Npower epic miscalculation - E10 - my meter is too 'complex'!

frivolous_fay

Hi all,
A little over a month ago I was thrilled to receive an unexplained 13 page pile of recalculated statements for my Npower Economy 10 electricity, going back to February 2013.


There was no accompanying letter, just a cheerful final figure at the end telling me I could pay a lump sum now and they would duly put my DD down to something tiny. (Wow, thanks.) When I telephoned to find out what was going on they gave me some fluff about their system not being able to handle the 'complex' (ie, 3 rate) meter readings. I haven't submitted very many so it's fair to say their system was unable to handle even the meter readings that THEY were taking. I have never been able to submit an online reading because last I checked their system couldn't cope with 3 numbers. This is why I have always given them over the phone, in order that a sensible human can log them.


I asked for something in writing explaining all this. I got nothing, but a couple of days ago my DD was put up to half the amount we apparently owe. I phoned again today, expressed my discontent, have again been promised something in writing, have had the DD put back to a more reasonable amount, but I am still fairly gobsmacked that 5 meter readings over the course of two years have been completely misinterpreted by their systems.


Has this happened to anyone else? I am shocked that they can just arbitrarily change what they say I have been using over the last 2 years. Is there a limit on how far they can legally go back? I asked the Npower chap this today and he didn't know.


Love to hear your thoughts.

frivolous_fay

OK, was that too long?
Just a short one then:
How far back can they legally recalculate a bill?

naedanger

frivolous_fay wrote: »

OK, was that too long?
Just a short one then:
How far back can they legally recalculate a bill?

Information on back-billing is here:

https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/Factsheets%20and%20guides/back_billing_consumer_guide.pdf

I am not sure if it covers your case as it probably depends on the extent to which you attempted to get an accurate bill and the extent to which it should have been clear that their previous bills were estimated.

However in any event I would not accept a 13 page statement as acceptable. If npower believe you owe them money they should provide an explanation. Since their billing is a complete joke I would have no confidence they have calculated anything correctly this time. Personally I would send them a written formal complaint on their dreadful billing. (You are paying for a service and that includes proper billing.)

frivolous_fay

Thank you. I'll have a look at the link.
If the readings were all estimated, I could understand it. But over two years, there were 5 real readings. They even gave me the dates when I asked for them. I rarely take readings so some of them must have been done by their agents - so I really think there's no excuse for effing up quite so badly.
Usually when I submit a reading I ring up and say 'I have three numbers, I don't know which is which' and they'd reply 'It's fine, we can tell which one is which, no problem'

macman

It's clearly marked on your bill whether readings are agent, customer, or estimated (there's a letter shown after the reading).

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

naedanger wrote: »

However in any event I would not accept a 13 page statement as acceptable. If npower believe you owe them money they should provide an explanation.

What would you find acceptable? In the past you've stated that simple demands for money aren't acceptable, and that suppliers must give an explanation. Is 13 pages not enough? Or should they draft some Tolstoyesque tome to get what's owed?

frivolous_fay

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

What would you find acceptable? In the past you've stated that simple demands for money aren't acceptable, and that suppliers must give an explanation. Is 13 pages not enough? Or should they draft some Tolstoyesque tome to get what's owed?

Me, I don't think that one page explaining WHY they'd felt the need to go back two years recalculating my bills would have been too much to ask. I had to ring to find this out.

13 pages (double-sided) of 'revised' statements ending in a request for money is not an explanation.

macman wrote: »

It's clearly marked on your bill whether readings are agent, customer, or estimated (there's a letter shown after the reading).

I don't really feel like trawling 2 years of paperwork... but as I have been assured that there were 5 real meter readings logged in that period, my bills haven't purely been based on estimates plucked out of the air and ought to have at least been vaguely right for some of the time.

naedanger

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

What would you find acceptable? In the past you've stated that simple demands for money aren't acceptable, and that suppliers must give an explanation. Is 13 pages not enough? Or should they draft some Tolstoyesque tome to get what's owed?

Do you really think either a 13 page bill or no bill at all is acceptable? If so then I will not bother explaining why I don't because I doubt you would understand.