NPower Credit

kate020385

Hi

I have duel energy with NPower and noticed today that I have a Credit of £441.81!!!!!! Last year I was in Credit too by £200 odd! When I called it was around this time of year and they advised not to take a refund because it would be offset against incresed winter energy bills. Fair enough I thought and left it. But a few months later my monthly DD was increased from £45 a month to £75 a month. Now even with the increased energy bills over winter, surely thats not going to cost me £441.81!!! I havent called them yet but should I get a refund or is it more ecinomical to leave it there to put towards winter energy? I will still be paying £75 a month so surely I dont need to keep that amount of credit available for any extra energy use???

I cant help but feel that they want to keep hold of it so they can happily rake in the interest they are making on all their customers money???

Thanks peeps x

Nada666

If you had continued to pay £45 you would expect to now have £400 credit. The fact that you do not have much more than that despite the debit increasing to £75 means the increase was not wholly unjustified.

I would ask to split the difference - ask for a £200 repayment and a reduction of the debit to £60.

Or look at your actual consumption figures and tell them what it should be. What was your annual consumption? Add on 20% due to the unusually mild winter last year. How much does that cost and compare?

Also check for npower's other tariffs and check for each fuel on a separate tariff - their Feb 2017 tariff for electricity is good coupled with Jan 2016 for gas.

Nada666

(Important: also double check that that credit is a real balance based on reasonable meter readings. How do the meter reads used on that statement compare with your meters' actual reads?)

sam.4000

Please remember Npower only create a real bill every 6 months and so you will build up credit for energy you have used but they do not take it off until the next bill ( hope that makes sense)


E.G


Jan paid £60 Credit £60
Feb paid £60 credit £120
March Paid £60 credit £180
April paid £60 credit £240
May paid £60 credit £300
June paid £60 bill for £310 Credit £10

Former_MSE_Rebecca

Hi Kate,

You could ask for the money back and put it into a savings account to earn some interest. But just remember - as last year - your direct debits will go up as the cold weather sets in so you'll need the extra cash.

We've got a guide all about it here - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits

Hope that helps!

Rebecca

teddysmum

Nada666 wrote: »

(Important: also double check that that credit is a real balance based on reasonable meter readings. How do the meter reads used on that statement compare with your meters' actual reads?)

I agree with this, as earlier in the year I had a bill with over £600 quoted as credit, but knowing this to be untrue, I did my own calculations and found that a set of meter reader's values had not been used, so I'd only been charged for standing charges since the last bill statement.


I complained, saying that someone not able to do their own calculations could spend money, think they were in credit, then be landed with a huge bill they would struggle to pay.


They sorted my account immediately and paid me a £30 credit.

teddysmum

sam.4000 wrote: »

Please remember Npower only create a real bill every 6 months and so you will build up credit for energy you have used but they do not take it off until the next bill ( hope that makes sense)


E.G


Jan paid £60 Credit £60
Feb paid £60 credit £120
March Paid £60 credit £180
April paid £60 credit £240
May paid £60 credit £300
June paid £60 bill for £310 Credit £10

They have sent out emails saying that , from January, there will be 4 quarterly bills.


If the debit date date was earlier in the month than the bill above, the credit would be £50.

nPower

kate020385 wrote: »

Hi

I have duel energy with NPower and noticed today that I have a Credit of £441.81!!!!!! Last year I was in Credit too by £200 odd! When I called it was around this time of year and they advised not to take a refund because it would be offset against incresed winter energy bills. Fair enough I thought and left it. But a few months later my monthly DD was increased from £45 a month to £75 a month. Now even with the increased energy bills over winter, surely thats not going to cost me £441.81!!! I havent called them yet but should I get a refund or is it more ecinomical to leave it there to put towards winter energy? I will still be paying £75 a month so surely I dont need to keep that amount of credit available for any extra energy use???

I cant help but feel that they want to keep hold of it so they can happily rake in the interest they are making on all their customers money???

Thanks peeps x

Hello kate020385,

Thank you for your post.

I am more than happy to take a look into your account and usage if you can send me your details on an email. The address is on my profile page.

Thanks

Carmel