Wrong Tariff with NPower

alex_knight_2 · 9 March 2017 at 10:08PM

Hi all

Really good friend of mine just got a shocking NPower bill.
She has been in the rented property for five years and has her gas/electricity with the same provider. I am getting NPower to look at her meter as her electricity is nearly double that of any of her previous four years in the property.

My question is, she stayed with the same provider as the previous tenants and is on the Standard Tariff and has been on it for five years. Looking at her bills now I notice she could have save well over £1,000 had she swapped to a different tariff with them and this year alone could have saved £600 and they estimate she could save over £700 next year

Are the energy company's under any obligation to say to her at any point she is on the wrong tariff or do they cover themselves by putting "Could you pay less?" on the first page?

Many thanks

dogshome · 10 March 2017 at 9:06AM

Sorry, but Energy suppliers are under no obligation to advise customers of a cheaper tariff - All suppliers will put the new occupants of a dwelling onto the their expensive 'Standard Variable' tariff when they move in, the onus is on the customer change the tariff and/or supplier.

Energy use comparisions between one dwelling and another are impossible, unless that is the two dwellings are exactly the same

nPower · 10 March 2017 at 9:48AM

alex_knight wrote: »

Hi all

Really good friend of mine just got a shocking NPower bill.
She has been in the rented property for five years and has her gas/electricity with the same provider. I am getting NPower to look at her meter as her electricity is nearly double that of any of her previous four years in the property.

My question is, she stayed with the same provider as the previous tenants and is on the Standard Tariff and has been on it for five years. Looking at her bills now I notice she could have save well over £1,000 had she swapped to a different tariff with them and this year alone could have saved £600 and they estimate she could save over £700 next year

Are the energy company's under any obligation to say to her at any point she is on the wrong tariff or do they cover themselves by putting "Could you pay less?" on the first page?

Many thanks

Hi alex knight,

Please ask your friend to contact us using the details on our profile page so we can help with their billing query.

Thanks

Jen

Robin9 · 10 March 2017 at 10:31AM

Is this years "double" due to estimated bills ?

System · 10 March 2017 at 10:12PM

I think suppliers now are obligated at least to say something like " there may be cheaper tariffs available " It does say something like this on statements and bills. I think OFGEM made this a rule a few years back but I don t think they are obliged to be specific and point you to cheaper tariffs.
If someone has not elected to pay by direct debit then the suppliers can only offer standard/variable high tariffs or like BGs "Fix and Fall " which is virtually the same as SV.

teddysmum · 11 March 2017 at 4:48PM

House_Martin wrote: »

I think suppliers now are obligated at least to say something like " there may be cheaper tariffs available " It does say something like this on statements and bills. I think OFGEM made this a rule a few years back but I don t think they are obliged to be specific and point you to cheaper tariffs.
If someone has not elected to pay by direct debit then the suppliers can only offer standard/variable high tariffs or like BGs "Fix and Fall " which is virtually the same as SV.

My Npower bills do have a section which says that I could save £x if I switched to a certain tariff, but the statement is not true ,as my tariff is lower than that proposed. Like the misleading information (govt ruling) on comparison sites, the (mis-)information is based on going onto the standard tariff; something anyone using fixes is very unlikely to do.

Wrong Tariff with NPower

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