NPower harassing me for debt that shouldn't even exist.

LaurenL89

I'll start at the beginning, I moved into my previous address Feb of 2011, I had my son in the March. I was a single mother, on benefits and got pretty bad postnatal depression. I started falling behind on everything and got in to some debt because of this.
I fell behind with my energy bills and so approached them to ask if they could take my payments straight from my benefits, which they did - they took an amount to cover my usage and one to pay back my arrears. So it was all being paid for.
Fast forward to the end of last year, I was on top of everything and felt better, I moved in with my partner, got off benefits etc. I'd switched to Eon at the beginning of the year too. All the remaining debts I had were being paid off - it was all under control.
Fast forward a little further to August and I start getting letters from NPower stating I owe amounts varying from £650 to £1000 plus extra because I didn't give them my new address (which no, I didn't as there was no need to, I hadn't been with then for nigh on a year). So I rang them, explained what had happened and why I wasn't responsible and I was told they'd "look in to it" eventually, after 4/5 phone calls back and forth, I was told over the phone that no, i wasn't responsible and they'd stop sending the letters. Then at the beginning of this month I start receiving debt collectors letters with the usual scaremongering tactics of "pay now or we'll take you to court". So I contact them, tell them the same and add in how I thought it was already sorted, I receive a confirmation letter from them saying they're investigating. Now a NEW debt collector is sending me letters, I've contacted them and now they want proof of all this.
NB; the boiler broke in November 2012 and so went without heating until I left as the landlord refused to repair it due to expense. Meaning it's impossible for me to owe that amount in gas anyway.
The problem is, in the move, I've lost most of my old letters (also bear in mind I was quite ill when all this was happening so I may not even have kept the letters proving this).
The stress of it is causing me to slip back into depression and my anxiety is getting pretty overwhelming. I have no idea what I can do to make them understand it's not my debt.

Christina_H.

Hiya, if Npower have confirmed that you do not owe any money, get them to confirm it in writing and send it to the bailiffs.

LaurenL89

They confirmed it back in August and they never sent written confirmation out to me, I suppose I can try again though

MacMickster

You might be interested in this similar current thread.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5343080

Christina_H.

Make sure you do it in writing tho, so you have evidence and I would do it via email and copy Npowers CEO in it too. They'll know you mean business then and will respond faster. I wouldn't waste my time with phoning customer service, or bringbeing from one person to another. Go straight to the top hun, good luck and keep calm

nPower

LaurenL89 wrote: »

I'll start at the beginning, I moved into my previous address Feb of 2011, I had my son in the March. I was a single mother, on benefits and got pretty bad postnatal depression. I started falling behind on everything and got in to some debt because of this.
I fell behind with my energy bills and so approached them to ask if they could take my payments straight from my benefits, which they did - they took an amount to cover my usage and one to pay back my arrears. So it was all being paid for.
Fast forward to the end of last year, I was on top of everything and felt better, I moved in with my partner, got off benefits etc. I'd switched to Eon at the beginning of the year too. All the remaining debts I had were being paid off - it was all under control.
Fast forward a little further to August and I start getting letters from NPower stating I owe amounts varying from £650 to £1000 plus extra because I didn't give them my new address (which no, I didn't as there was no need to, I hadn't been with then for nigh on a year). So I rang them, explained what had happened and why I wasn't responsible and I was told they'd "look in to it" eventually, after 4/5 phone calls back and forth, I was told over the phone that no, i wasn't responsible and they'd stop sending the letters. Then at the beginning of this month I start receiving debt collectors letters with the usual scaremongering tactics of "pay now or we'll take you to court". So I contact them, tell them the same and add in how I thought it was already sorted, I receive a confirmation letter from them saying they're investigating. Now a NEW debt collector is sending me letters, I've contacted them and now they want proof of all this.
NB; the boiler broke in November 2012 and so went without heating until I left as the landlord refused to repair it due to expense. Meaning it's impossible for me to owe that amount in gas anyway.
The problem is, in the move, I've lost most of my old letters (also bear in mind I was quite ill when all this was happening so I may not even have kept the letters proving this).
The stress of it is causing me to slip back into depression and my anxiety is getting pretty overwhelming. I have no idea what I can do to make them understand it's not my debt.

Hi LaurenL89

Thanks for posting. I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties you're experiencing and I'd certainly like to help get these resolved for you.

If you'd like to send me an email (using the address from my profile) with your details I'll follow this up with you.

Thanks

Leigh

LaurenL89

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi LaurenL89

Thanks for posting. I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties you're experiencing and I'd certainly like to help get these resolved for you.

