Npower ignoring actual meter readings when calculating bills

fluteymum

Currently having issues with npower! All of the meter readings I have submitted online since April 2015 have been 'lost' and disappeared from my online account. An actual meter read taken by the metering agents Lowri Beck in June never apparently reached npower, despite my requesting npower to contact them on multiple occasions. Npower still billing me based upon estimates, rather than using any of the 8 meter readings I have provided and keep requesting more. Any other moneysavers had this problem, and how have you resolved it with npower? Already at the Ombudsman stage with them regarding overcharging due to a faulty meter removed in May 2015, and getting v v v fed up through lack of action.

naedanger

fluteymum wrote: »

Currently having issues with npower! All of the meter readings I have submitted online since April 2015 have been 'lost' and disappeared from my online account. An actual meter read taken by the metering agents Lowri Beck in June never apparently reached npower, despite my requesting npower to contact them on multiple occasions. Npower still billing me based upon estimates, rather than using any of the 8 meter readings I have provided and keep requesting more. Any other moneysavers had this problem, and how have you resolved it with npower? Already at the Ombudsman stage with them regarding overcharging due to a faulty meter removed in May 2015, and getting v v v fed up through lack of action.

Complain through npower's process and demand as part of the solution that they use your meter readings (or their own actual readings) rather than estimates to calculate your bills.

If they do not do so keep complaining until you get to the Ombudsman. They will give npower 28 days to comply. If npower still fail to do so then I think you are due free energy:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3169383/Npower-ordered-free-energy-customers-billing-bungles-failed-resolve.html

PS You have my sympathy re npower. Their service is unbelievably bad.

Skools_Out

fluteymum wrote: »

Currently having issues with npower! All of the meter readings I have submitted online since April 2015 have been 'lost' and disappeared from my online account. An actual meter read taken by the metering agents Lowri Beck in June never apparently reached npower, despite my requesting npower to contact them on multiple occasions. Npower still billing me based upon estimates, rather than using any of the 8 meter readings I have provided and keep requesting more. Any other moneysavers had this problem, and how have you resolved it with npower? Already at the Ombudsman stage with them regarding overcharging due to a faulty meter removed in May 2015, and getting v v v fed up through lack of action.

I can understand how frustrated you currently feel, but would suggest you take some deep breaths and allow the red mist to settle.

If your meter was found to be faulty which resulted in a new meter being installed in May 2015, this would probably explain why the supplier has ignored any reading you provided in April 2015.

You (and presumably the supplier) will have a record of the start reading when the new meter was installed; typically it's zero for an electricity meter (but may not have been)

I don't know how many readings you have provided since the new meter was installed in May 2015, but it doesn't really matter. Simply take an up to date meter reading today call the supplier with this who should then be able to produce a new, upto date bill (valid from May 2015).

If they are not able to, ask them why not. It could be that there are issues with the readings you provide (e.g. they are not being validated for some reason) but the supplier should be able to explain if this is the case.

fluteymum

Thanks very much for the advice. naedanger and skoolsout. All the meter reads since the new meter were installed had actually been requested by npower, and having diligently provided 6 readings since may, including one after phoning npower again last week, still no sign of a bill using actual readings, or a recalculation for period of faulty meter which npower have promised me in writing! Strange thing is that after going to ombudsman nearly all my meter readings disappeared and npower have no record of them on phoning them last week. They also have an incomplete record of meter exchange, which they told me back at the beginning of august, yet seemed to manage to get the info required within 5 mins while I was on the phone last week ( suspect this was the bit about meter being at 0 to start with!). Will keep you updated on progress!

gentleorange

Similar happened to me. I gave npower regular meter readings, but the activity on my account was odd. I was racking up credit of over £1000, they'd take payments and then just reverse them! In the end I left, and as someone who paid an accurate monthly dd, and gave regular accurate readings, my final bill was £800! Their system is nuts. I wouldn't go back to them under any circumstances.

footyguy

gentleorange wrote: »

Similar happened to me. I gave npower regular meter readings, but the activity on my account was odd. I was racking up credit of over £1000, they'd take payments and then just reverse them! In the end I left, and as someone who paid an accurate monthly dd, and gave regular accurate readings, my final bill was £800! Their system is nuts. I wouldn't go back to them under any circumstances.

If you are paying by monthly DD, then the supplier is obligated to advise you in advance of any changes to the agreed monthly figure. This will allow you to challenge unfair or unreasonable proposed changes before they are even collected.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits

We experienced a similar situation with EDF when we were with them a few years back, but a simple phone call was all that was needed to retain the status quo (as it was clear to any human, but seemingly not a computer, that we were paying an appropriate amount each month for our metered consumption)

sgun

Not that it helps you but Npower have always ignored my own readings and gone off their own estimates. Even when I get the meter read by one of their agents the readings don't go through as I have a somewhat old system (two meters) that no-one at Npower seems to understand.

For me though it evens out over the year so I have given up on getting accurate readings.

chocolatelover93

NPower are useless, we're with them (not by choice) and they've done nothing but mess us around. When taking my meter readings I now take a photo of them as proof

fluteymum

Update!! Npower have now calculated my bill..... using actual meter readings... but have me down on the wrong tariff. Spoken to them again today etc etc Started the switch to another supplier last week which may have got things moving! Sgun - I suspect there is an issue between npower and lowri beck the metering agent as my meter was changed in May and read in June by them and npower had no record of either, they only acknowledged a meter change after I went to executive complaints and npower still have no record of the June reading, although lowri beck have it. All meter readings I've taken have been logged on my online account and screenshots taken after being advised by a friend who has also experienced issues with npower!