Issues with Npower!!!

bradsha3

Just want to have a rant about this issue as it's starting to drive me crazy!

When I moved into a rented property 4 years ago, the property was connected to Npower on a Economy 10 heatwise tarriff which meant that there were two meters with 5 meter readings between them. I tried to switch at the time but was told that Eon were the only other company offering this tarriff and I would have to pay if I wanted to remove one of the meters. So I stupidly stuck with Npower. I should have known there'd be trouble as when I rang Npower to ask about this tarriff the customer service guy didn't know what it was. I had to ring Eon for them to explain it to me.

Anyway I was paying £105 per month for just me in a one bedroom tiny house, working full time so out of the house 8-6 every day. I struggled to give meter readings as because there were 5 I was unable to submit them via any automated service so had to sit on hold for 1.5 hours plus each time.

The main issue started in March last year when I received a bill from Npower showing that I was £700+ in credit - the bill was based on meter readings from the year before. I rang them with new readings and was promised a new bill. July arrived and the bill hadn't so I rang them again and I was promised the bill which arrived in August and seemed accurate - approx £75 in debit.

I moved on 6th Sept 2014 and rang in meter readings. The final bill didn't arrive until November showing me to be £460 in debit for only a few weeks energy use. I queried this and was promised that my account would be rebilled by Christmas. I never heard anything again until I returned from holiday in June this year to receive several demands from Npower for this sum threatening to take me to court.

Basically since then I have rang them regularly and they keep setting htemselves deadlines for rebilling the account and then not meeting them - I still haven't had the bill. I've complained to the ombudsmen who are currently waiting for npower to send them the account information - I've told them to expect a long wait!

I've just called now as the 7-10 days from their last deadline was passed several weeks ago. My account is showing completely inexplicable activity - billing and then rebilling and then cancelling of bills etc.

I guess my question is - do I still have to pay it when it finally arrives considering it is for electricity used over a year ago?

footyguy

bradsha3 wrote: »

Just want to have a rant about this issue as it's starting to drive me crazy!

When I moved into a rented property 4 years ago, the property was connected to Npower on a Economy 10 heatwise tarriff which meant that there were two meters with 5 meter readings between them. I tried to switch at the time but was told that Eon were the only other company offering this tarriff and I would have to pay if I wanted to remove one of the meters. So I stupidly stuck with Npower. I should have known there'd be trouble as when I rang Npower to ask about this tarriff the customer service guy didn't know what it was. I had to ring Eon for them to explain it to me.

Anyway I was paying £105 per month for just me in a one bedroom tiny house, working full time so out of the house 8-6 every day. I struggled to give meter readings as because there were 5 I was unable to submit them via any automated service so had to sit on hold for 1.5 hours plus each time.

The main issue started in March last year when I received a bill from Npower showing that I was £700+ in credit - the bill was based on meter readings from the year before. I rang them with new readings and was promised a new bill. July arrived and the bill hadn't so I rang them again and I was promised the bill which arrived in August and seemed accurate - approx £75 in debit.

I moved on 6th Sept 2014 and rang in meter readings. The final bill didn't arrive until November showing me to be £460 in debit for only a few weeks energy use. I queried this and was promised that my account would be rebilled by Christmas. I never heard anything again until I returned from holiday in June this year to receive several demands from Npower for this sum threatening to take me to court.

Basically since then I have rang them regularly and they keep setting htemselves deadlines for rebilling the account and then not meeting them - I still haven't had the bill. I've complained to the ombudsmen who are currently waiting for npower to send them the account information - I've told them to expect a long wait!

I've just called now as the 7-10 days from their last deadline was passed several weeks ago. My account is showing completely inexplicable activity - billing and then rebilling and then cancelling of bills etc.

I guess my question is - do I still have to pay it when it finally arrives considering it is for electricity used over a year ago?

I'm sorry I'm struggling with your rant ... but then that can often be the way when people are in a rant.

You were advised by nPower not to attempt to switch supplier as you were on a legacy tariff that is not supported by any other supplier. Evidence exists that those that try to switch invariably end up in tears.
So the first part that confuses me is that you suggest it was stupid of you to stay with nPower. You had no choice!

Then, in your rant, you explain how you have complained to the ombudsman. When that happens the supplier often will not discuss the complaint further with the customer.
The ombudsman will propose a final ruling. It's then up to you to decide to accept that decision or not.
Only if you accept, will the supplier be obligated to comply also.

If you truly believe you do not owe the supplier the money they claim, and that this was included in your complaint to the supplier, and subsequently the ombudsman, then the supplier would normally agree to hold off any collection actions until a resolution was proposed. You may have needed to ask for this.

If, despite the complaint raised, it is clear you probably do owe at least the money that has previously been demanded, then you should pay this.

naedanger

bradsha3 wrote: »

Just want to have a rant about this issue as it's starting to drive me crazy!

When I moved into a rented property 4 years ago, the property was connected to Npower on a Economy 10 heatwise tarriff which meant that there were two meters with 5 meter readings between them. I tried to switch at the time but was told that Eon were the only other company offering this tarriff and I would have to pay if I wanted to remove one of the meters. So I stupidly stuck with Npower. I should have known there'd be trouble as when I rang Npower to ask about this tarriff the customer service guy didn't know what it was. I had to ring Eon for them to explain it to me.

