Complaints Question - can you complain if Npower say complaint has been closed?

Daffodil78

Hello,

Last December I received a bill from Npower for over £2000. I thought I had left Npower a year prior to that, but it turns out my account did not switch, but none told me. (My electricity did switch and the new company were taking my DD each month, so I had no reason to believe I wasn't paying for my gas as it would have been one payment.)

I phoned Npower and made a complaint, but they said I would have to have a prepayment meter. I didn't want this because I am a wheelchair user with a young child and I didn't want to risk running out while on our own. I panicked and my Dad lent me the money to pay the bill off. I have since learned that I could have gone to the Ombudsman about this.

I have another separate complaint ongoing with Npower at the moment and I asked them today if they would look at the previous complaint too and they said no.

They said because the complaint had been dealt with at the time then the Ombudsman wouldn't look at my case. Is this true?

Thank you.

chanz4

You only have 6 months to complain, but in honesty not backing them but they were correct in their action. If your supply did not leave which would be down to the gaining supplier you didn't pay anyone, money was owed. On a side note the ombudsman cant dictate payment terms as its classed as a commercial decision.

dogshome

Your real beef is with the supplier you Switched to from n'power - Have they returned all the money you paid to them for the Gas that n'power were supplying?

The pity of it is, is that if n'power had been told you were paying supplier X for the gas used, they would probably have called off the dogs and waited till you had clawed back money from X, to pay them.

What is the nature of your present beef with n'power?

undaunted

I'm not sure what you would hope to achieve now?

It would be contrary to ERA guidelines to force a Pre payment meter onto someone in a wheel chair & with a child in the house but they were entitled to pursue the bill reasonably. See http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/30-disconnection/308-era-safety-net.html

I'm not sure about the Ombudsman looking at it given that you've paid but if 8 weeks or more have passed with the second unresolved they could look at that. It would cost you nothing to contact them with your complaints if you wish to do so.

chanz4

undaunted wrote: »

I'm not sure what you would hope to achieve now?

It would be contrary to ERA guidelines to force a Pre payment meter onto someone in a wheel chair & with a child in the house but they were entitled to pursue the bill reasonably. See http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/30-disconnection/308-era-safety-net.html

I'm not sure about the Ombudsman looking at it given that you've paid but if 8 weeks or more have passed with the second unresolved they could look at that. It would cost you nothing to contact them with your complaints if you wish to do so.

The era for disability would only apply if only their been no one able to top one up. As the op would be able to this wouldn't apply

Daffodil78

chanz4 wrote: »

You only have 6 months to complain, but in honesty not backing them but they were correct in their action. If your supply did not leave which would be down to the gaining supplier you didn't pay anyone, money was owed. On a side note the ombudsman cant dictate payment terms as its classed as a commercial decision.

They admitted it was their mistake. They had some sort of changeover in systems and my account data wasn't transferred across. Thank you for your help though.

Daffodil78

dogshome wrote: »

Your real beef is with the supplier you Switched to from n'power - Have they returned all the money you paid to them for the Gas that n'power were supplying?

The pity of it is, is that if n'power had been told you were paying supplier X for the gas used, they would probably have called off the dogs and waited till you had clawed back money from X, to pay them.

What is the nature of your present beef with n'power?

The new supplier have only taken money for electric not gas, so there is no money to return. They told me they don't inform people if accounts don't switch :-/

My current 'beef' with Npower is that they grossly underestimated my usage and failed to amend my dd even though I was supplying them with meter readings each month.

Daffodil78

Thank you to everyone for replying. Npower have since offered to reduce my debt by £250 because of their errors. My debt is currently £529, so it would bring it down to £279.

Ideally I would like my debt reduced sufficiently so that I can move from Npower as a supplier. I just don't trust them not to make any more mistakes. They have so far said I cannot leave because I have a debt with them.

Does anyone have any experience with getting compensation from an energy supplier. I have no idea if what they are offering is a good deal or not.

Cheers

chanz4

50% is more than the ombudsman would give, the complaint would be £50 gogw , I think whoever said about the system transfer is telling you a white lie or hasn't a clue as the supply transfers go through a national system not theirs.

undaunted

chanz4 wrote: »

The era for disability would only apply if only their been no one able to top one up. As the op would be able to this wouldn't apply

? The opening post appears to suggest that they would have difficulty in topping up at times.


From ERA guidelines

"A customer is vulnerable if for reasons of age, health, disability or severe financial insecurity, they are unable to safeguard their personal welfare or the personal welfare of other members of the household"

I would argue that a disabled person with a child in the house falls within that area


Whilst I am inclined to agree with your last post that "50%" (it's actually about 47% but the principle remains) isn't a bad offer at all and personally I would quickly accept it if I were the poster. I wasn't sure what you meant by the rest however. Are you suggesting that Npower would not raise an objection to block the transfer of an account with a £279 debt? (I think they probably would)

undaunted

Daffodil78 wrote: »

Thank you to everyone for replying. Npower have since offered to reduce my debt by £250 because of their errors. My debt is currently £529, so it would bring it down to £279.

Ideally I would like my debt reduced sufficiently so that I can move from Npower as a supplier. I just don't trust them not to make any more mistakes. They have so far said I cannot leave because I have a debt with them.

Does anyone have any experience with getting compensation from an energy supplier. I have no idea if what they are offering is a good deal or not.

Cheers

If your transfer had gone ahead how much would you have paid for the gas you have used with the other supplier?

Unless it's less than £279 (and it's unlikely that anyone was 47% cheaper than Npower I suspect) then they are placing you in a better position than you would have been if the transfer had gone ahead. Nobody (eg Ombudsman, Courts etc) is going to find that a bad or unreasonable offer!

They would be more likely to suggest that having used the gas you cannot expect not to pay someone for it. The "compensation" levels you appear to seek would have just that effect.