Problem With Npower! -HELP!!

Mr_P_5

Hi.

I need some advice please!

I have recently got my duel fuel bill through from Npower which has shown me to be £800 pound a in debt! Like most people would think I was shocked and thought it was wrong! It turns out that it is all correct for the amount that we have been using! What has transpired is that Npower have mis quoted how much I should been paying by about £30-40 per month! (I didn’t know this as its my first house/time in getting gas/elec).

The thing is I had my electricity with them and I changed to duel fuel as it was cheaper/ made savings etc. I have gone to them to complain as I fell I have been conned! When I set up duel fuel with them I have a letter saying that they will continually look at what im paying and will increase/decrease accordingly! In 18months they have not done this – in the time I have got 2 bills! (the first my winter bill so would expect to be in debit due to more usage). And the second the one where I realised something was wrong!

Thing is they have admitted its there mistake and will offer me £50 credit and allow me to pay it off over 2 years!!! – Great so they conned me in and now will have me for 2YEARS!!!! –(not only this I was about to change as iv checked elsewhere and can get cheaper). £50 is nothing for what in effect they have done is put me in debt!

Thing is what can I do? I have another manager calling me as im not happy and im going to contact the energy watchdog! Just wondered if anyone can give me any advice/ had anything similar!

Thanks in advance!

Cardew

Your situation has been replicated thousands of times - many posters on this forum have had exactly the same and worse.

You have been buying goods from a firm - gas and electricity in this case. You will have been sent bills with your meter readings, which no doubt will have been estimated. You obviously haven't checked these bills and/or notified NPower they were wrong.

You have not been 'conned':

You have received goods which you haven't paid for.
You have taken no action at all to check your bills.
You have had, in effect, an interest free loan over the past 2 years.
You have been given £50 compensation for running up a debt.
You are going to get a loan of £800 which you will pay back interest free over the next 2 years.

IMO you have been treated extremely fairly. Surely you must take some responsibility for not checking your account?

Mr_P_5

I have checked my account! after 6months i got a statement which everything was ok! - i was in debt but as it was over the winter months i expected that! the next bill i got was last week where i was £800 in debt! i can only check what bills i can!

i have no problem paying for what i have used but instead of the increases you would expect mine has gone up by 3 times the amount im used to pay!

Cardew

Mr_P wrote: »

I have checked my account! after 6months i got a statement which everything was ok! - i was in debt but as it was over the winter months i expected that! the next bill i got was last week where i was £800 in debt! i can only check what bills i can!

i have no problem paying for what i have used but instead of the increases you would expect mine has gone up by 3 times the amount im used to pay!

Your readings would have been estimated.

If you didn't get bills every quarter, you should have made sure you got them. Of course you can check your account without getting bills. X kWhs @ Y pence = Z pounds. If your DD doesn't cover that Z pounds you will be in debt. It ain't rocket science!

Even when the bill you got after 6 months showed you to be in debit, you apparently took no steps to monitor your meter readings and consumption.


If you "have no problem paying for what I have used" yet you state "It turns out that it is all correct for the amount that we have been using" - I cant see what your complaint is?

I appreciate my posts might appear unsympathetic, but the facts are that you have taken no interest in your utility account and got an unpleasant surprise. Instead of accepting any responsibility, your reaction is that you have 'been conned'

As it is you have made financially out of the mess by getting £50 compensation and something like 4 years interest free 'loans'.

Mr_P_5

I think you are a bit harsh!

I have looked at the readings which as normal were over as in winter they always are!!!!! iv only owned a house and had to deal with this sort of thing for a couple of years!

the other thing is Npower have admited it was there mistake and they think £50 is enough!

after speaking with energywatch (the watchdog) they say they do that a lot and should take the matter further!

Cardew

Well take the matter further.

Obviously NPower should have picked this up earlier. However the bottom line is you have not been financially disadvantaged - in fact exactly the opposite. The £50 will be a goodwill payment.

Your situation is exactly what happens to thousands of people - their DD is not sufficient to cover their consumption and they run up a debit balance- read hundreds of posts on this forum; and see how many have had their debt written off.

If you feel you are blameless - then so be it; but you clearly don't understand utility bills or the Direct Debit system and have a different definition of 'conned' to myself.