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

canary_bird_324

I left npower overva year ago and have been battling with them ovef my final bill which I received in september. I put in a formal complaint and heard nothing until last week demanding payment I have now been put on a payment plan but still feel that they need looking into as their practices are not good and lack customer service skills. Each phone call takes at least 1 hour to get through and despite questioning their practice s it seems I am still no further forward they need to get thingsvright with customers in the set time frame and ensure that their prices are transparent and accurate and not rip off the consumer for leaving their service

joncombe

I left NPower around 1 year ago. I had a credit balance, but the bills they issued, including the "final" bill did not add up. I queried this and asked for a correct bill to be issued before the account was closed. I was told the balance was still correct (it was in credit) and my account would be closed but a new corrected bill issued.

I was sent a cheque for the credit amount, but numerous deadlines Npower gave for issuing a correct bill and they even tried to claim my bill was not wrong but that "a value isn't showing that would be required to enable the calculation to add up". If that is not wrong I don't know what is!

I had already cancelled the Direct Debit with my bank, but NPower issued a new bill showing a debit balance. I immediatly rang up and the person I spoke to agreed it was wrong and confirmed a "hold" would be put on my account whilst a correct final bill was issued (again) and they would not attempt to take payment. I confirmed with them I had cancelled my direct debit and told they would not attempt to take payment. Yet I found that despite these assurances Npower re-instated the Direct Debit I had cancelled and debited the money from my account anyway. I reported this to my bank who refunded it the same day and raised another complaint to Npower.

I eventually raised it to the Ombudsman who found in my favour. Npower had to pay compensation and send a letter of apology. They did eventually re-issue the bill for the entire time I was with them. This did match the original balance rather than their corrected "in debit" balance, hence they took money there were never entitled too anyway.

It is sad to see they are still at it and worse now reporting to credit reference agencies. They have had this "new" billing system for almost 3 years now. I think that after 3 years of apparantly being unable to fix the problem yhey should have their license revoked and be put out of business.

Wildsurf

We had/have a dual power account with nPower. In November we moved house and attempted to switch out nPower account to the new house.

We finally received the closing bills for our old house in April, luckily not a huge amount, but an unexpected outgoing all the same.

The switch to the new house is 6mths later still not complete. The electricity switch completed within a few weeks of the move. At the time of the electric switch we supplied both electric and gas opening meter readings.

It was only when receiving the delayed final bills I checked and realised that our direct debit was not big enough to cover both electric and gas. I then received an Email apologising for the delay in the switch, but that was a month ago and nothing since.

Needless to say we have now initiated a switch away from nPower, but are bracing ourselves for problems with this and a large backdated bill from someone for gas for the winter months. Will this come from nPower or whoever the original supplier was remains to be determined. I'm at a loss as to where to go with this, how can a switch take so long and how can we have received no bill from anyone 6 months after moving in?

Absolutely appalling service and a total lack of communication.

Puppy1

I moved from Npower in March, paid final bill of £58. Now have a gas bill for £1350. I send them emails and call them but never get a reply. They also moved my electricity back to themselves, however later admitted it was there mistake. All very stressful

savingup80

Problems: Incorrect starting reads despite informing them by email, letter and phone on the day of switch. They they gave my old provider the wrong reads - took 3 months back and forth between two companies as npower were so unhelpful. After months of Npower telling me they had given the old company the correct meter reads when they hadn't, I made an official complaint to Npower and they gave the old supplier the correct reads.

***NOW** looking at my billing with npower, I am so confused - I was sent 3 different bills in one month for different amounts. The activity section on my online account page shows "bill reversal", "payment", "bill reversal", "payment", rinse and repeat for **40 entries** and I have only been with them since October 2013. The vast majority of these 40 entries are random and not tied to my communication with them or my meter readings.

I have TRIED to give them meter readings on the same day each month since October, the first 3 readings didn't register despite entering them online, emailing, and telephoning them in - so they just estimated, then corrected the readings at random monthly dates.

Since changing supplier (fixed rate) for a very marginally more expensive fixed rate (factoring in standard charge, day/night rate etc) and NOT changing my consumption, my bill has nearly TREBLED! The maths does not add up. Details: £900~ estimated bill for one person living in a small one bedroom flat that is well insulated and uses 20% (day)/ 80% (night) ratio on economy 7, (30 Sept 2016 fixed rate). They have changed my DD four times in 8 months. My bill with EDF last year was £350 for the year - with no consumption changes.

