if you think npower has wiped your bill and all is well think again

splatofsurrey

After 8 months of waiting for my final bill from npower I received 6 in 7 days! Thankfully whilst trying to make sense of them I then received a letter telling me that my balance was being wiped so, relieved, I thought everything was fine. Today I receive a reminder for one of the final bills. I called up just to double-check it was a system issue and I could just ignore it and then was told that whilst there is a team working through the backlog of bills to wipe in the meantime the claims process will still continue!


I had to ask to get my account put on stop for one month and then was told - and this really took the biscuit - that I would need to call then back after the month to check that everything had been resolved. If it hasn't I'll need to request that my account is put on hold again!




So, warning to anyone else who has received the same letter, don't assume everything is ok. You might still receive reminder letters and if you do, don't put them to one side, call them and keep calling until you have final confirmation that the account has been cleared.

nPower

splatofsurrey wrote: »

After 8 months of waiting for my final bill from npower I received 6 in 7 days! Thankfully whilst trying to make sense of them I then received a letter telling me that my balance was being wiped so, relieved, I thought everything was fine. Today I receive a reminder for one of the final bills. I called up just to double-check it was a system issue and I could just ignore it and then was told that whilst there is a team working through the backlog of bills to wipe in the meantime the claims process will still continue!


I had to ask to get my account put on stop for one month and then was told - and this really took the biscuit - that I would need to call then back after the month to check that everything had been resolved. If it hasn't I'll need to request that my account is put on hold again!




So, warning to anyone else who has received the same letter, don't assume everything is ok. You might still receive reminder letters and if you do, don't put them to one side, call them and keep calling until you have final confirmation that the account has been cleared.

Hi splatofsurrey,

This doesn't sound right. Please drop us an email using the address on our profile. I'll be more than happy to help have this issue resolved for you.

Chris :-)

TickersPlaysPop

This is exactly the thing I am nervous about now I've started the process of switching away from NPower. I have a feeling I will feel the sting of NPower for a long time yet, and hope I've made the right choice in leaving them!

Gazzyboy1972

Npower are trying to contasct me for payment for a final bill dated 31 April 2013 - It was only last week i recieved two final bills after chasing them for tehm at the end of May 2013. I understand these bills now have to be wiped as they are longer than 12 months and it was down to their error? can you confirm all I need to do is send these bills back with a letter saying these are past the 12 months for back billing, i have tried to phone several times to ask them and am just on hold for 25mins longer to which I hang up the phone.

Can somebody please advise if I am correct that if i send the bills back registered with a letter saying that i am not paying these bills as firstly they are incorrect, secondly they are now out of date that this will suffice?

regards

Gary

naedanger

Gazzyboy1972 wrote: »

Npower are trying to contasct me for payment for a final bill dated 31 April 2013 - It was only last week i recieved two final bills after chasing them for tehm at the end of May 2013. I understand these bills now have to be wiped as they are longer than 12 months and it was down to their error? can you confirm all I need to do is send these bills back with a letter saying these are past the 12 months for back billing, i have tried to phone several times to ask them and am just on hold for 25mins longer to which I hang up the phone.

Can somebody please advise if I am correct that if i send the bills back registered with a letter saying that i am not paying these bills as firstly they are incorrect, secondly they are now out of date that this will suffice?

regards

Gary

Npower has promised to go beyond the Backbilling code by not asking for payment for the energy used by anyone who left npower before December 2013 and still hasn’t received a final bill, as long as there wasn’t any previous debt that a customer had been told about.

See section 2(iii) of the following:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/investigation-npower%E2%80%99s-compliance-standards-conduct-standard-licence-condition-25c-and-gas-and-electricity-consumer-complaints-handling-standards-regulations-2008

Unfortunately I have no idea how you get npower to honour their promise (or do anything else for that matter). However I would only communicate by writing in order to evidence what they say.

Gazzyboy1972

I think the only way forward for me is to send back anymore bills I recieve as stated with a documented letter signed bu a solicitor at the law firm I work with and send them registered post. I am still dumbfounded at all the horror stories on here and much worse than my own story! How on earth are they allowed to still trade?? it beggers belief...

EnergyInside

splatofsurrey - I would be telling them to place a 3-6 month block on debt follow up on your account until the issue is resolved. I would also be raising a complaint if they cannot explicitly state what your current balance is and what will be done to resolve any incorrect debit on account. Mentioning the Ombudsman always helps.

Gazzyboy1972 - They won't pay much notice from solicitors letter to be honest. I would advise phoning them (you might need to wait a long time, be prepared for this) and raising a complaint. Advise this has not been resolved and as you are now past the 12 month cut-off point, that unless your account balance is cleared and proof of this is sent you will be contacting the Energy Ombudsman about the case. This will normally cajole the advisor in to escalating the complaint.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

EnergyInside wrote: »

splatofsurrey - I would be telling them to place a 3-6 month block on debt follow up on your account until the issue is resolved. I would also be raising a complaint if they cannot explicitly state what your current balance is and what will be done to resolve any incorrect debit on account. Mentioning the Ombudsman always helps.

Gazzyboy1972 - They won't pay much notice from solicitors letter to be honest. I would advise phoning them (you might need to wait a long time, be prepared for this) and raising a complaint. Advise this has not been resolved and as you are now past the 12 month cut-off point, that unless your account balance is cleared and proof of this is sent you will be contacting the Energy Ombudsman about the case. This will normally cajole the advisor in to escalating the complaint.

Are you in house legal counsel?

Always write, never phone.
Write a letter, headed complaint.

Welcome to the forum.

EnergyInside

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Are you in house legal counsel?

Always write, never phone.
Write a letter, headed complaint.

Welcome to the forum.

No I'm not. I do have knowledge of the debt follow up process most commonly followed though.

I don't disagree that writing a letter is the most obvious way to proceed. However, many letters simply get disregarded/ignored or have extremely long turnaround on replies.

A well placed call with a promise of an escalated complaint/guaranteed response can sometimes be a faster way to find a resolution. A letter can result in a long wait for your account block being placed, which can often push the debt further down the follow up process (adding charges, threat of warrant etc.)

In an on-going complaint a letter and a call would be advised.

Just my 2c, certainly not fact.