NPower gas 'sculpting'

fagun

MSEArchna - shouldn't this go in the weekly e-mail. I only stumbled on it by chance.

fagun

c0113tt3 wrote: »

With thanks to DirectDebacle:

THE TIMES NEWSPAPER 24/05/08

...
An npower spokesman said: “What we promise is that we won’t charge gas customers more than 4,572 units at the higher rate in a tariff year, which is not always the same as a calendar year. In our short tariff year of seven months from April to November 2007 we didn’t charge anyone more than 4,572 units at the higher price, but over a full 12 months, we did.

“This was a one-off situation — between April and November 2007 we changed our normal billing method as we brought different sets of customers on to one system. We suspended our seasonal weighting, which charges more units at the higher rate in the winter and fewer in the summer. This resulted in a number of people being charged more than 4,572 units at the higher rate in the year April 2007 to April 2008 but they should take into account that we reduced our gas prices by 20 per cent in April 2007.”
...

Talking to nPower is surreal. Customer Services just said to me - "we only started sculpting in November 07, so you weren't affected" (I left in Oct). My challenge about whether she was sure was met by a "we may have done so a few years ago but not recently". She then back tracked further when I continued to ask her to positively confirm that they didn't sculpt in early 2007 - "as far as I am aware".

It really annoys me when CS can get away with lying / fobbing people off.

jmcdyre

I've been following this thread with interest, and currently awaiting copies of older bills from Npower to calculcate my own overcharge.
I'm a bit concerned though that from 23/07/07 to 14/04/08 we have been billed for 5165 primary units. I think some of this is due to estimated readings being corrected by an actual reading, and I don't yet have the figures for before 23/07/07, but still it seems very high. Will timings of actual readings affect my likely overcharge - it's all very complicated!

Has there been much success in getting refunds? Or any success in court yet?

colonelhall

I don't think that an estimate would make any difference to primary units.
Say your estimate was 12,000 and you were charged 5,000 at the higher rate.
If your actual bill was 10,000, you would still be charged 5,000 at the higher rate. It is the lower rate units that would change.

DirectDebacle

fagun in response to your comments, well this is typical. I get the feeling npower are in total disarray. They come out with any version that suits them with regard to each complaint. The fact of the matter is they have overcharged a large percentage of their customers either by accident or design. Either way they have our money and do not want to give it back. It is frustrating to be given a load of moonshine but in another way they are hanging themselves on the increasing amount of rope they spin out. It is probable, but not certain, that you have not been overcharged. My information from npower is that sculpting commenced in April 2006 or December 2006. They don't seem to know themselves. I have bills from April 2003 to April 2007. None of them seem to fit a sculpting profile but neither do they fit a 'flat rate' profile either. In short I think almost any npower bill could be challenged and their justification of it would appear obscure.

jmcdyre I agree with colonelhall. You have undoubtedly been overcharged and by more than you have so far worked out. When you can calculate from April/May 2007 to March/April 2008 the full extent will be known.

Regards refunds/court cases. As far as I know some customers have received partial refunds with no admission of liability or wrongdoing from npower. I know of no actual court cases so far, though some may be in the pipeline. I would recommend getting the ball rolling for court. Ofgem are looking at this issue but who knows when they will make a decision or when that will be or indeed what it will be. If it is in favour of the consumer they may well order a 'blanket' repayment be made to customers. For me that won't compensate the overcharging I have suffered since 2003. So I have initiated court action. I firmly believe that will offer a better standard of redress than Ofgem or npower will ever offer. The main thing is to keep banging away at them. I know the telephone is convenient but really you need something in writing from them. So write to them recorded delivery. If they reply all well and good and if they don't then they worsen their position. If the pressure is sustained then eventually they will cough up.

judy2357

With thanks to all on this thread i was told by Npower I would receive a cheque for an overpayment in the sum of £20. Unbelievable - it arrived today and was made out to myself but with the incorrect initial thereby i had to phone them yet again. Firstly I was told they would make out another cheque in the correct name so i thought while I was on the phone and they were paying for the call (because they rang me back) I would ask to be put through and have the figures checked. Spoke to another advisor who then went on to say he was sending me a cheque for £48, which I thought was instead of the original £20 cheque but then in conversation he said he was sending me both so now we should have £68 on the way. Quite incredible that not only can their computers not calculate what you owe but their staff cant either. Heres waiting to see if the cheques actually arrive, got to wait another 10 days now.

fagun

judy2357 wrote: »

With thanks to all on this thread i was told by Npower I would receive a cheque for an overpayment in the sum of £20. Unbelievable - it arrived today and was made out to myself but with the incorrect initial thereby i had to phone them yet again. Firstly I was told they would make out another cheque in the correct name so i thought while I was on the phone and they were paying for the call (because they rang me back) I would ask to be put through and have the figures checked. Spoke to another advisor who then went on to say he was sending me a cheque for £48, which I thought was instead of the original £20 cheque but then in conversation he said he was sending me both so now we should have £68 on the way. Quite incredible that not only can their computers not calculate what you owe but their staff cant either. Heres waiting to see if the cheques actually arrive, got to wait another 10 days now.

Well done. Are you able to clarify what periods this relates to (since nPower staff can't seem to give a consistent answer on when they cheated us).

judy2357

Not quite sure, originally I think I was told it was from April 07 to Jan 08 (we were on gas guardian) when our tarriff changed but think the person I spoke to this morning mentioned Jan 07 but thought I wouldnt press the matter as a total of £68 seemed a great improvement on their earlier offer.

Cardew

Judy,
Sceptic that I may be, are you sure that the £68 refund is for overpaid tier 1 units(the sculpting issue) and not just a refund because your account is in credit?

If it is a refund for the sculpting issue you should surely get a letter of explanation why you are getting the refund - which we would all love to know about.

However if my scepticism is justified will show on your bills as a refund!

If the former, and I hope it is, then they surely are going to have to repay all their millions of customers, whether they have noticed the scam or not, not just those who complain.

This could cost them hundreds of million pounds!

DirectDebacle

Good news Judy. Let's hope this is the thin end of the wedge. I received notification from the County Court that the summons has been served on npower and that they have 12 days to respond.