I am well very well educated and cannot make sense of my Npower bills with its estimated readings, actual readings, customer readings, its random time periods and lack of reference to any particular period in some places - I have no idea how an elderly or other vulnerable person would manage, or even someone renting/owning a home for the first time. This company are beyond ridiculous. I have to laugh when I hear about initiatives to make bills simpler to read.

Sunny31

I left NPower almost 2 years ago. Whilst with them I paid monthly DD for duel fuel, I didn't miss any payments and I provided my final meter readings. Out of the blue yesterday I received a bill from them for £234. It took me 3 attempts and a long wait on the phone to be told that the bill was dated December 2012! Yet I had started paying my new provider in August 2012. The bill said 'reminder' but I have not heard from NPower since I Switched provider in 2012. I always pay my bills and always budget properly; preferring to pay by DD rather than have any nasty surprises but hey ho I got one anyway!

I am not planning to pay this without a fight, I intend to complain to NPower in the first instance and will take the matter to the energy ombudsman if necessary. How are customers expected to trust NPower when the billing system is a shambles! NPower had approximately 5 years of my custom and I paid more to them per month than I do now.
Anyone who thinks that some people are trying to get out of paying what they owe are misguided - had I been billed correctly when I left then I would have paid. It's very upsetting to receive a bill like this and frankly I could do without the hassle .

ollie75

Left npower in july last year. Got a final bill paid and received a cheque for credit. Today I received an email saying I owe them £404. I have had no contact no calls no emails no nothing and now a bill. Its 2014 and its a bill for 12/13?? When I called them to query they instantly passed me to complaints who were closed. The guy I spoke to said they had revised my account and my final bill. How is that even possible?

whydoudoit

Wow this company really are chancer's aren't they, if i sent you a bill out of nowhere would you pay me?

Tommo76

Received bills from npower on the 14th May saying I owe £132.22 for electricity and £307.82 for gas. I found this very interesting (if thats the right word) as my last payment to them before switching to EON was on the 28th December 2012 - 17 months previous.

As I paid them via direct debit I have trawled through all of my previous bank statements to verify my payments to them. As I was completely baffled by this I phoned them to clarify the information citing the bills as being "slightly odd" as they read all my meters and adjusted bills accordingly for the duration of my agreement with them. The lady I spoke to didnt seem able to help (understand what she was looking at) so patched me to a colleague. He explained I owed the amounts so I asked if he could send me a breakdown of how and when I had used this energy as I am concerned they have made a mistake as it should not take 17 months to receive a bill. In actual fact it was sent out as a reminder which is strange as I had never received an original bill for these amounts.

I have returned home from a short break from the kids today to a letter from them dated 21st May and was hopeful it would satisfy my request to understand. I am still baffled however as they have now sent me a variety of differing information.

- dated 20th June 2012 a combined gas and electricity statement for £188 (my monthly direct debit amount) which also states on it "We've calcuulated your usage accurately using up to date meter readings"
- dated 29th November 2012 the same showing my payment (again based on usage they have taken from meter readings) to now be £172.
- then dated 29th January 2013 and February 1st 2013 respectively (although this is the 1st time I have seen these bills) a bill showing my final electricity bill is £177.67 and my final gas bill is £440.04.
- please note that these amounts differ from the bills sent on the 14th may 2 weeks earlier which worryingly gives me zero confidence in the abacus they are using to come up with these numbers

My main question which they have been unable to help me with over the phone is that if they have reviewed the bills with meter readings as recently as November and amended my direct debits to suit then how on earth am I left with such a disparity between my last payment in December 2012 and the date they are claiming they sent a final bill for in February 2013. On the amounts they adjusted my direct debit to £172 for January and February is £344 but they are asking for combined amounts (gas and electric) of £440.04 on the 14th May and then £617.71 on the 21st May? Both considerably higher amounts than what I would have expected if I had of expected anything at all.

My next course of action is to log a complaint with them and then the ombudsman when they fob me off. I will continue to shop around for my energy to save money and get the best deal but whatever outcome npower have lost a customer for life, not just a couple of years. I will certainly be telling as many people as possible about this also in the hope they lose some more. For such a big company this is an appalling way to treat people, they should not be allowed to operate this way. Its an absolute disgrace and any advice anyone has for me (without ending up with a bigger legal bill than the potential £618 they now claim I owe them) it would be most welcome.

Sunny31

Good point whydoudoit. The bills really do come out of nowhere and reading the thread it would seem that either you don't get a bill or you get more than you bargained for! I'm sure some people will just pay up to make it go away - but anyone in the same situation don't!