nPower - Absurd DD Estimation

BikingBud

I have received advice from nPower that my monthly direct debit will be £166. :shocked:

I go online and the site continues to tell me that: "My bill is late" and "We are unable to check your payment status at the moment" so not really sure what or how they operate.

My consumption last year was 12500kWh ~ £440 or roughly £36 per month.

Their estimation seems to suggest I will use nearly 68000 kWh:rotfl:

Via email I have expressly forbidden them from taking this from my account and as I received no acknowledgement I have advised that unless they change the DD to less than £40 per month I will cancel it.

I will again try to speak with "Customer Services" :rotfl: but feel that not only are they incompetent but they also don't really care.

What are my options:

If I cancel the DD do I open another world of pain.
If I leave it and they take the £166 can I chase them for that and recover extra because they have disregarded my direct instruction.

TIA

footyguy

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits

Edit: From whoever was operating your MSE account 3 years ago

BikingBud wrote:

If the bill is demonstrably wrong and legitimately in dispute, the onus has to be on the utilities to correct and then represent. Not to bully or pressurise the consumer. It's like loan sharks sending the heavies around.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=66918506&postcount=20

Good luck!

trickytree1963

Presuming you're talking about Gas? Seems to work out at 3p per kWh? Have you provided meter readings over the last year? Might be they underestimated in the past and this is catching up?

nPower

BikingBud wrote: »

I have received advice from nPower that my monthly direct debit will be £166. :shocked:

I go online and the site continues to tell me that: "My bill is late" and "We are unable to check your payment status at the moment" so not really sure what or how they operate.

My consumption last year was 12500kWh ~ £440 or roughly £36 per month.

Their estimation seems to suggest I will use nearly 68000 kWh:rotfl:

Via email I have expressly forbidden them from taking this from my account and as I received no acknowledgement I have advised that unless they change the DD to less than £40 per month I will cancel it.

I will again try to speak with "Customer Services" :rotfl: but feel that not only are they incompetent but they also don't really care.

What are my options:

If I cancel the DD do I open another world of pain.
If I leave it and they take the £166 can I chase them for that and recover extra because they have disregarded my direct instruction.

TIA

Hello BikingBud

Thank you for your post

If you can please private message the email address shown in our signature so we can investigate this further?

Thanks

Beth

BikingBud

footyguy wrote: »

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits

Edit: From whoever was operating your MSE account 3 years ago


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=66918506&postcount=20

Good luck!

Thanks for your link to the 360 page document that's a great help:wall:


Interesting that you feel the need to pick a thread from 3 years ago to demonstrate what exactly? I feel stalked and violated.

So yes that was me all those years ago. And the broader point is?

Are you trying to say we should be subservient to these companies?

Or recognising that the system is still totally skewed and the man in the street simply gets hammered every time?

Or something else which you have not stated but we are expected to pick up via osmosis or telepathy?

BikingBud

nPower wrote: »

Hello BikingBud

Thank you for your post

If you can please private message the email address shown in our signature so we can investigate this further?

Thanks

Beth

Thanks Beth message sent. Please confirm receipt and follow up action.

Mr_K

Your best option is to switch away from them and start afresh with someone else and a reasonable DD. If you're with NPower you're likely to be paying way over the odds anyway.

BikingBud

Mr_K wrote: »

Your best option is to switch away from them and start afresh with someone else and a reasonable DD. If you're with NPower you're likely to be paying way over the odds anyway.

Based upon what judgments?

I am happy with the Tarriff Comparison Rate and unless I am missing something significant that must be my primary focus.

However, the DD has to be representative of the consumption else I end up paying an incorrect amount. As I said above the reading from last year so entirely accurate gave an estimated use for this year.

£166x12 ~£2000 divide by 12500kWh ~16p per unit
or £2000/3p per unit ~67000 kWh perhaps you could do the maths:o

PS I am not growing cannabis in the loft and using high energy heating lamps:eek:

trickytree1963

BikingBud wrote: »

Based upon what judgments?

I am happy with the Tarriff Comparison Rate and unless I am missing something significant that must be my primary focus.

However, the DD has to be representative of the consumption else I end up paying an incorrect amount. As I said above the reading from last year so entirely accurate gave an estimated use for this year.

£166x12 ~£2000 divide by 12500kWh ~16p per unit
or £2000/3p per unit ~67000 kWh perhaps you could do the maths:o

PS I am not growing cannabis in the loft and using high energy heating lamps:eek:

Are they supplying Gas or electricity?

Cardew

BikingBud wrote: »

What are my options:

If I cancel the DD do I open another world of pain.
If I leave it and they take the £166 can I chase them for that and recover extra because they have disregarded my direct instruction.

TIA

The problem with Utility company Direct Debits is that we give them authority to take what they deem is necessary. The only stipulation is they must inform you in advance of any increase; and this they have done. In practice if they take £166 you can instruct your bank to reclaim that money under the DD Guarantee - you don't have to justify your instruction.

Unless you can contact a real live human, the setting of the DD is done by the all seeing, all knowing Computer; and presumably there is some glitch.

Incidentally you are assuming in your calculations that NPower intend to take £166 for 12 months. It might be that the intent is only to take £166 for 1 or 2 months to clear a real or imaginary debit balance so your balance will be zero at a review point.

P.S If you are growing Cannabis in the loft, it is recommended that you bypass the meter.

BikingBud

nPower wrote: »

Hello BikingBud

Thank you for your post

If you can please private message the email address shown in our signature so we can investigate this further?

Thanks

Beth

So PM sent and true to form I hear nothing from npower :mad: