Prepayment meter payments being recorded as late on Experian

christopher_gallagher

We have had an Npower electricty prepayment meter for the last decade to pay off a huge debt. The debt is now below £30 but I noticed when reviewing my Experian report that 48 of the previous 61 months are recorded as having been paid up to six months late, and another 4 as being up to 3 months late. None of them are late - it's a prepayment meter! Is this common practice and will companies notice it on my credit report

nPower

christopher_gallagher wrote: »

We have had an Npower electricty prepayment meter for the last decade to pay off a huge debt. The debt is now below £30 but I noticed when reviewing my Experian report that 48 of the previous 61 months are recorded as having been paid up to six months late, and another 4 as being up to 3 months late. None of them are late - it's a prepayment meter! Is this common practice and will companies notice it on my credit report

Hi Christopher,

Thanks for your message. If an outstanding balance isn't paid on time, then we may update your credit file to show that the payment is late. With prepayment meters, we agree a repayment plan of up to £10 per week, on top of daily standing charges and your ongoing usage. So if you don't top up enough to make the debt recovery payment (eg £10) on top of your usage, then this will show as a late payment as you've effectively not made the whole payment, until the shortfall is caught up.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact using the details on our profile page or via a private message on social media.

Kind regards

Jess

[Deleted User]

It's good practice to avoid energy companies such as nPower that report your account to credit reference agencies. It's all too easy for them to make a mistake and thereby cause you untold problems in the future. At least one of the big six, EDF, doesn't report at all.

Michaelw

You do need to be careful with companies' doing this BT do it and I am on their basic service as do Thames Water.

This shouldn't be happening with prepayment meters',all that happens are arrears are taken from future top ups.All the more reason to avoid credit mode/meters these day's.Its nasty having a go at customers' in this situation.

PennineAcute

Another reason to avoid NPower.

Mc1970

Hi did you manage to sort this?

I am saddened to have to contact you again... I have spoken with a member of your executive team yesterday. However, I am still unable to get answers and a resolution to this matter.

I appreciate that you are very busy but I am hoping that you would be able to personally look into my file and complaints as I have questions that remain unanswered. Although your representative was very clear that Npower’s stance was final the answers to my queries and the point of my complaint remain unanswered. the same sort of problem, my credit rating has been ruined by Npower due to reporting on a debt that was transferred to a prepayment meter in 2014! Data shared as payments late on Experian for the previous 4 years...even though I am making the payment through the meter!
I have tried endlessly for Npower to remove the late payment markers to be told nothing they can do! Even though they made a catalogue of errors ��

I have even emailed the CEO and [Name removed by Forum Team] customer service director...see below


Hi [Name removed by Forum Team]

I am saddened to have to contact you again... I have spoken with a member of your executive team yesterday. However, I am still unable to get answers and a resolution to this matter.? I’m in a similar position....