NPower misconduct?

TickersPlaysPop

Hi all

History
1) Moved in Aug 2012
2) Started paying £80 mth
3) By June 2012 Npower put bill up to £160 mth
4) Between June 2012 and Dec 2012 Direct debits kept failing to reach NPower due to NPower errors with DD set up, however, there were 2 adhoc payments of £200, and £25 compensation for the stress hassle.
5) This built up a large 'debt' from lack of regular direct debits over 6 mths that was ring fenced and a payment plan put in place.... £40/mth that we are still paying off, ~£400 still to go.

Now... The £160/mth DD was based on estimations because NPower don't review things regularly enough, I.e. Only once or twice a year....

Today.... once things have been properly assessed by NPower as part of the regular review, it turns out our use requires only £100/mth.

Therefore, the ring fenced money should also be reassessed because it was a 'debt' based on estimated usage?

Is this a known problem with NPower.... I.e. Ring fencing a value to money that was based on estimates and then find out the sum of money was estimated to be too much.... But because it is ring fenced it is not adjusted in light of the updated usage figures?

matelodave

Have you been sending nPower regular meter readings or just waiting to see what happens. Have you been checking the bills (however random) to see if they corresponded with the meter readings and made sure they were corrected if they didn't. If your DD's haven't been collected then you should have been putting the money aside for when they actually got round to collecting it.
nPower isn't the best company to deal with but I'm sure you could have saved yourself a lot of aggro if you'd put a bit of effort in to help sort it out - not the least by saving the money from the uncollected DD's ready for when a bill did come in and reading the meters yourself and giving the readings to nPower.
It's not actually misconduct it's incompetence on their part and lack of action on yours by accepting estimated bills and not doing anything about it - a draw I think

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

It's not clear, but it would appear that you've been in the property 23 months, and only now have things been worked out using actual, instead of estimated readings.

The energy companies are only mandated to read them once every 2 years. The rest is down to you. If you want to avoid a big catch up bill, then submit regular meter readings. Similarly, just because a DD hasn't left your bank, doesn't mean the money has spent itself!

I have no idea what "ring fenced money should be reassessed" means, you'll have to explain yourself further on that one.

GingerBob_3

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

It's not clear, but it would appear that you've been in the property 23 months, and only now have things been worked out using actual, instead of estimated readings.

The energy companies are only mandated to read them once every 2 years. The rest is down to you. If you want to avoid a big catch up bill, then submit regular meter readings. Similarly, just because a DD hasn't left your bank, doesn't mean the money has spent itself!

I have no idea what "ring fenced money should be reassessed" means, you'll have to explain yourself further on that one.

So just when did that change take place? Previously, the meter reader was round quarterly and no one read their own meters. What legislation/regulation now states that we, the customer, should read the meter?

As far as I'm concerned it's their responsibility to read the meter, but they can pay me for doing it if they want to. EDF used to pay me (nectar points) for doing it, but when they stopped paying me (withdrew the scheme) I stopped reading it.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

GingerBob wrote: »

So just when did that change take place? Previously, the meter reader was round quarterly and no one read their own meters. What legislation/regulation now states that we, the customer, should read the meter?

As far as I'm concerned it's their responsibility to read the meter, but they can pay me for doing it if they want to. EDF used to pay me (nectar points) for doing it, but when they stopped paying me (withdrew the scheme) I stopped reading it.

Ah the luddite rebounds! Yes that may have been what happened "previously", but since at least 2003 (and probably before) the companies have only had to do it once every 2 years.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/63429/5375-bgc028.pdf

Companies used to do it every 3 months, but then probably realised what a huge waste of money this was.

You may consider it their responsibility, however the energy companies and the regulator don't see it that way. I know who I'll believe.

GingerBob_3

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Ah the luddite rebounds! Yes that may have been what happened "previously", but since at least 2003 (and probably before) the companies have only had to do it once every 2 years.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/63429/5375-bgc028.pdf

Companies used to do it every 3 months, but then probably realised what a huge waste of money this was.

You may consider it their responsibility, however the energy companies and the regulator don't see it that way. I know who I'll believe.

As they say in Wikipedia - comment on the content, not on the contributor.

The document you've linked to is nothing whatsoever to do with the point I raised. It appears to be concerned with the relationship between wholesale and retail gas suppliers.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

It was the first I could find in a 5 minute google search. I'll look further this evening.

I'm happy to be proved wrong, however I'm sure the meter readers who contribute here can verify that the 24 month mandate has been in place for many years.

edit: https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk//Content/Documents/Electricity%20Supply%20Standard%20Licence%20Conditions%20Consolidated%20-%20Current%20Version.pdf

The bottom of page 76. I believe this section is as originally written 25 years ago, certainly all the old timers at the last firm I worked for have always said 2 years has been the inspection mandate.

British Gas continued to pay nectar points for submitting meter reads after they gained the Sainsbury's contract, and may still do so.

GingerBob_3

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

It was the first I could find in a 5 minute google search. I'll look further this evening.

I'm happy to be proved wrong, however I'm sure the meter readers who contribute here can verify that the 24 month mandate has been in place for many years.

edit: https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk//Content/Documents/Electricity%20Supply%20Standard%20Licence%20Conditions%20Consolidated%20-%20Current%20Version.pdf

The bottom of page 76. I believe this section is as originally written 25 years ago, certainly all the old timers at the last firm I worked for have always said 2 years has been the inspection mandate.

British Gas continued to pay nectar points for submitting meter reads after they gained the Sainsbury's contract, and may still do so.

Yes, I believe the do. However, I'm on the EDF blue price deal which can't be matched by BG, nectar of no, and swapping suppliers is such a hassle anyway.

teddysmum

I have always had meter readings by the company that services NPower, even though I've been on online tariffs. In fact, I have twice had arguments (which I have reported) with one particular employee, who has demanded (not politely asked) to enter my premises, even though I told him that it's not convenient and that I know that I'm only obliged to allow access every two years , by appointment to suit me. (He denied this and made threats to force entry; hence my complaint, which was followed through)

Nada666

teddysmum wrote: »

I have always had meter readings by the company that services NPower, even though I've been on online tariffs. In fact, I have twice had arguments (which I have reported) with one particular employee, who has demanded (not politely asked) to enter my premises, even though I told him that it's not convenient and that I know that I'm only obliged to allow access every two years , by appointment to suit me. (He denied this and made threats to force entry; hence my complaint, which was followed through)

Alternatively you could just open a window and take out the hoover now and again.

matelodave

If you can't be bothered to check your bills, read your meter to correct them or get stroppy when they do come to read it then you whole heartedly deserve to get problems and can't expect any sympathy when the big one drops through the door.
In my opinion if five minutes of effort once a month can save months of grief and aggravation further on down the line then I know which I'd choose rather than standing on a high horse and spouting rights and regulations But as they say, "there's nowt so queer as folk" especially those who invite aggro when they could so easily avoid it just to prove a point.