Utility Bill Dual Fuel Problems - Help Needed

PabloTheParsimonious

Hi
If anyone can offer any suggestions as to what I should do in my current situation I would be very grateful
To summarise my situation we currently receive dual fuel from one of the large companies and have been a customer of theirs for several years.

Background information
A few years ago they increased our direct debit to £603 from £75 and in fact managed to take 2 monthly deductions for this amount before we noticed. Eventually after many many phone calls we spoke to a sensible customer advisor who explained that some of our bills had been estimated and as a result we hadn't been billed for all our usage so after a full and detailed explanation we agreed to put a payment plan in place and have been using this ever since. It was made very clear that these payments of £86 would cover outstanding monies and current usage.


Recently they have attempted to increase our direct debit payments to £643 from £86, I was notified about this by email and phoned up to query the increaseI spoke to several people at Npower about my energy usage and no-one could give a reason for the usage that Npower for the proposed large increase so I cancelled the direct debit.

I undertook an energy efficiency report to justify our power usage as Npower tried to suggest that we were keeping reptiles or other animals that required heat lamps or other appliances such as a sunbed that required large amounts of power for their day to day running.


I initiated a complaint with Npower in the hope that I would get an explanation why they wanted to try and charge £643 a month for an indefinite period of time because no-one could tell how long I would have to pay this amount for. I had to take time off work whilst the electric meter was checked to assure Npower that I didn’t have a faulty meter that could have been the reason for the outstanding monies that Npower claimed I owed them.

My original complaint was closed whilst I was on holiday with no consultation with myself. Npower sent several threatening letters claiming that I owed monies even though they were still investigating the reason for the proposed direct debit increase

After 9 months and numerous phone calls on my part Npower finally informed me that outstanding monies that they wanted me to pay went back to 2008

Npower set up a direct debit that wasn’t agreed to or signed by myself apparently they used a different reference to set-up the new direct debit otherwise my bank would not have authorised payment from my account so I cancelled this direct debit as well and my bank recliamed all monies that I had paid to Npower as a result of this last direct debit. Over 12 months have passed and a lot of correspondence between myself and Npower they outlined a compensation offer (£40) that they claim I had declined but I didn’t get an opportunity to decline it. I have made at least 5 complaints all of which have been closed without any resolution or agreement to close them from myself . They have cancelled my payment plan and now I receive letters every 4 weeks or so about their right to enter my property and this is followed up by letters and phone calls from debt collection companies so every I receive these I phone up Npower and explain that the matter is with the ombudsman so they put a block in place for a month but every month I have to phone them to put a block on our account.

I have been in touch with the ombudsman who told me that I needed Npower to issue a deadlock letter which they have now done, the ombudsman has asked how I would like the issue to be resolved and what I would like to happen
So what would you suggest I ask for in the way of resolution/compensation for all this inconvenience?
Thanks in advance
PabloTheParsimonious

Autumnella

when exactly did all this start? what's your annual kWh consumption and when they completed the meter accuracy test was it proved not to be a fault qith the meter? Also how long did they originally estimate your readinds?

JJ_Egan

Resolution should give you the same state as if the problem never happened .
If you have expenses then you need to quantify them .

Flt._Lt._Biggles

PabloTheParsimonious wrote: »

Hi
If anyone can offer any suggestions as to what I should do in my current situation I would be very grateful
To summarise my situation we currently receive dual fuel from one of the large companies and have been a customer of theirs for several years.

Background information
A few years ago they increased our direct debit to £603 from £75 and in fact managed to take 2 monthly deductions for this amount before we noticed. Eventually after many many phone calls we spoke to a sensible customer advisor who explained that some of our bills had been estimated and as a result we hadn't been billed for all our usage so after a full and detailed explanation we agreed to put a payment plan in place and have been using this ever since. It was made very clear that these payments of £86 would cover outstanding monies and current usage.


Recently they have attempted to increase our direct debit payments to £643 from £86, I was notified about this by email and phoned up to query the increaseI spoke to several people at Npower about my energy usage and no-one could give a reason for the usage that Npower for the proposed large increase so I cancelled the direct debit.

I undertook an energy efficiency report to justify our power usage as Npower tried to suggest that we were keeping reptiles or other animals that required heat lamps or other appliances such as a sunbed that required large amounts of power for their day to day running.


I initiated a complaint with Npower in the hope that I would get an explanation why they wanted to try and charge £643 a month for an indefinite period of time because no-one could tell how long I would have to pay this amount for. I had to take time off work whilst the electric meter was checked to assure Npower that I didn’t have a faulty meter that could have been the reason for the outstanding monies that Npower claimed I owed them.

My original complaint was closed whilst I was on holiday with no consultation with myself. Npower sent several threatening letters claiming that I owed monies even though they were still investigating the reason for the proposed direct debit increase

After 9 months and numerous phone calls on my part Npower finally informed me that outstanding monies that they wanted me to pay went back to 2008

Npower set up a direct debit that wasn’t agreed to or signed by myself apparently they used a different reference to set-up the new direct debit otherwise my bank would not have authorised payment from my account so I cancelled this direct debit as well and my bank recliamed all monies that I had paid to Npower as a result of this last direct debit. Over 12 months have passed and a lot of correspondence between myself and Npower they outlined a compensation offer (£40) that they claim I had declined but I didn’t get an opportunity to decline it. I have made at least 5 complaints all of which have been closed without any resolution or agreement to close them from myself . They have cancelled my payment plan and now I receive letters every 4 weeks or so about their right to enter my property and this is followed up by letters and phone calls from debt collection companies so every I receive these I phone up Npower and explain that the matter is with the ombudsman so they put a block in place for a month but every month I have to phone them to put a block on our account.

I have been in touch with the ombudsman who told me that I needed Npower to issue a deadlock letter which they have now done, the ombudsman has asked how I would like the issue to be resolved and what I would like to happen
So what would you suggest I ask for in the way of resolution/compensation for all this inconvenience?
Thanks in advance
PabloTheParsimonious

The reason the ombudsman has asked you what you want is because that is what the ombudsman is interested in hearing. i.e what you would like to resolve this complaint you have brought about.

The ombudsman service is not a legal service, and is not necessarily interested in the law (although they obviously would not do something that was illegal) - they are acting essentially as an intermediary to try and resolve the matter amicably between the two parties. The ombudsman does not usually award compensation (e.g. like you may be able to obatin though a successful legal claim in court) but may award a 'goodwill gesture', typically of about £25-£50 where appropriate and without liability. If there are any direct and reasonable costs you have incurred in resolving the complaint, then supply details/evidence of theses to the ombudsman and they will consider such claim (usually favourably if the evidence is there to support it, and it is considered a reasonable and necessary expense - although often they will roll it all up within the 'goodwill gesture' where given)

Often, for example, a complaint may go to the ombudsman because a supplier has not billed a customer recently. An amicable resolution could be for the ombudsman to tell the supplier to issue an up to date, accurate bill.

If you want to bring about a legal claim for compo, see a solicitor and take legal action against the supplier.