Anyway I was paying £105 per month for just me in a one bedroom tiny house, working full time so out of the house 8-6 every day. I struggled to give meter readings as because there were 5 I was unable to submit them via any automated service so had to sit on hold for 1.5 hours plus each time.

The main issue started in March last year when I received a bill from Npower showing that I was £700+ in credit - the bill was based on meter readings from the year before. I rang them with new readings and was promised a new bill. July arrived and the bill hadn't so I rang them again and I was promised the bill which arrived in August and seemed accurate - approx £75 in debit.

I moved on 6th Sept 2014 and rang in meter readings. The final bill didn't arrive until November showing me to be £460 in debit for only a few weeks energy use. I queried this and was promised that my account would be rebilled by Christmas. I never heard anything again until I returned from holiday in June this year to receive several demands from Npower for this sum threatening to take me to court.

Basically since then I have rang them regularly and they keep setting htemselves deadlines for rebilling the account and then not meeting them - I still haven't had the bill. I've complained to the ombudsmen who are currently waiting for npower to send them the account information - I've told them to expect a long wait!

I've just called now as the 7-10 days from their last deadline was passed several weeks ago. My account is showing completely inexplicable activity - billing and then rebilling and then cancelling of bills etc.

I guess my question is - do I still have to pay it when it finally arrives considering it is for electricity used over a year ago?

You have my sympathy regarding npower. They are dreadful.

I think you are alluding to the back billing principle, which all domestic energy suppliers must follow:

Back-billing principle
If your supplier is at fault, it will not seek additional payment for unbilled energy used more than 12 months prior to the error being detected and a corrected bill being issued.

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2010/01/Back-billing-leaflet-2012.pdf

A number suppliers, including npower, implement this principle via the following code of practice:
https://www.eonenergy.com/About-eon/how-we-service-our-customers/~/media/PDFs/About-Us/Codes-of-Practice/412-the-code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills-back-billing-for-domestic-customers.pdf

Whether the principle applies in your case will depend on the full details. My thoughts are as follows:

1. The back billing principle stops a supplier from demanding further payment in certain circumstances but they are permitted to apply any money already paid towards a final bill, even if that bill is years late. So the back billing principle will not force your supplier to refund any payments you have already made. (Of course if you paid more than you actually incurred then you would still be due a refund.)
   
2. If on accurate readings you are still in debt then if you can argue that the "final bill" npower issued was not actually a proper bill at all, then I believe the back billing principle will apply to your case.
3. Whether you can argue the "final bill" was actually a bill or not will depend on the circumstances. If they just invented a random amount then in my view it would not be a final bill. If it was not a complete invention, but contained significant errors made by npower, then I think it will depend on the nature of the errors and how well you can argue your case. (Read the above links as they give some examples that may be informative.)

matelodave

Have you kept records of all the meter readings and copies of all the bills?

I know it shouldn't be necessary but it really helps to keep your own records as evidence, rather than hoping that the supplier has it all under control.

It's too late when it all goes wrong and you can't get any sense out of them or can't get information from them either to help unravel it.

Probably the worse thing you can do is keep phoning - get everything in writing either by post or e-mail so you've got records of all your communications.

[Deleted User]

My only suggestion to you is regarding the 5 meter readings on the heatwise eco 10. Pay attention to the precise details of the two night and day reads.They are always getting transposed by all the suppliers,leading to widely changing bills .The old 24 hr circular analogue timer switches are frequently so far out of the suppliers stated switchover times that the cheap rate could well be on in the late afternoon.Only Radio Teleswitch timers are accurate.Meters with built in timers are also drifting way out sometimes. I have never come across the heatwise eco 10 set up on meters as only Eon and Npower support them, I only know that the 5 rate is usually, but not always, controlling the high rate boost period, but I expect any meter readers who have been round will have just imput any old numbers leaving it to the auto billing systems to churn out rubbish bills.Anyone with these complex meters must take control and provide accurate readings which match the actual meter times.

SavemeMG

nPower bills. We opened our nPower account in 2013. We only moved because nPower provided a better deal for our electricity use. Since then nPower has made several attempts to raise the monthly payment. Each time I have countered this and evidenced why the decision by nPower is wrong. nPower’s system over estimates use, and then tries to impose a dramatic rise. We know we are using a bit more more electricity over the summer, possibly adding up to about £5/month on or electric but this is factored into our monthly payment. We can show nPower the total KWh's we have used, this does not add up to what nPower wants to charge. So why try to push or monthly payment to well above our usage unless they want us to be constantly in their credit.
Account name: I called nPower to get their proposed monthly rate reduced (having requested this online) and was told they could not talk to me as I am not the named person on the account. I set up this account and had intentionally from the onset made it in joint names with my wife and myself. For some unknown reason nPower has badgered us to put the account in into one name, my only thought is it makes it easier for nPower to chase defaulters through the courts, what other reason can there be. We set it up in this manner so in any event either of us could act on the account, there is no reason nPower to counter this. On making the call this week I am told nPower staff will not talk to me because I am not the named person on the account and stating if they did it would break the Data Protection Act and would risk their employment with nPower. This is a poor excuse, I set up the account in both of our names and neither of us should not be hindered in discussing our account.
Key messages: Stop altering the direct debit, talk to either of us without hiding behind Data Protection, do as we instruct; we are taking our account elsewhere.