NPOWER SCAMS featured on WATCHDOG 10/03/08, Email watchdog with complaints

c0113tt3

With thanks, to a poster of an NPOWER thread, I learned that they are being featured on watchdog. I have a large number of complaints with them over the years, and identified the mal -practices that they have, as have others on this forum. I have personally identified / experienced below:1. During 2006 I believe they raised there prices 3 times. On each occasion they estimated the useage upto the day before there prices rises came into effect. Then from the price increase suddenly I have a biased estimate from the price increase, that I have used more units disproportianately, ie. I started suddently using 3 to 4 times more electricity and gas from the price increase date to my billing date which results in OVERPAYING them. This happened to me with NPOWER. I of course challenged every single bill, and they stated that the estimates were based upon the useage from the same season the previous year. Fortunately I keep all my bills for 2 years, and found this to be incorrect. Eventually I took the complaint to stage 3 complaints and an Operations manager, who admitted it is the billing system at fault. I pointed out that I had over payed by approx £3, and if everyone had overpaid even by a £1 they would be making several million pound that they are not due. I was informed that not very many people scrutinise the bill like I do . I informed them that I would take this to energy watch, they stated that as long as they prove an intent to make the billing system more accurate, then energy watch would do nothing. It is now 2008, and my bills still reflect it, and still has the bias to the more expensive prices when they introduce the price increases. I also gained compensation for the above. 2. During November 07, they introduced a seasonal weighting system which came into effect November 1st 2007. They sent out letters stating that ofgem now instruct them to inform customers of of any kind of change they wish to introduce and have increased the time. I recieved the letter November 12th 2007 which was late, which hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions recieved it late. I identified that this would be an incredible increase in the primary units (tier 1 - standing charge) paid. Normally you would pay 8.3% of primary rate units per month, but this has now changed so the bias is now on the winter months (the most expensive months) You now pay 19.3 % each month of primary rate units during November to February inclusive. i.e. you pay 77.2% of primary units in just 4 months, the most expensive, instead of 33.2 % previously. This of course has a drastic effect over your winter bills, and informed late too, so difficult to budget for it over the xmas period, putting lots of customers in difficulty. Also for the months during summer, you would have normally not even entered the secondary unit range, and so were charged mainly at primary rate within the 8.3% and then some were allotted to secondary rate, thus you were not charged all the units at the primary rate during the year and again is more expensive over the year. I complained at stage 3 complaints, and they were insistant that it would not increase the amount paid to them, which of course it would. I complained to energy watch in regard to this, which again NPOWER finally admitted that you do pay more, and gave me compensation. NPOWER did not make this clear to customers and even tried to deny that you would end up paying more, and have tried to keep it under a cloak, but again more customers are realising. 3. Since january 4th 2008, they advertised on national television of an average increase of 17% on gas / electricity. Again this was very misleading and did not publish the real increases on there websites until very late January 2008. The actual increases for my area (Yorkshire) is 32% on gas and electricity is also considerable too. I complained to stage 3 complaints that again they were misleading. I found it funny even disputing it as they were insistant it was only 17% rise, but after a lesson in basic junior maths they did not argue further. Anyway, to this extent I am in process of switch and NPOWER are making it very, very difficult to switch, with constant mistakes and their behalf, which again it has taken a Manager of my switching company and myself constant complaints of their errors to try and move forward with it, which I am nearly there 2 months on.Anyway you can email watchdog on [EMAIL="watchdog@bbc.co.uk"]watchdog@bbc.co.uk[/EMAIL] , I am sure if enough people email / complain the malpractices will be publicised.


It is the billing system that is inacurate, and have not stated that it is deliberate, I stated that they had an intent to make it more accurate and so far I have not seen this on my bills.

I have all the bills, dates, times, names and conversations from 2006.

icefall

I am not with Npower, but will have a look at Watchdog on Monday out of interest.

Gavioli_UK

Not sure how you can complain.

Its the competitive market working, and you show your displeasure by changing suppliers.

Gareth56

I note in your post that you are intending taking this to Energywatch. May I save you the time by telling you that according to Energywatch as far as the energy companies are concerned then Rules Are Meant To Be Broken. Energywatch will do nothing as they are basically on the side of the energy companies. Don't waste your time

icefall

What about Ofgem are they any good to complain to?

Freddie_Snowbits

I am with SP. When they say they are going to raise their prices, I get an online bill made in my favour! If they cannot be bothered to read my meter, then they have to take my word for it.

hagster

For price changes TAKE A READING ON THE CHANGE DAY then you can call up and request a rebill. It doesnt matter what company you are with as the price change reading will always be estimated. I work for an energy company and half the problems would be solved if everyone could be bothered to read their own meters.

The seasonal weighting has been difficult and i dont necessarily agree with how its been handled (i do agree with the reasoning behind it) but watchdog again over exaggerated the whole issue.

icefall

I did see Watchdog

So Npowers idea of a year is 9 months, unusual to say the least...

missyc35

I am so glad they have finally been on watchdog, i've had a nightmare with them for the past year from chasing bills, no responses from them, problems with bills etc they keep threatening me with all sorts. You are also right about energywatch, they are useless and do not offer any assistance at all. There is also an ombudsman and their own complaints office (which seems pointless judging by their previous assistance!), has anyone had any success? I was fuming today as I received a gas bill from them. Wouldn't be a problem if I had a gas supply!! I had my gas fires taken out a year ago and spent months convincing them I didn't have gas fires any longer! This time last year I spent 6 months chasing a bill, one year on the same again, no bill?????

Gavioli_UK

hagster wrote: »

For price changes TAKE A READING ON THE CHANGE DAY then you can call up and request a rebill. It doesnt matter what company you are with as the price change reading will always be estimated. I work for an energy company and half the problems would be solved if everyone could be bothered to read their own meters.
.

They are not "my" meters. The industry should read their meters on a regular basis and eliminate the problems.

Tesco weigh, measure and price anything I buy from them. Why should the energy industry be different?

c0113tt3

hagster wrote: »

For price changes TAKE A READING ON THE CHANGE DAY then you can call up and request a rebill. It doesnt matter what company you are with as the price change reading will always be estimated. I work for an energy company and half the problems would be solved if everyone could be bothered to read their own meters.

The seasonal weighting has been difficult and i dont necessarily agree with how its been handled (i do agree with the reasoning behind it) but watchdog again over exaggerated the whole issue.

heh, Yeah that would be ok, thats if they ley tou know BEFORE they increase the price. NPOWER have only informed customers once BEFORE the price increase in the last 4 prices increases for the last 2 years. The rest, they have informed after, approx 1 to 2 weeks, especially the 3 prices increases in 2006, i.e. too late for meter readings