NPower gas 'sculpting'

meggsy

Can I suggest an MSE choir

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Everyone on this thread is invited to join .. now what rhymes with gas ...

chrissiesurfergirl123

I have just started on the great learning curve of gas sculpting, reading this thread and the masses of helpful information by other posters. I am shocked that i too appear to have been overcharged on the number of higher rate units for the year ending April 05 by approx 1000 units and year ending April 2008 by about 1500 units

I have now printed the excellent calculation tables and am saving that treat till my day off next week. Thanks to all for the info.

My dilemma is this: i am considering moving from npower to another provider as this would be a much cheapertariff, do you think this will this prejudice my claim against npower for overcharging? Should i stay until it is sorted? Can move to another npower tariff in the meantime but this is still £50 pa dearer?
Grateful of any advice, thanks

DirectDebacle

chrissiesurfergirl123 wrote: »

My dilemma is this: i am considering moving from npower to another provider as this would be a much cheapertariff, do you think this will this prejudice my claim against npower for overcharging? Should i stay until it is sorted? Can move to another npower tariff in the meantime but this is still £50 pa dearer?
Grateful of any advice, thanks

Welcome to the thread.

No it won't affect your claim. Around the middle of next month is a good time to start the switching process. That way you will benefit from the low proportion of 'high' rate units applicable through the summer and have moved before the punitive winter rate sets in.

Good luck with the claim and if you need any help just come back to this thread.

DirectDebacle

meggsy wrote: »

Can I suggest an MSE choir


Everyone on this thread is invited to join .. now what rhymes with gas ...

If you've been sculpted
And paid too much for gas
Then bang in a claim
For the return of your brass

utigers

I have been with N.Power for 5yrs. I have read the beginning of this thread and the numbers quoted do not seem to apply for me. Should I look deeper into this or is there anyone on here or elsewhere that can be of assistance?

DirectDebacle

utigers wrote: »

I have been with N.Power for 5yrs. I have read the beginning of this thread and the numbers quoted do not seem to apply for me. Should I look deeper into this or is there anyone on here or elsewhere that can be of assistance?

It applies to gas only and then not to all gas tariffs. In general it does apply to all 'two tier' tariffs ie a higher rate charged for the first 4572kWh used and a lower rate for the remainder over that. Some SOL tariffs are exempt from this. The largest overcharge occurred in 2007/8 from March/April 07. As long as you use more than 4572kwh per annum of gas and are on a two tier tariff then it would be best to re-check your bills. If you have problems doing this post your bills from March 07-April 08 and state which tariff you were on for that period.

There was a smaller overcharge for the year April 04-March 05. Have a look at the how to thread linked in my signature. There is an excellent ready reckoner to help work out your bills over an exact period.

chrissiesurfergirl123

Thanks DD I may well be begging for help when I get my calculator out! Cheers and thanks for the advice re the timing of the switch. It would be nice to get away from npower as i hate that business of having a massive bill after winter so you are in debit and would have to pay off the balance to switch then. Whereas now things should be about even. Also got my discount in April so don't want to hang around too long but have to take advantage of the sculpting in my favour for once!!

utigers

After scanning and cropping my gas bills, this site wouldnt let me post them as I am a new user:p.

Anyway here goes:

1 Mar 07 to 3rd Sep 07:
First 991 @ 4.412
Next 719 @ 2.492

Then it says first again?? Maybe price change?

First 1418 @ 4.412p

3 Sep 07 to 3 Mar 08
First 389 @ 4.412

Then it says first again like the previous one.

First 2259 @ 4.412
Next 2083 @ 1.915

And again.

First 1438 @ 5.997
Next 2042 @ 1.990.

Where it says first more than once on the same bill is this the con? It does have different dates on it and the are price changes and estimates/actual readings all jumbled in there etc.....To make it more complicated.

Would have been so much easier to post the bill.......nevermind.

DirectDebacle

utigers wrote: »

After scanning and cropping my gas bills, this site wouldnt let me post them as I am a new user:p. Would have been so much easier to post the bill.......nevermind.

Hi, it can be difficult to copy paste docs on this site. Not your fault it is just the way this site is set up. Sometimes the only way is to manually type it all into the post.

I am having trouble making sense of your bills so I am going to make some assumptions and if they are wrong then let me know.

First I am going to assume that all the figures you have posted fall in the period 1/3/07-3/3/08 and that all the First (high rate) units have been charged on these bills.

Second that you are on a standard two rate tariff over this period, not a SOL or other tariff.

If these assumptions are correct it appears that for this period (only a couple of days over a year) that you have been charged in total, for your First or high rate units, 6495kWh. No more than 4572kWh can be charged per annum. You have been charged for approximately 1923kWh at the high rate which should have been charged at the lower rate.

The actual overcharge would be the cost of these 1923 units at the high rate minus the cost of them at the low rate. The bulk of these wrongly charged units would mostly occur after the January 08 price change.

Exact figures cannot be calculated without more detailed billing info but as a guesstimate you have been overcharged

1923*5.997 = £115.32 minus
1923*1.990 = £38.27

= £77.05

Plus Vat = £80.90.

If you can post complete billing info (omit account and personal details) that would be helpful.

utigers

Your first assumption is correct. The second I'm not entirely sure what you mean, we werent on any online offers/fixed deals etc..... The gas and leccy was on a two tier price, once you hit a set consumption the price per kw went down and remained on that rate.

I fully understand your workings out based on my figures too.

For me to understand 'sculpting' better. I am assuming that N.Power over a 12 month period cannot charge a high rate once you hit 4572kw and you should remain on the lower rate? This was there failings? Mistake:mad:

I thank you for your help and would welcome you to look at my bill however as a new user it doesnt allow me to post pictures (preventing spam).