Npower Prepayment meter woes

chris75_2

Hi guys. It's my first time on here so be gentle..:-)

Right then...

In March/April this year Npower installed prepayment meters for my Gas and Electric as I fell behind with my bills. Fair enough, at least I can keep track on my usage etc..

I decided to stick £80 on both energy meters as that would cover the £10 per week debt payment for both the gas and electric and give me £40 on each for usage.

During the summer up until last month I had a really old boiler that was very inefficient and the gas payments for the debt where not being taken off or so it seemed so I built up around £90 surplus that as meant to be going towards the debt. Last month I had a brand new combi boiler installed an since then have been taking money readings most days around the same time. The first 4/7 days of having the boiler we was using 28p (min)-£1.40 (max) depending on baths, washing pots and heating, how chilly it was during a few days of that first week. We got really excited due to costing us far less...

Anyway...

6 weeks ago I called npower up as I got 3 bills in a few days each being totally different amount for the same accounts etc.. the lady said to ignore those and she gave me upto date info on the debt etc. I also mentioned I dont think the gas debt is coming off. I gave her the details on the meter and she said she can see the 10 per week coming off but not registering on the actual account. She said she will investigate this and I would get some info back within 28 days.

Not heard anything up to today but I woke up to find out the gas was cut off due to running out of money on the meter so I stuck the emergency on to cover me till later when I get some more.

I was shocked to find out I was cut off as I stuck £10 on Sunday evening around 5pm.So 60 hours ago till now I have used £10 on gas. Thats got to be wrong. The boiler has been on the same setting as the day it was installed (currently set for 4am-6am and 5pm-7pm and bath every night) granted we may have had heating on for an extra hours or so every now and then but spending 20p-£1 per day to using £10 in less than 3 days is ridiculous.

Anyway,. The chat today with Amber from Npower didnt help. She said the debt has not been coming off at all and said I was misled by the lady 6 weeks ago. She also said the £10 since sunday was usage and nothing else. She is going to investigate this issue again for me.

In summary I have been sticking double the money on the gas meter and using half but the money has been coming off for the debt. great thats what is supposed to do. Didnt think the debt was coming off but was told yes it is.. now told the debt is not coming off. So Am i really spending £80 per month on gas? even with a brand new combi boiler?

3 bed detached, loft insulation and all rads working 100 % new boiler...

currently spedning 9-12 week on electric, depending if the tv is on which its hasnt this last 3 weeks. so still got a fair few quid on meter.

What can I do or what can be done about this..

Nada666

Keep a record of the kWh/meter units readings on your meter not just the pounds. No idea about the credits/debts/repayments shenanigans but to help clarify things you have to keep track of your usage too.

£80 a month for heating is not expensive for a three bedroom house.

Nada666

chris75 wrote: »

I was shocked to find out I was cut off as I stuck £10 on Sunday evening around 5pm.So 60 hours ago till now I have used £10 on gas. Thats got to be wrong. The boiler has been on the same setting as the day it was installed (currently set for 4am-6am and 5pm-7pm and bath every night) granted we may have had heating on for an extra hours or so every now and then but spending 20p-£1 per day to using £10 in less than 3 days is ridiculous.

Not if it is now cold. That's about 66 kWh per day. 16 kWh over four hours. As you only have the heating on two hours you would expect it to be relatively high for the first couple of hours. You aren't giving it enough time in the evening to see what it takes to keep it at your chosen temperature.

As I said, start reading your meter at the start and end of an evening session (in meter units and kWhs) - and check how much it uses for a longer session some evenings. Only then will you know if you have to start worrying.

SwanJon

You can see what the meter is doing - you don't need to phone npower.
This should have been explained to you when the meter was fitted, and I'd expect the agents to do it too.

Start with the card out, and the meter showing your credit for gas.
Pressing and releasing the red button will cycle through three screens:
For gas -> OWED -> Index
The last of these (if present) is the meter reading - this shows how much you use.
Once back on 'for gas', press and hold the red button until the screen changes. You will now see a number in the corner of the screen. Every time you push and release the red button the screen will change again.

You are looking for:
27 - GD remaining - how much is left to pay back (if this is zero the meter doesn't know about it)
25/26 - GD Week MIN/MAX - how much you are paying back each week towards the bill. This will only be taken if there is a value on 27
00 - Last Credit - how much you topped up last time
01 - Las for debt - how much of the last top up was taken for debt payment
02 - Last for EmCr - how much of the last payment was used to pay back the emergecny credit
03 - Last for gas - how much of the last credit went to be used for gas
10 - Tariff Cost 5 - the price per kWh
17 - Standing Charge


If the gas meter is recovering a debt, it will take the weekly payment from your top up, not from the credit on the front of the meter (at least initially). So if you top up £20, you get £10 to use and £10 goes to the debt.
If you don't top up for a few weeks the meter will try to catch up and begin taking money from the credit on the meter (for missed weeks), and from the top up (for the current week)

If you can find the above information and come back we can establsih what has been happening.

supermassive

You might need a meter replacement. EDF put a prepay gas meter in for us a few months ago, and we've had 5 others installed since then as they kept eating our money and giving us no gas.

Andy_WSM

£10 for 3 days heating in this cold weather is hardly "eating the money".

mozzer1966

meter woes with Npower area nightmare


bought a house in June with prepayment meter loads of debt on it supposed to have it cleared which was another story but it was supposed to have been cleared and there was £53 credit on meter the house has been being renovated and I have checked the credit on meter periodically and it has £5 credit on it. No one living in the house no gas being use just standing charge
Now had a letter from Npower asking to put credit on as it would be accruing debt??????????????
what DEBT meter says £5 credit and nothing owing
put £3 on yesterday it took £1 for debt?????????????????????????
went through meter and code 27 said that there is GD £296
when originally went through sort out previous owners debt the
GD was £300.17 but was told it was not my debt (which it wasn't)


so do I assume I am paying off previous owners debt now hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Deleted User]

If you were using the previous owners card...yes..you re paying his debt off. Get a new card from Npower with the account in your name. they can also send out a meter reader to decomm/recomm the meter and clear the debt screens. That £53 credit should ve gone to Npower.

SwanJon

Or they can send a message to the old card to remove the debt from the meter.

This message can only get to the meter if you use the card though - so if they sent the message in June, but you haven't used the card until now the message won't have reached the meter to remove the debt.

You will be liable for the standing charge since you bought the house, and if you haven't been topping up it will accrue as a debt.