NPower Select refuse to offer two-rate tariff - because I am a NPower customer?!

hozza94

I was told to call NPower Select by NPower themselves after resolving a recent transposed reading problem, as NPower said "they should be able offer you a better tariff as they are pretty much our complex team"

Or so NPower staff member and I thought...

Rang up NPower Select, gave my address and meter details etc, and behold...
They are only allowed to offer myself a single-rate tariff because I am an existing npower customer?!
They even picked another flat in my building with the same type of meter and a two-rate is available there. 

So essentially, both companies are keeping their own customer on an old billing system that can't handle complex meter and refuse to let them move onto an easier to use the system while keeping the 2 rates.
Is that even legal? And would a formal complaint even work in this case? 

stewie_griffin

Do you definitely have an E7 meter or is it something more uncommon like E10?

Also I'm unsure of the relationship between npower and npower select. Are they technically separate companies.

Robin9

npower Select is a brand within the npower group, offering a range of exclusive digital tariffs through select sales partners. Existing customers can manage their energy usage online through the free npower Select mobile application, or by logging in to their online account at npowerselect.com. npower Select also offers a wide range of single rate tariffs to those with a non-standard ...

hozza94

stewie_griffin said:

Do you definitely have an E7 meter or is it something more uncommon like E10?

Also I'm unsure of the relationship between npower and npower select. Are they technically separate companies.

Yes you are correct, I am on a Economy 9. 
The assualting part is: the person on the phone could see a 2-rate tariff if they choose another address in the block that has the same type of meter, but just not mine! She said "we would only offer single-rate tariff to NPower's customer" 
Npower select is a brand name for PS Energy UK which operates Powershop and NPower Select. PS Energy UK being a subsidiary of NPower. 

stewie_griffin

Do you know if all the other properties have the same meters. They may have E7 meters hence why they can have a 2 rate tariff. To answer your original question, yes it is legal as they have no obligation to offer you an E7 tariff on a non E7 meter nor do they have to offer a special 2 rate tariff for your E9 meter. I very much doubt a complaint would get you anywhere.

I wonder what will happen to npower select and their customers in the coming months when all the regular npower customers migrate over to e.on?

hozza94

stewie_griffin said:

Do you know if all the other properties have the same meters. They may have E7 meters hence why they can have a 2 rate tariff. To answer your original question, yes it is legal as they have no obligation to offer you an E7 tariff on a non E7 meter nor do they have to offer a special 2 rate tariff for your E9 meter. I very much doubt a complaint would get you anywhere.

Most people did not bother with exchanging meters so Economy 9 for most of us. 
The rates that show up on the system is also stated as E9, I even got an explicit explanation that I can only have a single rate tariff on the fact that I am currently with NPower.
I even confirmed that if I wasn't with NPower then I could have the 2 rate tariff (?!) 

To answer your question: yes they are still offering special Economy 9 tariff to new customers, but excluding npower customer. I was told I could switch to another supplier outside of NPower and switch to NPower select... 

Migrating everyone onto EOn Next I presume... 

I have raised a complaint each to npower select and npower to get some sense out of them. 

stewie_griffin

My knowledge of E9 meters is virtually non existent. Are they just like E7 but with an additional 2 hours or more like E10 so the off peak our are spread throughout the day. I'm assuming very few suppliers offer a special E9 tariff but do any allow you to just go on an E7 tariff as if so this would surely work out the cheapest for you and not one of the few E9 tariffs.

hozza94

stewie_griffin said:

My knowledge of E9 meters is virtually non existent. Are they just like E7 but with an additional 2 hours or more like E10 so the off peak our are spread throughout the day. I'm assuming very few suppliers offer a special E9 tariff but do any allow you to just go on an E7 tariff as if so this would surely work out the cheapest for you and not one of the few E9 tariffs.

A mix of both.
An E9 meter relies on a twin element meter, the general use circuit switches like E7 so cheap electricity during night time. The heating circuit switches like E10, but tags onto the off-peak reading. So I only get 2 rates (Peak and Offpeak + Heat) with 2 MPAN which a lot of suppliers struggle with. Tbf it is not that expensive to run, but a smart meter with a half-hourly tariff would do wonders. 

stewie_griffin

I'm surprised the few suppliers that still support it haven't looked at withdrawing the tariff and offering to replace the meter with either E7 or E10 as they're both single MPAN. It's what e.on did with theirHtheir meters.

hozza94

stewie_griffin said:

I'm surprised the few suppliers that still support it haven't looked at withdrawing the tariff and offering to replace the meter with either E7 or E10 as they're both single MPAN. It's what e.on did with theirHtheir meters.

The set-up is a legacy London set-up, so most neighbours are with EDF whereas I am with npower. 
I thought they would offer to switch it out for E7 as you mentioned, but for us, it seems to be needed to be customer-initiated and to get electricians to "get the rewiring done", but there aren't any to be done as long as they don't attempt to fit a 4-port meter.