict

My final switchover date from nPower was in January this year. I am in credit by just over £600. I still haven't had a final bill from them. I phoned them about 8 weeks ago to chase it and they said they hadn't got the final readings from my new supplier. Phoned the new supplier who made sure they had the final figures. Still heard nothing. Will be chasing them up again today as fed up of waiting. I was with nPower for a year and had nothing but trouble with them.