nPower billing cockup

smileydad

Hi - i'm new to this forum - looking for advice.
I moved into a new rental property in Dec 2013. I informed nPower about my move here.
I hadn't received a bill within a couple of months so called them to chase it.
i called again a couple of times to chase before July 2014
in july 2014 I called and was told that there was a lock on the account (something about billing / setup errors) and was told it would be sorted and i would be billed. But i didn't receive a bill.
In Oct 2014 i called again and finally got it sorted, and they set me up on direct debit at £56/month (having received all readings etc for both gas and electricity)
in Jan 2015 my monthly DD payment has gone up to £103 / month - evening though i use less gas / elec than expected. This is, in the main to pay off the debt caused by their poor billing standards
My question - as they cocked up billing etc for several months, can i get them to write off the outstanding debt, caused by their billing failures?
I have no problem paying for what i use, but the debt means that i can't look at other providers for at least 12 months as i can't afford to settle the outstanding amount (caused by their failure)
thanks

naedanger

smileydad wrote: »

Hi - i'm new to this forum - looking for advice.
I moved into a new rental property in Dec 2013. I informed nPower about my move here.
I hadn't received a bill within a couple of months so called them to chase it.
i called again a couple of times to chase before July 2014
in july 2014 I called and was told that there was a lock on the account (something about billing / setup errors) and was told it would be sorted and i would be billed. But i didn't receive a bill.
In Oct 2014 i called again and finally got it sorted, and they set me up on direct debit at £56/month (having received all readings etc for both gas and electricity)
in Jan 2015 my monthly DD payment has gone up to £103 / month - evening though i use less gas / elec than expected. This is, in the main to pay off the debt caused by their poor billing standards
My question - as they cocked up billing etc for several months, can i get them to write off the outstanding debt, caused by their billing failures?
I have no problem paying for what i use, but the debt means that i can't look at other providers for at least 12 months as i can't afford to settle the outstanding amount (caused by their failure)
thanks

I don't think you have any right to have the debt written-off but if you are unhappy with npower's service complain by email using the following process:
http://www.npower.com/home/help-and-support/contact-us/complaints/complaints-handling-policy/
If after 8 weeks you are unhappy with their response then take your complaint to the Ombudsman.

teddysmum

If you'd checked your usage/costs regularly you would have known you were underpaying, so should have put money aside.

naedanger

teddysmum wrote: »

If you'd checked your usage/costs regularly you would have known you were underpaying, so should have put money aside.

The customer is paying npower for a service that includes providing timely bills. Npower's service failed in this regard and they should recognise their bad service had consequences for the customer.

If the customer does not complain npower will do nothing.

matelodave

Nonsense - we all have a responsibility to make sure we pay for what we use. It's not hard to check what you are using to make sure that your direct debit is covering your consumption.

Sending regular readings to your supplier and checking bills & payments however infrequent is something that everyone should do rather than whining and whinging and pleading for compensation or to be let off.

smileydad

thanks for the helpful comments.
so far as "whinging and whining" are concerned - i wasn't - i was asking for constructive comments.
If you can't at least be constructive - don't bother being insulting.

naedanger

smileydad wrote: »

thanks for the helpful comments.
so far as "whinging and whining" are concerned - i wasn't - i was asking for constructive comments.
If you can't at least be constructive - don't bother being insulting.

Don't be put off from complaining. Npower's service is appalling e.g. see this article:

Npower-worst-company-in-the-UK-for-customer-service.html

Until npower's bad service starts to cost them, rather than its customers, time and/or money things are unlikely to improve.

lvf

I, for one, agree with the previous statement that too many come to the forum looking for a way to essentially obtain free gas and elec. Mistakes can happen with accounts, and money should be set aside that would have been paid anyway.

HOWEVER, as it was an issue on the end of nPower, I would also suggest opening a complaint with them. By way of resolution, you could suggest them allowing you to switch to another supplier without objection and you will set up a suitable repayment arrangement with them. You shouldn't have to miss out on a switch because of their error. But as far as the balance goes, you will have to pay in full unfortunately, minus any GWG offered by them.

Remember, you can actually switch as soon as you owe less than £500.

energyworker

lvf wrote: »

I, for one, agree with the previous statement that too many come to the forum looking for a way to essentially obtain free gas and elec. Mistakes can happen with accounts, and money should be set aside that would have been paid anyway.

HOWEVER, as it was an issue on the end of nPower, I would also suggest opening a complaint with them. By way of resolution, you could suggest them allowing you to switch to another supplier without objection and you will set up a suitable repayment arrangement with them. You shouldn't have to miss out on a switch because of their error. But as far as the balance goes, you will have to pay in full unfortunately, minus any GWG offered by them.

Remember, you can actually switch as soon as you owe less than £500.

That is the case for pre-payment meters. If a customer is on a regular meter then a supplier can block a transfer for any debt level that has passed the payment due date.

Most suppliers will however have a minimum debt level before they will block a switch.

ERICS_MUM

Ask them to spread the "arrears" over a longer period so it's less every month.