Npower: No contract, no bill for 15 months

Merulius52

My son took on the lease of a flat in July 2013 and is now terminating the lease and leaving the flat.

When he moved in, he took the meter readings of the Npower electric meter and contacted Npower.

He got back a communication that said that the daily rate, metered rate, etc, were all zero. In other words, it was a pro forma contract with none of the data filled in.

Several times since then he has contacted Npower to complain about not getting a bill.

I think the type of meter confused them, although they were the incumbent supplier to the property.

My notes say it is a "Group code 29 South
Flexiheat tariff" (whatever that means).

It has three separate measuring dials.

I asked him to read the meter, and this was his response.

rate 1: 07046
rate 2: 11739
rate 3: 90453

Mystery number 1: 18796
Mystery number 2: 90453

part of the problem is that none seems to be able to tell me what the mystery numbers denote, or which out of the three possible rates is our day rate...

He has complained to the Ombudsman who has awarded him £175, which has yet to accept/refuse.

So, thanks for reading this far, and here are my questions:

1. Does he have any legal obligation to pay anything at all, since he appears not to have a contract (which must include, if Contract Law 101 at college a few years ago is to be relied on) a "consideration".?

2. Will accepting the Ombudsman's offer prejudice any future negotiations?

My best guess is that he owes about £1500 (it was an all electric flat). And whilst I don't want to encourage him to renege on payment, I think it's pretty poor service to present a minimum wage-earner with a huge bill.

Thanks for your thoughts, in advance.

Cardew

The first thing is that he does have a contract. Under The Electricity Act as soon as he moved in he entered a legally binding 'deemed contract' with the incumbent supplier.

From what you say it would appear that the 12 month back-billing provision under the code of practice for accurate bills will apply.

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/Industry%20codes/Code%20of%20Practice%20for%20accurate%20bills/code_of_practice_for_accurate_bills_-_back_billing_for_domestic_customers.pdf


So from the time they raise a bill, he should only pay for the preceding 12 months.

The only advice I would give is to get the matter sorted out IN WRITING with NPower or the case will be passed to a Debt Collection Agency and then his troubles will start!

Ectophile

1. If you don't arrange to switch to another supplier, or sign up to a new tariff with the existing one, then you are assumed to have a "deemed contract" with whoever is the current supplier, at their standard rate.

2. You may struggle accepting the compensation, then trying to negotiate for more.

Check Ofgem's rules for late billing. Npower may have to write off the earlier parts of the bill if they have failed to send a bill through their own fault.

Merulius52

Thank you, Cardew and Ectophile. Yes, he would like to settle it ASAP, and I want him to, too.

The 12 month rule is at least a backstop, but who knows what the last 12 month bill is, since NPower couldn't be arsed to read the meter?