NPower gas 'sculpting'

meggsy

Just noticed on another thread, posting No 6, that npower have a backlog of 6 weeks revised billing, I wonder why :rolleyes:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1017313

DirectDebacle

Now this is very interesting:

http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/customer_service/yourquestionsanswered/faq_understanding_my_prices

They have slightly changed the wording in the Terms and Conditions (main section). Written this whole new section in and dated the revision to the T&C's as 02/08. A slippery bunch aren't they, trying to shut the stable door after.. etc.

Cardew

DirectDebacle wrote: »

Now this is very interesting:

http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/customer_service/yourquestionsanswered/faq_understanding_my_prices

They have slightly changed the wording in the Terms and Conditions (main section). Written this whole new section in and dated the revision to the T&C's as 02/08. A slippery bunch aren't they, trying to shut the stable door after.. etc.

This seems like an 'own goal' to me. They state:

The primary rate applies to a maximum of 4572 kWh (units) of gas and 728 kWh (units) of electricity that you may use throughout any continuous period of 12 months.

Surely that is exactly what you are going to court about - the fact that they charged you for a couple of thousand more primary units(than the 4572) in a continuous period of 12 months!

DirectDebacle

Cardew wrote: »

This seems like an 'own goal' to me. They state:



Surely that is exactly what you are going to court about - the fact that they charged you for a couple of thousand more primary units(than the 4572) in a continuous period of 12 months!

Yes and no. I think they are going to try this in the future. They have not used the term year, as this pins them down to a period between two dates. Any continuous period of 12 months may not necessarily be a year. Lets say you join on 1st April and the 'Cycle' is a flat one ie 381 units per month. After 6 months they change it to a weighted rate as published.

April to October they will say they charged you for 6 months at 381 and then they will say that for the next twelve months they charged you correctly according to the 'Cycle' which ignores the fact that for the year April-March you were overcharged. They will cherry pick the periods of twelve months to suit themselves to show that you were not overcharged.

fiddling_flower_petals

Hi DD

Think your trying far too hard to 2nd guess Npower, but amended T & C is interesting. If Npower try and cherry pick 12 month period as you suggest, Npower will be laughed out of court and slaughter by media.

Think Cardew it right, Npower have now scored own goal.

Also noticed this:-

Does this seasonal weighting apply to all gas tariffs?
No, it doesn’t apply to tariffs where we don’t apply a primary and secondary rate, e.g. prepayment, or to some non-standard tariffs (Tracker, Fixed Price 2009 and Sign Online v8).

which explains why I'm not sculpted(Online V8), so I'm afraid copy of my bill will not be of any use other than be an example of a flat rate tariff.

Cardew

DD,
I have to agree with FFpetals.

A continuous period of 12 months is just that!(it is by definition a year!)

They have stated ANY 12 month period! Therefore that prevents them 'cherry picking' a 12 month period.

So you can pick a start date on any of the 365 days between 01 Jan and 31 Dec and, in the 12 months from that start date, they must not have charged for more than 4572 primary units.

DirectDebacle

fiddling_flower_petals wrote: »

Hi DD

Think your trying far too hard to 2nd guess Npower, but amended T & C is interesting.

Not trying at all. It wasn't a guess, but restricted in expanding on it any further.

I agree with you and Cardew. What I was trying to say was this will be another attempt to turn a year into something else by converting years into blocks of months. Desperate times call for desperate measures. They even backdated the revision of the T&C's by four months. End of June 08 the site still showed the 09/07 T&C's.

ScoobieGirl

We've all got it completely wrong. A nice man from npower called me early last week to find out why I was leaving. When I expained that I didn't appriciate being overcharged assured me that "it is impossible as birds flying backwards" for them to overcharge me. And that I must be completely wrong as he "had experiance in the gas and electricity industry". :rolleyes:

What was I thinking? How can I be qualified to subtract a few numbers from 4572 without training in the gas industry.

It's been 3 weeks since I sent my complaint letter - they haven't bothered to respond to that.

DirectDebacle

ScoobieGirl wrote: »

......"it is impossible as birds flying backwards"

Hummingbirds can fly backwards. They can also fly forwards, downwards, upwards, from side to side and even hover. In fact their mastery of flight is almost equal to npowers' masterly manipulation of mathematics and time.

Anne3333

For all those of you thinking of leaving NPower, please remember that they have already charged you extortionate rates from November to February inclusive. In fact they amount to 77.2% of the total higher rate units for the year, we are now in the cheaper part of the year, so you need to take this into account when you are leaving. May to September inclusive is only 1% of total Higher Rates per month.
If you are Dual Fuel and pay by Direct Debit, you may also want to take into account the £80 refund they give you every 12 months.
Plan your move wisely