Erroneous Transfer & communication issues

amberrye

Following a house move we swapped our energy supplier to N Power but after paying a couple of months’ bills received an unexpected “sorry you are leaving email”. It transpired that Scottish Power had erroneously taken over the supply of gas & electricity.


We have been told by N Power “as you hadn’t authorised Scottish Power to supply your power, and as we aren’t supplying it, neither Scottish Power or N Power can bill you until it has been officially transferred back”.


Despite numerous phone calls, emails and even a written complaint, N Power haven’t updated us about the situation at all.


Scottish Power have written to us acknowledging their erroneous transfer and state “the transfer does take some time as the supply number has to go through re-registration on the national database”.


No idea how long this will take, but should the next step be to go to Ofgem? This has been going on for several months now. We are appalled by the lack of communication and response and are doing all we can to try to get our supply back and simply pay by direct debit again, but just get no answers from N Power.

Joyful

It should only take about 8 weeks to be transferred back to Npower. You need to check with Scottish power what the hold up is and make an official complaint. After 8 weeks or Deadlock ( when they cannot resolve the problem) you can then take it to the Ombudsman.

When it is resolved you will be due all the money to Npower as if you had never left them so make sure you are putting the money aside.

amberrye

Thank you for the reply.


It has taken 7 months altogether since the ET and counting, we have been constantly chasing up both Scottish Power & N Power as soon as it happened, moreso NP as it now appears to have been handed back to them to take on the supply again since SP wrote to us in May.


Yes I think it is definitely time to take it further to Ofgem. I am hoping NP will be lenient on us and not expect £000's paid back in one lump sum.


When this is finally resolved I think we will be looking for a new energy supplier!

naedanger

amberrye wrote: »

Following a house move we swapped our energy supplier to N Power but after paying a couple of months’ bills received an unexpected “sorry you are leaving email”. It transpired that Scottish Power had erroneously taken over the supply of gas & electricity.


We have been told by N Power “as you hadn’t authorised Scottish Power to supply your power, and as we aren’t supplying it, neither Scottish Power or N Power can bill you until it has been officially transferred back”.


Despite numerous phone calls, emails and even a written complaint, N Power haven’t updated us about the situation at all.


Scottish Power have written to us acknowledging their erroneous transfer and state “the transfer does take some time as the supply number has to go through re-registration on the national database”.


No idea how long this will take, but should the next step be to go to Ofgem? This has been going on for several months now. We are appalled by the lack of communication and response and are doing all we can to try to get our supply back and simply pay by direct debit again, but just get no answers from N Power.

As you have unfortunately found out npower's customer service is dreadful.

Npower's complaint policy is here:http://www.npower.com/home/help-and-support/contact-us/complaints/complaints-handling-policy/

You can only complain to the Ombudsman if you have followed your supplier's own complaint process first. However if eight weeks after first complaining the matter is still not resolved to your satisfaction you can take it to the Ombudsman.

Also note that Ofgem do not help resolve complaints from individual customers, that is the Ombudsman's role.

amberrye

Thanks, naedanger, for providing the link to N power's complaint process, which is very interesting to read as I feel they haven't followed it at all in our case!


Given that they haven't responded at all to 2 official written complaints, the first in April 2014 and the second in July 2014, I had a search online earlier today and noticed that it is indeed the Ombudsman Service: Energy who may look into it (and not Ofgem as I originally thought).


It was helpful that I could fill in an online form on their site, entering all the details of the problem and then they will let us know within 10 working days if it is something they can look into.

naedanger

amberrye wrote: »

Thanks, naedanger, for providing the link to N power's complaint process, which is very interesting to read as I feel they haven't followed it at all in our case!


Given that they haven't responded at all to 2 official written complaints, the first in April 2014 and the second in July 2014, I had a search online earlier today and noticed that it is indeed the Ombudsman Service: Energy who may look into it (and not Ofgem as I originally thought).


It was helpful that I could fill in an online form on their site, entering all the details of the problem and then they will let us know within 10 working days if it is something they can look into.

Npower were voted the worst company in the UK for customer service. They responded that they had reduced their numbers of complaints.

However it appears from reading the threads on this forum, including yours, that they are reducing the number of complaints by using underhand tactics e.g. not recording them, closing them before they are resolved etc.

Be aware the Ombudsman process is very slow. I suspect they are inundated with complaints as suppliers (particularly npower) seem to be making little effort to resolve complaints themselves.