Terrible experience with NPower, Advice appreciated

JSDouvres

Hello,
I am having an awful experience with NPower, started last year when I moved and has continued until today. I have a serious mental health problem and have little money and the problems are hitting me hard.
I had no problems with Npower at my last address, was on a decent tarif (I think!) and had a monthly direct debit set up that worked well.
Then late last year I moved and my problems started.
I thought it would be the simple case of transfering over my account to my new address but of course it wasn't as simple as that!
To start with the previous tennant had left massive debts at my new address and pre payment meters had been installed. NPower could not take over the electricity because Utillita wanted proof I was not the person wirth the debt and it took ages to sort it out, in fact 6 months later the elecrticity still has not been transfered over.
I am having to use pre payment meteres which I have been trying to get removed because they are a scandalous rip off and that has also been a nightmare. I have been lied to by NPower too many times than I can believe, was told 5 weeks ago the pre payment gas meter would be taken away and it would take 3 weeks but still nothing at all. Constantly promised I would get call backs from managers that never happened and I have had enough.
I am quite vulnerable, today I am having a good day which is why I am able to write this here, tomorrow will most likely be very different. I could deal without this stress and situation which is costing me money I don't have.
I want to leave NPower but I fear that I may lose my right to the warm home discount.
I live in a small ground floor council flat, ay advice on what I should do is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Chris

JSDouvres

I am quite worried now because I have been told that the warm home discount is for the electricity and as it has yet to be taken over by NPower I may have missed out.
I will be making a serious complaint if this is the case.
I cannot believe in this day and age that the basics such as electricity and gas can be such a problem and that companies can mess people around so much.
I will certainly be taking this up with the ombudsman.
Disgusting.

nPower

JSDouvres wrote: »

Hello,
I am having an awful experience with NPower, started last year when I moved and has continued until today. I have a serious mental health problem and have little money and the problems are hitting me hard.
I had no problems with Npower at my last address, was on a decent tarif (I think!) and had a monthly direct debit set up that worked well.
Then late last year I moved and my problems started.
I thought it would be the simple case of transfering over my account to my new address but of course it wasn't as simple as that!
To start with the previous tennant had left massive debts at my new address and pre payment meters had been installed. NPower could not take over the electricity because Utillita wanted proof I was not the person wirth the debt and it took ages to sort it out, in fact 6 months later the elecrticity still has not been transfered over.
I am having to use pre payment meteres which I have been trying to get removed because they are a scandalous rip off and that has also been a nightmare. I have been lied to by NPower too many times than I can believe, was told 5 weeks ago the pre payment gas meter would be taken away and it would take 3 weeks but still nothing at all. Constantly promised I would get call backs from managers that never happened and I have had enough.
I am quite vulnerable, today I am having a good day which is why I am able to write this here, tomorrow will most likely be very different. I could deal without this stress and situation which is costing me money I don't have.
I want to leave NPower but I fear that I may lose my right to the warm home discount.
I live in a small ground floor council flat, ay advice on what I should do is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Chris

Hi JSDouvres

Thanks for your posts.

If you can get in touch using the details on our profile page with your account/address details, I'm happy to investigate further, make sure you've been billed correctly and the balance transferred, and look at options on the meters on the new account for you, as well as the Warm Home Discount.

Please mark any correspondence as MSE, so we know where to refer back to.

Kind regards

Jess

JSDouvres

I have to be honest and say that I didn't know that companies representatives posted here like this and I feel quite uncomfortable with it.
The argument for will be that they have a right to defend themselves from criticism, my problem with this is that they are far from impartial on the matter and it feels like a case of saving face more than anything.
Of course every company feel they do no wrong and deal with everything perfectly, unfortunately companies like NPower are failling us miserably and I personally do not like the fact they are hounding people on public forums.
I feel a bit violated to be honest, I have spent a long time trying to sort this out with them on the phone and it would be much appreciated to have the opportunity to get some impartial independant advice rather than somebody act like they care when that should be the job of the people on the end of my telephone in the first place! I posted here in response to that, not to get followed here! What sense is there in that?
Oh well, I have learnt to never post here on topics such as this.
Sometimes this country really worries me I have to say. Are there no rights for any of us anymore?

undaunted

You only have to read through some of my past posts to see that I'm not a fan of Npowers customer service in general. Nevertheless I'd have to say that whilst I'm still sceptical the problem would be resolved swiftly & efficiently "Jess", far from infringing your rights or trying to "violate" you in any way seems to me to have made a genuine offer to try & help you. It is unfortunate that call centres usually aren't efficient at deal with significant problems (any call centre in my experience!) hence a written approach is better in my view.


That said I would ask are you on the "Priority service register"? - it may help you to be so if you are considered a "vulnerable customer", such as having a mental health difficulty.


You may also benefit from visiting someone such as the CAB or Mind and asking them if they will help you with the issue rather than having to do it alone.


Good luck

teddysmum

I agree that there is no 'hounding'. The Npower rep is offering help.


Do be aware, though, that this is a public forum, which anyone is able to access, so do not post anything here that you are not comfortable about anyone else being able to read.

JSDouvres

From a personal point of view I want to be able to speak freely and openly about a problem I have with a company independantly and get opinions and suggestions from other individuals about how to deal with it.
I have attempted to deal with the company in question, that is the whole point of this so for them to then get involved here on this website is simply not good enough and as far as I am concerned is too little too late. To me it is more a case of them trying to save face on a public forum more than anything and I can see that for some it works.....

Enterprise_1701C

It is a useful thing JSDouvres, that the various companies have representatives that post here. It doesn't stop you saying what you want.

Uunfortunately it is the previous tenants that have caused the problems, they are often difficult to solve when a big debt has been left behind.

Can I make a suggestion? If you are struggling to deal with this on here do you have someone that can help you deal with it?

The company representative on here has almost certainly never heard about your problem before, we cannot assume your user name is your real name, and having contacts like that on here have often proved to be a very useful alternative way of contacting the company. We have seen may problems solved on here by simply going through that contact point.

I wish you luck in getting this sorted, but I must reiterate I feel you need to get someone to support you and help you deal with this.

SwanJon

In addition to the above, while you say your issues are with nPower it appears that it is actually Utilita that are stopping anything happening.

Utilita shouldn't have stopped you leaving as you were not the previous tenant. That debt is Utilita's issue not yours. If they needed proof you could post/email/fax them a copy of a tenancy agreement (or any other proof of when you moved in). They would then set up an account with no debt in your name and you would be free to choose your supplier.

nPower can't swap the meter over if you are still supplied by Utilita. It sounds like they may have been too optimistic with timescales though and should maybe should have given you a more realistic/pessimistic one (Utilita have form).

As to the reps here (and others like me who work/have worked in the industry) they are trying to help. If you do look around the forum you'll be able to see examples of what they have done. Jess has put the ball in your court - if you choose not to get in touch until you are ready that's where it will stay.

undaunted

JSDouvres wrote: »

From a personal point of view I want to be able to speak freely and openly about a problem I have with a company independantly and get opinions and suggestions from other individuals about how to deal with it.
I have attempted to deal with the company in question, that is the whole point of this so for them to then get involved here on this website is simply not good enough and as far as I am concerned is too little too late. To me it is more a case of them trying to save face on a public forum more than anything and I can see that for some it works.....

That's probably exactly why all such companies are here but if it proves effective in resolving your problem isn't that the most important thing?