NPower

jcb123_2

Just before Christmas we changed electricity providers from NPower to Tesco.

We received an estimated final electricity bill of £900 and £140 gas bill after the New Year. Completion was on the 31 December 2007.

We have now discovered that NPower have taken the full amount of £1,140 out of our account without any warning. Our monthly dd was only about £45.

The HSBC phoned yesterday afternoon are now over our over-draft and are facing bouncing DDs unless we get £1000 into our bank account by 3pm today!

Can NPower do this to us?

Thanks

autismmum

no, under the direct debit guarentee they have to tell you if they plan to increse dramatically the payment.

ThankYouAndEnjoy!

Did you have to agree to full & final settlement of your outstanding bill with NPower before changing to a different service provider?

jcb123_2

Thanks for the help.

My husband tells me he's just phoned NPower, they say to sort it out with Tesco to get the money back.

Meanwhile we've had to get the money into the HSBC via 2 payments on a credit card. I know this is not the thing to do but after 3 phonecalls from the Bank, the pressure is on.

We've also had to pay another £25 to increase the Overdraft.

I suspect it's going to be a battle to get any expenses paid back.

jcb123_2

I'm sorry, I'm not too sure if we did. We've switched a couple of times and haven't come across this problem before.

Husband thinks it should be about £500 to pay

MORPH3US

If you pay by DD then how did you manage to build up a defecit of £1140?!?!

Did they not send you bills (statements) and did you not check them when you got them and see that you were in defecit (by a lot?!?!)

jcb123_2

Exactly, this is what I just don't understand. We try to be as careful as possible and this is a sickening episode.

As I say, my husband recons it should only be £500; which is bad enough and I suppose it's a warning of what can happen if you do switch frequently.

dave_dph

jcb123 wrote: »

Exactly, this is what I just don't understand. We try to be as careful as possible and this is a sickening episode.

As I say, my husband recons it should only be £500; which is bad enough and I suppose it's a warning of what can happen if you do switch frequently.

If npower closed your account on estimated readings were these estimates nothing like what the actual readings would have been on the 31st December? If the readings were heavily over estimated the surely npower are in the wrong and must produce another final bill based on your readings?

ThankYouAndEnjoy!

Hello

Im with NPower - its not so much of a direct debit (where total spend is taken from your account) more so a Standing Order, where they 'estimate' (often poorly) your usage and charge 'you' how much 'they' think will cover the cost of gas/electric.

I would check your bills for the last year if i were you, i posted a thread a little while ago were NPower had charged us £509 for a 6 monthly usage, but hadnt taken £415 of payments over the 6 months into consideration (meaning i actually owed £100 or so) - see if this is also the case with yourself?

Terrylw1

ThankYouAndEnjoy! wrote: »

Hello

Im with NPower - its not so much of a direct debit (where total spend is taken from your account) more so a Standing Order, where they 'estimate' (often poorly) your usage and charge 'you' how much 'they' think will cover the cost of gas/electric.

I would check your bills for the last year if i were you, i posted a thread a little while ago were NPower had charged us £509 for a 6 monthly usage, but hadnt taken £415 of payments over the 6 months into consideration (meaning i actually owed £100 or so) - see if this is also the case with yourself?

It is a DD but they like all Suppliers have to estimate your DD based on your usage and the seasons.

Unless you submit regular readings your DD will alsways be based on poor estimates. It's the same at every Supplier.

SwanJon

autismmum wrote: »

under the direct debit guarentee they have to tell you if they plan to increse dramatically the payment.

Unfortunately...

jcb123 wrote: »

We received an estimated final electricity bill of £900 and £140 gas bill after the New Year. Completion was on the 31 December 2007.

There was probably something on the bill saying something like "we will take this from your bank in 14 days time."

Either nPower or Tesco can sort this out, but it could take time. nPower should have done it but if they are being arsey get Tesco to, just give them a current reading, or better yet, one from 31 December.