If you'd like to send me an email (using the address from my profile) with your details I'll follow this up with you.

Thanks

Leigh

I can't find an email address in your profile other than the forum team one

Garret

I think you have to click on his forum name and then click 'View Public Profile'. His email seems to be: helpandsupport@npower.com - although that looks like a whole department rather than just one person.

Hard_Saver

I too have had a lot of harassment from npower. They just do not take any notice of letters. Maybe someone reading this will take notice and do something about my request - very simple (at least WAS at first) - for an accurate bill.

The other day I got a nagging letter from Past Due Credit Solutions, so I wrote to them and also Paul Coffey, who I believe has taken over from the ill-fated Paul Massara, as the CEO of npower.

I am under no illusions that this will make any difference BUT - and this is important to me - I am really afraid that, purely down to the sheer ineptitude of the utterly crap consumer service of these people, I could end up with a poor credit rating, just when I need it, and I cannot take this risk. For this reason I am doing my best to put my position in this dispute with npower, so that if it does come to court, or arbitration by the Energy Ombudsman, it will be evident that I have done my best to pay the correct amount. I am damned if I am going to pay a bill that assumes I have been on standard tariff all the time!

No one should have to go to this trouble, but I don't think I have any choice in the matter if I want to avoid credit rating trouble down the line.

Here, just for flavour are the two letters I have sent today. One to Paul Coffey, CEO and one to Past Due. [I have removed personal details, and am not posting the previous correspondence here]

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Dear Mr Coffey

Breach of the Data Protection Act

I recently received a letter dated 12th October 2015 from Pastdue Credit Solutions, who have been appointed by Npower to pressure me to settle an energy bill I have disputed for well over a year.

I believe that npower's passing of my account details to Pastdue without first responding to legitimate requests for an accurate bill in respect of my account is contrary to the 1998 Data Protection Act, which requires companies like yours to gather data accurately, use it lawfully and fairly and for specifically stated purposes. Passing my data to a third party in these circumstances could constitute a criminal act, and I hereby notify npower that if this is the case, I reserve the right to take action against npower for redress.

I have clarified in correspondence what is owed so as to obtain from npower an accurate calculation according to tariffs agreed in October 2013. Records show that you have received my signed-for letters. It is clear that no-one has bothered to read them, since all I have received in return is computer generated demands for payment, along with imputations from npower, and now also Pastdue, as to "financial difficulties" I might be experiencing, and where I might get help with them. Such imputations are rich indeed when set against the extremely bad financial management at npower over recent years.

What is worse, however, is npower's customer service. No-one should have to write a letter to the CEO of npower about an account, but currently I see no other way to defend myself from the disdain your company has shown me by its refusal to engage in a reasonable manner to resolve our dispute.

What is truly contemptible, of course, is the considerable stress and anxiety caused by such disdain to thousands of your customers and ex-customers throughout the UK, including me. You can be sure that should I need to take legal action for redress in these circumstances, I shall certainly be pressing for compensation for what I have suffered in this regard.

Would you please now without further delay:
• acknowledge receipt of this letter in writing
• call off PastDue Credit Solutions
• Read the correspondence detailing the dispute, noting errors made by npower
• Provide an accurately recalculated bill in accordance with your tariff commitment of October 2013

I will then settle the account.

Yours sincerely,


enc: previous correspondence (2 letters), copy of letter to Pastdue
cc: Pastdue Credit Solutions, Money Saving Expert Energy Consumer Rights Online Forum

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Dear Sirs

"IMPORTANT MATTER"

I recently received a letter dated 12th October 2015 from you in connection with an unpaid account with npower.

Please note that I have been in dispute with npower over the matter for well over a year, during which they have consistently ignored my correspondence and requests for an accurate bill. In this respect I am probably not unlike many of the over 300,000 customers who have left npower in recent years and switched to other, less chaotic providers with a more reliable customer service.

I attach copies of my latest and earlier correspondence with npower for your reference and information. In my view, npower has no right in the circumstances of an unresolved and still ongoing dispute to pass details of my account to Pastdue, or any other third party, and may thereby be in breach of data protection legislation.

You will understand from the correspondence that this matter is still awaiting resolution by npower and I would respectfully suggest that you hand it back to them, since it is unlikely to prove of any value to your company.

Please acknowledge receipt of this letter in writing.

Yours sincerely,


enc: recent correspondence (1 item) and earlier correspondence (2 items) with npower

cc: npower, Money Saving Expert Energy Consumer Rights Online Forum

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SICK OF THESE PEOPLE....!