NPower - 400% increase of monthly bill!

Sheffield_Scott

I'm a first time user of this forum, but signed up in the hope that someone might be able to advise me before I call nPower. I live with my wife in a one-bedroom terrace and pay a monthly DD of £123 for gas and electricity. I thought this was high, but never challenged it. This month, however, we have received a bill recalculating our monthly payment to £505! I've checked our monthly usage on their site, and it shows our electricity usage rocketing in October to 378% more than the previous October, 357% more than in the previous November and 244% more in December. I can only attribute this to a meter reading of 16062 submitted on 20 October, since there has been no changes to our usage, either from previous year or between September and October this year. Looking back through the estimated readings, I see that when we had a new electricity meter fitted on 19 March 2015, a reading of 0 was submitted to nPower. However, there is a card dated March 2015 attached to the new meter on which the electrician has completed readings for both the old meter and the newly fitted meter (of 13132). I assume this was the correct reading rather than 0. I cannot believe, as nPower's own website states, that we are using 619% more electricity than other similar properties. Can anybody give me any advice before I call them? Many thanks,

CashStrapped

Hello, to be able to help we will need you to do the following.

1. Type and post here all the meter readings you have taken or a meter reader has taken. Go back as far as you can, maybe for the last year.

Ignore any estimated readings. these are useless. Just give us the actual/confirmed readings.

2. What is your supplier and tariff name. Also note down the actual tariff cost. it should look like 14.05pence per KWH. What is the amount you pay?

3.What is the heating hot water set up in the property. Do you have instant electric radiators, storage heaters, hot water tank with an immersion?

4. How long have you lived there?

Answer these questions and we can help.

Good luck!

Sheffield_Scott

Hi CashStrapped

Thank you for your help. Okay, I hope this is correct...

1. Readings (taken from NPower website)

Electricity readings
27/02/15 - 64436 (customer reading)
18/03/15 - 64617 (NPower reading)
19/03/15 - 0 (NPower reading - new electricity meter)
29/12/16 - 15804 (NPower reading)
20/01/16 - 16062 (Customer reading - sent to NPower after issue of this bill)

Gas readings
27/02/15 - 4092 (Customer reading)
07/10/15 - 4390 (NPower reading)
20/01/16 - 4582 (Customer reading - sent to NPower after receipt of current bill)

2. Supplier is Npower and the tariffs are 'Price Fix May 2016 elec DD' and 'Price Fix May 2016 gas DD'. When you ask for the tariff cost, is it the Tariff Comparison Rate you are after? If so, it's 14.27p/KWH for electricity and 3.26p/KWH for gas. (I also have a record of the KWH that has actually been charged.)

3. We have a gas combi-boiler. No electric heaters or storage heaters and no hot water tank/immersion.

4. We've lived here since June 2007.

Thank you for your help - it's much appreciated.

matelodave

Most people would have troubles using 16000kwh of electricity in less than a year even if they were running a cannabis farm. A more realistic amount would be between 3000-4000kwh

There's something wrong which cwould have been picked up a lot earlier with more frequent meter readings. I guess you might need to have the meter checked

Rubidium

Sheffield_Scott wrote: »

I'm a first time user of this forum, but signed up in the hope that someone might be able to advise me before I call nPower. I live with my wife in a one-bedroom terrace and pay a monthly DD of £123 for gas and electricity. I thought this was high, but never challenged it. This month, however, we have received a bill recalculating our monthly payment to £505! I've checked our monthly usage on their site, and it shows our electricity usage rocketing in October to 378% more than the previous October, 357% more than in the previous November and 244% more in December. I can only attribute this to a meter reading of 16062 submitted on 20 October, since there has been no changes to our usage, either from previous year or between September and October this year. Looking back through the estimated readings, I see that when we had a new electricity meter fitted on 19 March 2015, a reading of 0 was submitted to nPower. However, there is a card dated March 2015 attached to the new meter on which the electrician has completed readings for both the old meter and the newly fitted meter (of 13132). I assume this was the correct reading rather than 0. I cannot believe, as nPower's own website states, that we are using 619% more electricity than other similar properties. Can anybody give me any advice before I call them? Many thanks,

Sheffield_Scott wrote: »

Hi CashStrapped

Thank you for your help. Okay, I hope this is correct...

1. Readings (taken from NPower website)

Electricity readings
27/02/15 - 64436 (customer reading)
18/03/15 - 64617 (NPower reading)
19/03/15 - 0 (NPower reading - new electricity meter) Should be 13132
29/12/15 - 15804 (NPower reading)
20/01/16 - 16062 (Customer reading - sent to NPower after issue of this bill)

Gas readings
27/02/15 - 4092 (Customer reading)
07/10/15 - 4390 (NPower reading)
20/01/16 - 4582 (Customer reading - sent to NPower after receipt of current bill)

2. Supplier is Npower and the tariffs are 'Price Fix May 2016 elec DD' and 'Price Fix May 2016 gas DD'. When you ask for the tariff cost, is it the Tariff Comparison Rate you are after? If so, it's 14.27p/KWH for electricity and 3.26p/KWH for gas. (I also have a record of the KWH that has actually been charged.)

3. We have a gas combi-boiler. No electric heaters or storage heaters and no hot water tank/immersion.

4. We've lived here since June 2007.

Thank you for your help - it's much appreciated.

Surely you can see that this has been caused by the incorrect assumed reading of zero when the meter was changed!

CashStrapped

I think your theory is correct. For whatever reason the meter had an initial reading on the clock of 13132 and not 0.

If it was 0 the average daily use does not make sense. From 19/03/15 to 29/12/15 you would have to be using 55kwh per day! This is certainly wrong.

However from the 29/12/15 to the 20/01/16 the average is 11kwh per day which is pretty much average.

If we use the figure of 13132 , the average useage for the period (19/03/15 - 29/12/15) is around 9.37KWH per day. Again this is good below average use.

That seems to be the issue. Ring them and get them to correct the opening reading. Problems solved.

They will probably owe you a lot of money!

CashStrapped

cameltoe wrote: »

Surely you can see that this has been caused by the incorrect assumed reading of zero when the meter was changed!

I always think it helps to go through a problem in detail regardless of how obvious the answer may seem to be.

The number of times people rush to answer a problem and come to a wrong conclusion because they do not get all the information first.

If anything the extra information (average daily use) makes it easier for the OP to go back explain the problem to the energy company.

Sheffield_Scott

Thanks CashStrapped. As I said in my initial post, I assumed the error was that the initial reading should have been what was written on the card, but experience of dealing with utility providers has taught me that it pays to cover every potential eventuality.

Robin9

The meter installer should also have taken photos of the new meter

dogshome

WRITE to n'power heading the letter Complaint, enclosing a photo or photocopy of the card the meter change crew left for you.
If they have not sorted thier error out in 56 days, contact the Ombudsman on day 57

Lady321986

The meter installer doesn't have to take photos of the meter.