Please Help!NPOWER playing silly beggars

madmandy1

Hello,
I have a disabled 26 years old son who lives in supported housing.
His energy supplier is Npower.
I set up his account with them when he first moved in 3 years ago
I spoke to them and explained I would be dealing with the account but they didnt put my name on the account.
Now they have just billed him for £1055.19p because THEY FAILED to take out the direct debit that i set up since january 2012.
Im going round in circles! they tell me they cant discuss the account with me because its not in my name, so I emailed them permission letter on the 7th of december I have rang them several times about this email and they say it hasnt been added to his account meanwhile what he owes is rising they asked me to give them meter reading which I did over the phone and Ive rang them again ...they arent on the account either. they've asked me to ring in with yet another set of readings today ... they also told me they would send another bill because they cannot bill my son for anything older than a year ..it has to be written off. but yet still no renewed bill please help me to sort out this mess. where do I go from here?
Yours in hope Mandy

Andy_WSM

WRITE to them, heading the letter as "Complaint". They have to act, if they fail to do so (within 6 weeks I think) then you may go to the ombudsman and they will take up the matter for you.

naedanger

Andy_WSM wrote: »

WRITE to them, heading the letter as "Complaint". They have to act, if they fail to do so (within 6 weeks I think) then you may go to the ombudsman and they will take up the matter for you.

Just to add to the above advice, npower's complaint process is here, and it has the relevant email addresses:

http://www.npower.com/home/help-and-support/contact-us/complaints/complaints-handling-policy/

Insist on all contact being in writing, so you have evidence of what is said. If npower try insisting that you or your son call them after receiving your written complaint they post back here. Also don't expect a quick or efficient reply from npower. (In my experience they are really awful.)

Also to be on the safe side re-enclose signed authority from your son for you do deal with npower on his behalf.

Looking at all the problems npower are causing people the regulator really should be taking more action in my view.

madmandy1

naedanger wrote: »

Just to add to the above advice, npower's complaint process is here, and it has the relevant email addresses:

http://www.npower.com/home/help-and-support/contact-us/complaints/complaints-handling-policy/

Insist on all contact being in writing, so you have evidence of what is said. If npower try insisting that you or your son call them after receiving your written complaint they post back here. Also don't expect a quick or efficient reply from npower. (In my experience they are really awful.)

Also to be on the safe side re-enclose signed authority from your son for you do deal with npower on his behalf.

Looking at all the problems npower are causing people the regulator really should be taking more action in my view.

Hi, I have now resent that consent 3 times and they dont even sent a mailshot back to say they got anything ..so no proof of receipt :mad: I will however complain but bear in mine they cant speak to me re this account!

naedanger

madmandy1 wrote: »

Hi, I have now resent that consent 3 times and they dont even sent a mailshot back to say they got anything ..so no proof of receipt :mad: I will however complain but bear in mine they cant speak to me re this account!

Npower essentially ignored all my complaints for eight weeks - they sent me a card or two asking me to call them. (I responded to those by email explaining why they needed to reply in writing.) After 8 weeks I took my complaint to the Ombudsman, who after another few weeks upheld it.

Therefore don't worry if npower are not responding, or ignoring the substance of your complaint. Just make sure you can supply evidence that you complained (with evidence of your son's consent). Producing the emails (or letters) you sent will be sufficient evidence, you don't need a response from npower. (Otherwise by not responding they could circumvent the Ombudsman complaint process.)

So calculate the date eight weeks after the later of (a) the date you sent your first complaint and (b) the date you sent evidence of your son's consent. Then on that date send your complaint to the Ombudsman.

The other thing to do is keep supplying updates to this thread to keep it near the top of the Board. The only thing that seems to motivate npower to act is publicity on forums (or better still in the media, but that is obviously harder to ensure).

madmandy1

naedanger wrote: »

Npower essentially ignored all my complaints for eight weeks - they sent me a card or two asking me to call them. (I responded to those by email explaining why they needed to reply in writing.) After 8 weeks I took my complaint to the Ombudsman, who after another few weeks upheld it.

Therefore don't worry if npower are not responding, or ignoring the substance of your complaint. Just make sure you can supply evidence that you complained (with evidence of your son's consent). Producing the emails (or letters) you sent will be sufficient evidence, you don't need a response from npower. (Otherwise by not responding they could circumvent the Ombudsman complaint process.)

So calculate the date eight weeks after the later of (a) the date you sent your first complaint and (b) the date you sent evidence of your son's consent. Then on that date send your complaint to the Ombudsman.

The other thing to do is keep supplying updates to this thread to keep it near the top of the Board. The only thing that seems to motivate npower to act is publicity on forums (or better still in the media, but that is obviously harder to ensure).

I've kept the first consent form I sent so it will start from then weather or not it takes them 7 to 10 days to "process" the email.
I'm guessing the bill I have now IS the proper o/s amount because he pays 79.00 per month and they've failed to take it for two years so would have owed £1800 (ish)

naedanger

madmandy1 wrote: »

I've kept the first consent form I sent so it will start from then weather or not it takes them 7 to 10 days to "process" the email.
I'm guessing the bill I have now IS the proper o/s amount because he pays 79.00 per month and they've failed to take it for two years so would have owed £1800 (ish)

The 8 weeks starts from when they received your complaint plus consent. So if you sent an email then it starts the day you sent it, it you sent it by post add on a couple of days for delivery.

They are given eight weeks by the Ombudsman, any time npower take to process things (e.g. the 7 or 10 days) comes out of that 8 weeks.

madmandy1

Ok Thank you Im gonna try contacting them again as I sent the original email on 7th december so surely they will have processed it by now???

nPower

madmandy1 wrote: »

Hello,
I have a disabled 26 years old son who lives in supported housing.
His energy supplier is Npower.
I set up his account with them when he first moved in 3 years ago
I spoke to them and explained I would be dealing with the account but they didnt put my name on the account.
Now they have just billed him for £1055.19p because THEY FAILED to take out the direct debit that i set up since january 2012.
Im going round in circles! they tell me they cant discuss the account with me because its not in my name, so I emailed them permission letter on the 7th of december I have rang them several times about this email and they say it hasnt been added to his account meanwhile what he owes is rising they asked me to give them meter reading which I did over the phone and Ive rang them again ...they arent on the account either. they've asked me to ring in with yet another set of readings today ... they also told me they would send another bill because they cannot bill my son for anything older than a year ..it has to be written off. but yet still no renewed bill please help me to sort out this mess. where do I go from here?
Yours in hope Mandy

Hi Mandy,

Thank you for your post.

I'm very sorry to hear of the issues you've had regarding your sons account. I'm happy to look into this for you if you could email me at helpandsupport@npower.com.

Kind Regards
Steve

madmandy1

Hi Steve i have emailed the address you provided and added my mobile number in the mail
Regards Mandy

madmandy1

Thanks to all who replied to my post