NPower billing fiasco and automatic credit refunds

allyc22

I'm a bit confused (and slightly worried!) over the whole NPower billing problem. Our bill date should have been April, then it was May, then June and now it's either November or December depending on whether you believe their email or our online account. As we pay by direct debit it shouldn't really be a big deal, we're still paying, just not sure whether it's quite the right amount.

HOWEVER, here's where the problem comes in. I thought that the energy companies had to return credit balances to the customer on the anniversary of signing up with the company which will be September for us. As we haven't had a bill since last September we've built up a credit balance of over £1200 with NPower and if we aren't going to be billed until the end of the year it's only getting bigger!

Does anyone know whether the credit will still be automatically refunded in September? If possible I want to avoid that as we know we owe them the money and any refund will go back into my housemate's account. He's awful with money and likely to spend it accidentally leaving us with a massive bill when NPower get their act together! Thanks for any help

jm2926

Nothing at npower happens automatically. I've found it difficult to get refunds when they really do owe me so I'd be astonished if they auto refunded

Elainemary

I've recently had over £200 automatically refunded to my bank account. NPower didn't tell me it was coming, but I check my account every month and easily spotted a refund. At the same time they cut my DD in half - again I wasn't told but it's easy enough to pick out.

susanpirie

They hadn't billed us for 20 months,despite us sending readings and now they say for those that pay direct debit, the back billing rule of 12 months doesn't apply. Those that pay direct debit have those amounts 'credited' going back beyond 12 months. If you had paid them nothing though they cannot charge back beyond 1 year. It's a joke and damning on all those who try to keep in credit and pay up front

dogshome

Is it just me?
Of all the problems regarding late/none billing by n'power, there are appear to be only a few being posted by 'Payment on reciept of Bill' customers.

Are the management at n'power working out their software problems with a policy of "Don't waste time billing D/Debit customers, we've got their cash - Concetrate on the Pay by Bill customers to get theirs in" ?

Farway

dogshome wrote: »

Is it just me?
Of all the problems regarding late/none billing by n'power, there are appear to be only a few being posted by 'Payment on reciept of Bill' customers.

Are the management at n'power working out their software problems with a policy of "Don't waste time billing D/Debit customers, we've got their cash - Concetrate on the Pay by Bill customers to get theirs in" ?

I agree, I pay quarterly, by DD, on receipt of bill

The first bill was BS, I did DD charge back, and miraculously it was sorted

Odd that, not

pogofish

jm2926 wrote: »

Nothing at npower happens automatically. I've found it difficult to get refunds when they really do owe me so I'd be astonished if they auto refunded

They will if you kick-up enough stink about it. Early Last year, I got around £1200 credit back from them after they pushed my DD up to silly levels and since then, I've had unasked for refunds of between £500 and £700 on different occasions but only once my credit has hit £800 or more. Which is still the thing that annoyes me most of all - why do they lat it build-up so much before they refund?

And I am punctilious with readings, every month.