MSE News: Warning: Npower's slapping ex-customers with huge bills

Nicky321 · 28 May 2014 at 10:53AM

My mum switched from co-operative energy and about 12 months after she switched to another provider, received a bill for approx £65 which she paid. Has anyone else had same? are more companies doing the same? rather than just Npower.

CherryPie · 28 May 2014 at 10:57AM

I seem to be having the opposite problem. Been with them since Jan 2013. Paid by direct debit since then. Never received a bill despite calling them on several occasions. £400 in credit, payments for duel fuel went from £75 a month to £5 a month without telling me. When I phoned to query it went to £105 a month. Then received a letter saying it was all going to electricity!! Sent an email for the third time asking for my account to be checked and if correct please send me a cheque for any outstanding amount. Still waiting on a reply 4 weeks later!! Frustrated doesn't begin to cover it!!

Sazza75 · 28 May 2014 at 11:04AM

We were dual fuel customers of Npower from November 2012 until February 2014.

What an experience:mad:

It took 13 months and well over 30 phone calls to even receive a bill from them. Despite regular meter readings being submitted by myself.

I estimate that I spent over 20 hours on the phone to them trying to sort out billing problems. They stated they never had our initial gas meter reading. Then electricity readings had been logged as gas meter readings. A total mess. Then we received letters stating they were having billing problems! There was no need to tell me that!

At the end of our fixed rate we couldn't wait to switch. This however just led to more problems. Statements stating we were in credit then final bills coming through saying we owed £160.

To top it all off they rang me asking if I wanted to stay and not switch - I had to tell them that I had spent most of the last year on the phone to them and couldn't waste anymore of my time

chelle1002 · 28 May 2014 at 11:06AM

We left NPower in June 2013. They sent us a very low final bill. We called to query the fact that it was so low and they assured us that everything was correct. In February we received a bill for close to £400. After many phone calls and complaints (and no responses to written complaints) they agreed to half the cost of the bill. However I was extremely unimpressed, especially as we queried the original final bill amount back in June. Terrible service.

Chrism03 · 28 May 2014 at 11:08AM

Moved house in December 2012, the property was with Npower, took meter readings, paid final bills and moved suppliers.

Started getting Npower bills in November 2013 for both gas and electric - each time the bill was for a different amount. Spent weeks trying to sort out - they had no record of my payments - had to send them copy of the final bills and bank statements, then transaction codes from my bank and proof that it had gone into their bank, still wouldn't let it go - it was ridiculous.

At one point they refused to talk to me as the outstanding bills were not in my name. Their excuse was that the bills they were chasing were pre-Dec 2012 and under the name of Occupier (the property was vacant when I bought it) and as they hadn't settled the bill (the guy was dead, but that's no excuse) it was now my problem.

After months of trying to get a straight answer out of them (I was trying to pay - not avoid the bill - all I wanted was a guarantee that it was a final bill and they wouldn't hassle me any more) they said it wasn't their fault but as a gesture of good will they would close the account.

sweep9 · 28 May 2014 at 11:20AM

I moaned back in December about them...

I hadn't received any bills from them but had been paying £100 per month by DD. Around August, the new billing system generated a bill for £1200 for the year (about right) and then reversed it so my account was showing a huge Credit. It then also decided to up my direct debit to £945 per month from December! As no bills were being sent, I didn't know until the DD came out of my account.

JasonLVC · 28 May 2014 at 11:45AM

NPower should have their licence to retail electricity/gas suspended until such time as they are capable of doing something as simple as issuing a bill and it being accurate.

Watchdogs letting NPower off far too easily with verbal slapdowns and occasional fines. Cut them off altogether should help focus their minds.

I switched to NPower in August 2013, had a welcome letter then nothing else, didn't even take any money or set up the DD I'd given them. Calls went unanswered/emails ignored.

I just switched to another provider in March this year, only then did NPower wake up, I got sales calls to try and keep me (not a chance) and provided a final reading (actual) and account transferred to new provider within 4 weeks. I got a final bill which I paid in full.

Appreciate they handle millions of customers but that is why they invented computers - to handle large volumes of data efficiently. Other utilities manage to issue bills on time and recognise customers, why not NPower?

redrose1414 · 28 May 2014 at 1:06PM

I got a bill last week for £2xx.xx. I left them in November and the lady on the phone worked out how much, roughly, I would have to pay so that I could put the money aside and she said with my meter readings I would be in credit.
I now don't have the money to pay them as based on this information I did not put any money aside.

kate1801 · 28 May 2014 at 1:14PM

I left NPower 9 months ago and have just received a 'reminder' for £209 due to an unbilled gas account. When I log on to my 'Closed' account online I apparently only owe £165! On speaking to them they cannot shed any light on the discrepancy nor can they answer why, on leaving, I received a credit due to overpayment! I will be interested to see how this pans out and if any solutions are found.

Dewpoint · 28 May 2014 at 1:41PM

I've been with nPower for several years and not found them a problem at all. I post my dual fuel readings to them once a month (online) and find that my balance is never excessive. My concerns are with the British energy supply industry in general. It seems that they are all trying to shaft their customers, and none of them are any better or worse than the other.
In my opinion, the government made a big mistake allowing foreign-owned companies to control our energy supply and distribution. Security of food and energy should be a top priority.

MSE News: Warning: Npower's slapping ex-customers with huge bills

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