npower closing bill seems very odd after a few issues with npower.... Help Please!

Season4

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could have a little look at my final bill from npower as I don't want to phone them an make a twit of myself for reading it wrong!

It's a bit complicated but it goes a little something like this...

I moved home in March 2014 and moved my npower account to the new property (so I thought)
I phoned with my closing and opening readings on moving day as you should.
The person I spoke to thought it would be best to open a new account for the new house and leave the old account open collecting direct debits without my knowledge, until I spotted it a few months ago (I moved provider and there was a npower direct debit still appearing on my account which should have been gone as I moved providers)

After having a very big row with a lady who insisted I was wrong and it wasn't the case, quoting meter serial numbers to me and bla bla bla we came to the conclusion that I was given a new account and the old one was still open and has been collecting DD since I moved home in 2014. She apologized and told me the home moving team will close it all down and pay all monies owed to me as soon as they can.

As always it was just a load of smoke up me bottom and they still kept on collecting £43 a month until I stopped the direct debit (I was told not to cancel it by before mentioned lady) beginning of this month and went through the whole thing of explaining the double account etc. again.

I have now received the final bill as mentioned before but I am now very much on the sinister side of the fence with regard to npower so don't trust the final value of the bill one bit!

Bellow is the "What you have paid" part. As you can see there are gaps in the months, May 2015 repeats itself a few times, opening credit of £233.24 seems to have been taken off what I am owed etc. etc.

How your bill adds up
Credit from your previous bill £233.24
What you paid on the 29 April 2013 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 November 2013 £43.00
What you paid on the 30 December 2013 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 January 2014 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 February 2014 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 March 2014 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 April 2014 £43.00
What you paid on the 19 May 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 19 May 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 19 May 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 19 May 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 May 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 29 June 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 July 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 August 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 September 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 28 October 2015 £43.00
What you paid on the 30 December 2015 £43.00
Payment adjustment to be added to amount left to pay £43.00
Total cost of energy used £55.60
Cancelled bill on 18 October 2013 to be taken off amount
left to pay £55.60
Transfer credit to be added to amount left to pay £297.35
Accrued to date electricity Direct Debit discount credit to
be taken off amount left to pay
£39.35
Early payment to be added to amount left to pay £43.00
Early payment to be added to amount left to pay £43.00
to be added to amount left to pay £43.00
Refund on 23 October 2013 to be taken off amount left to
pay
£233.24
You are in credit by £344.00


All advice and comments will be greatly appreciated!

CashStrapped

Hello,

Lets see if we can help.

First, the account stays with the address. When you move, you give a closing reading, pay the remaining amount you owe, or, if you are in credit, get a refund.

You then set up a new account for the new property. Initially, this is with whatever provider is currently supplying that property. Once you account is set up you are free to switch or stay.

Regarding your overpayments.

Looking at the direct debits is a bit of a misnomer.

You need to look at the bill with the last meter reading you gave (the closing reading). What was the status of the account after that final reading? Did you still owe an amount? Were you actually in credit?

If they re-issued the final bill, after realising they made a mess of things, you need to compare it to your old bills and see if it corresponds to those and the final meter reading you gave (and the previous final bill).

From there you can work out what they need to credit you back.

Season4

Hi,

Thank you for your post!

On the particular account there was never a final bill as the person just left it open and running and started a new account for the new property. I basically ended up with an electricity account on the old house and a new dual fuel account on the new house both taking direct debits. It was a big old balls up to say the least!!!

npower did find my final meter reading on record and has applied (only now) to establish the final bill.

If I read the figures correctly I was in credit by £233.24
Energy used was £55.60

So should it be: £233.24 - £55.60 + £43 x 22months (Direct Debit every month since I moved out till Nov 2015) = £1123.64 owed to me?

Johann

CashStrapped

That is how I would calculate it. Unless there is information you have missed out.

Whether it was the final bill or not, as long as you had a "closing meter read" that npower agree to (which is what you seem to have) then that is fine.

Yes, your calculation sounds correct. That is what I would expect.

If you were in credit before the final bill. You deduct the final bill (generated by your final meter reading) from your account (which was in credit). You then paid 22 month worth of DD on top of that.

Sounds logical and correct to me.

Remember, you do not transfer an account when you move. Always close an account when you leave a property, asking for a final bill.

Season4

Hi,

Thank you for that.

I will make sure next time to close down the one and open a new one!

Johann