NPower Woes

naedanger

Nicedreams wrote: »

The point is: how long should I be prepared to wait and what other course of action can I take?

I get the feeling that I'm going to be stuck in limbo like this for the foreseeable future.

In my view you should not wait any longer. I also think you will be stuck in limbo for the foreseeable future unless you take action.

If npower have £2,325 of your money and you owe them for energy between February 2013 and May 2014 then estimate the cost of the energy you would have used between those two dates. (If you were supplied in earlier years then you could base your estimate on the usage in those earlier years.) When estimating err in your favour i.e. underestimate rather than overestimate the amount of energy you used. Then deduct your estimated energy costs from the £2,325 to get an estimate of what npower owe you.

Then issue a letter before action to npower (get their full proper name from a bill) demanding the amount you have calculated. One of the links I gave details of what to include in such a letter.

If npower make a counter offer consider it. But if you are unhappy with it then go ahead and take your case to court, claiming for the amount you estimate you are due plus interest plus the court fee plus any other costs. (Note that if npower make a reasonable offer and you don't accept it then there is a risk that even if you win the case you will not get your court fee refunded.)

Some people find that a well written letter before action (that shows you are serious and know what you doing) is sufficient to get the other party to sort things out promptly.

If it goes to court then the judge will then decide who is in the right. Assuming you win he will then determine the amount of your claim. (So he may adjust your estimate if he thinks it unreasonable.)

If after winning npower don't pay up then you can enforce the claim. This means bailiffs will go to npower and seize goods if they don't get money. (The cost of this will be passed on to npower.)

[Deleted User]

Nicedreams wrote: »

We were advised by NPower that our meter had to be changed in September 2013. A sub-contractor, Lowry fitted the new meter and the fitter advised me not to worry about meter readings as these would be passed on electronically to my supplier. I took the meter readings when I left the property in May 2014 and yes, as you say, hopefully the new meter would have began at zero.

However, despite numerous requests, over one year later, NPower have failed to supply me with a bill correctly itemising my usage between Feb 2013 and May 2014 (when we left). I wouldn't expect a full refund but I would expect to have my account reconciled as I strongly suspect we are due a refund (for over payment). But at the moment I've just been abandoned and NPower are holding onto my money.

So I hope this clarifies things, modsandmockers.

Lowri Beck are contractors for Npower and others.The meter fitters are "supposed " to note down the old meter details,including the old meter reads, on every exchange.The gas details are on the yellow sticky label on the new gas meter, electric meter on a card usually stuffed behind the meter on the backboard, but I find them lying around on the floor sometimes
Like many employees though, some meter fitters can t be bothered to do their job correctly..which leads to onward problems.He would ve sent it through to Lowri Beck and they should then forward to Npower. Maybe worth chasing Lowri Beck as their man did a lousy job

nPower

Nicedreams wrote: »

Can anybody offer me any advice on the following situation?

This is what has happened in brief:

8 February 2013 - Last correct bill from N-Power received
1 September 2013 - N-Power replaced our meter (obligatory) - meter readings seemingly lost
30 May 2014 - Moved home (providing final meter readings to N-Power)
October 2014 - Reported situation to Ombudsman and received £75 compensation for problems and delays. They did nothing to help at all.

Currently N-Power have £2,325 of our money (payments made since last correct bill, plus previous credit from last correct bill). We are positive we are significantly overpaid and owed a refund. They haven't provided us with a correct bill since February 2013. We haven't lived at the old address for over 1 year and have been with E-On at our new home.

Every month or two we get apology letters and often, frighting bills telling us we owe them thousands (or once, the other way round). It has cost me a fortune in time and energy dealing with them. We have almost given up on ever getting it resolved. There seems no end to it.

What can we do? Do we have any options? Can I go to the Small Claims Court and demand a refund? I'm at my wits end about this and it seems they can just get away with it. Our family struggles to survive financially from month to month and this seems so unfair. The Ombudsman was no help at all.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hello Nicedreams

Thank you for your post.

If you'd like to email the address shown on our profile page (be sure to mark it for my attention!) I would be more than happy to look into this with you.

Thanks

Beth

The_Councillor

Dear Beth,

I have been contacting you via twitter for the last month and you have not responded as yet.

I am having terrible trouble with N Power since Nov 2014 - Apparently my account is in a bill block status ? T

The advisors appear to be helpless with resolving the issues, I am getting no responses to emails to the complaints Dept and no responses to tweets.

N Power seem unable to set up a DD on the account and bill me.

Can you assist or recommend a way forward to resolve the issues ?

Look forward to hearing from you if you could message me ?

Regards, TC

Nicedreams

Thanks Beth.

Sorry for the slow reply. I've been away for a week.

I went to your profile page but couldn't see an email address. I also tried clicking 'Send Message' but this responded by saying that you don't accept private messages. So I'm a bit stuck as to how to contact you further. Can you help?

footyguy

Nicedreams wrote: »

Thanks Beth.

Sorry for the slow reply. I've been away for a week.

I went to your profile page but couldn't see an email address. I also tried clicking 'Send Message' but this responded by saying that you don't accept private messages. So I'm a bit stuck as to how to contact you further. Can you help?

You need to be logged in

That will allow you to view the forum in a better skin compared to the new, half-baked skin they powers that be decided to inflict on readers not logged in.

If necessary, change the forum skin after you have logged in.

CP>EditOptions>Forum skin

Choose:

--New Masthead, fixed width (recommended)

Save.

That will take you to the nice green forum skin that worked perfectly well until the powers that be decided to try and fix it with the awful white version. :cool:

In that forum skin, (which most of us regular posters still use) you will see the contact details the nPower rep mentions

fluteymum

Hi nicedreams, completely share your frustration with npower!! Just been in a very similar position with them after new meter installed by Lowri Beck in May 2015 (to replace a faulty old meter though, rather than statutory change.) Complaint submitted to npower then Ombudsman - all meter readings disappeared....

There is hope (!!) Have just received first actual bill from npower since meter change (after phone calls / emails several times a week.) From what I have discovered issue was with npower receiving/requesting a 'flow' from Lowri Beck when meter changed - from what i understand this is what proves meter starting read when installed. Lowri Beck have been incredibly helpful when i have contacted them so maybe worth seeing if this was fully sent/requested, and if you can bare to contact npower again (!) then see if they ever received a completed flow when new meter installed. Sure you have their Ombudsman and Executive complaints teams direct contacts already..... Good Luck!

Nicedreams

I promise to update this thread when/if there is any further news.

Hammer_Time

I have just received this email out of the blue from N Power. I did try to transfer to them in March but they said they could not do it, I went somewhere else.

Update, I just phoned them and got them to cancel the switch!!!

npower - track your switch

Dear Customer

We're currently processing your application to switch your Gas supply to npower.

To track the progress and status of your switch - simply log in to your online account where you can view your tariff details and receive email notifications if we require further information.
Track my switch

In the meantime, should you need to contact us about your switch, you'll find useful phone numbers and answers to the most frequently asked questions by visiting our help and support pages.

Thanks again for choosing npower.

Yours sincerely

Mark Howe
Head of Customer Services