Npower - Make it up as they go along

[spamheed]

The concise version is:

moved into my current address just over a year ago
paid for dual fuel by dd @£40 pm
early this year got a bill for £1400, (above and beyond monies paid)
they tried to increase the dd to £140 pm
complained
compromised @ £100 pm and agreed the initial estimated readings were incorrect
complained
complained
complained again (you get the idea)
over the last month have had many telephone calls but eventually they reduced the gas balance so it showed a credit value of about £400
still waiting for clarification of elec account balance but showed an o/s balance of about £600
the two balances combined to bring about the total o/s balance of about £150
Got an ammended bill today for £1300, they have disregarded the compromised gas reading and reverted to the incorrect initial reading

frustrating hour long phone called followed, the gentleman I spoke to stuck to the line these are the readings, this is what we are using" even though they have been disregarded as incorrect by everyone else i have spoke to, left complaint with team manager who assured that complaint would be escalated (I thought they'd done this months ago)

question: I'm fed up dealing with the drones, how can I circumvent the whole bunch of incompetents and give them a kick up the arse

[ozzywizard]

Give the manager 7 days, then go to energywatch. once you are ready to do this let us know and we can get a letter draughted up for your supplier. Always better to put everything in writing but now your awaiting a manager to get back to you best to give him/her the oppertunity.

[spamheed]

I've drafted a letter to the managing director of NPower, Kevin Miles, see if this has any effect, I know at my place of work letters and such to the CEO tend to get dealt with fairly quickly.

I dont mind paying for my power, just object fairly strongly to subsidising the whole street

[ozzywizard]

I know exactly what you meen Spam, what you need is the exact read from the date you moved in to todays read, this can then be billed correctly. If they have estimated what they believe your starting read is they need to re-estimate based on your current useage as I am sure they have had actual reads recently. If they have failed to read your meter for a 2 year period and gain an actual read then this is another issue.

[spamheed]

Whatever reading they have is based on some sort of random number generator, or a set of yahtzee dice or something, and after last nights call, I get the impression that they really dont give a f*ck about anything as they're going to make a lot more money off me if they keep getting it wrong

[spamheed]

Update:

On Friday I called Npower and finally got to speak to the gentleman who was supposed to be dealing with my complaint. He stated that this was the first he had heard of it! after giving him a rundown of my situation, he agreed to look into it and call me back that evening.

For the first time someone at Npower kept their word and he called me back on the dot, told me that he would look into my complaint and get back to me this evening with a resolution.

I've just got off the phone, He told me initially that they had revised the original readings and rebilled my account. I advised the manager that my interest is as a consumer so "simply how much is my bill now".

His answer! " I don't know" apparently it's going to take another 7 to 10 days to calculate what my bill is!!

I asked for my complaint to be escalated to a higher level.

Whats the point of calling me back with no information
apparently 7 months to resolve a simple complaint is no big deal

I have complained online to Energywatch and again to Npower, but I really don't hold much hope of any help there, I tend to find these watchdog agencies a little toothless.

Let's hope direct contact with the Managing Director of Npower Residential will be more fruitful.

[spamheed]

another update

I've had contact with another more senior manager, who agreed in all likelihood the bills would need to be manually credited (no sh*t sherlock) but he wasnt able to do it for the amounts involved, so he has escalated my complaint to someone who can. (it's only taken 8 months) will wait and see

this week I've had two bills, one based on a reading showing a figure of £160 and the other for two months which they estimate to be £5.60

so they estimate that I can run up an estimated bill of £1400 when I'm not actually in the house, but when I am living there with my g/f and two kids and in the winter, only use a fivers worth of electricity in two months


They must use a set of dice to work out their estimates

either way my outstanding account varies between £1100 and £1350 depending on which figures they decide to use this week

[spamheed]

update:

I got a letter from their customer services department.

it states that the letter that I sent to their MD has been passed to them and that because the initials readings were obviously incorrect, they were in the process of correcting their error and will be in touch shortly.

So after 8 months of tellig them they had made a mistake, it takes a letter to the MD to get them to agree

we will see

[Surfer01]

My advice to every one is that when moving into a new property, take readings. I cannot stress this strongly enough and then when you find out who your supplier is give them the reads and take note of the time and date of the call along with the name of the person. Also I can only suggest avoiding dual fuel bills because if you get in arrears with one then both get cut off.
It take our company approximately a day to re-calculate bills but in reality if the person was not busy with other things, probably about 1 -2 hours.
Where Npower already supplying the premises with power prior to yourself moving in? If so, the previous tenant may have run up a large bill and as most suppliers work on estimates, Npower quite rightly estimated your opening reads but probably underestimated througn no fault of theirs. When a genuine read was eventually supplied it probably led to a high bill. Without knowing the circumstances regaridng the move I cannot really comment further except to say when leaving a property, also obtain closing reads and pass these onto your supplier as soon as possible otherwise they may hound you for consumption that was not yours.

[spamheed]

I used to be employed in a consumer support role, we got a load of such calls when the dregulation of the power companies took place. So I actually identified that particular scam to one of NPowers management team, they weren't aware of it.

When I moved house, due to a divorce and staying in rented accomodation, I didn't actually get into the premises for about 4 months, my solicitor handled prety much everything including the transfer of utilities, opening reads etc. I always get my own readings and kick up a stink if they're massively different from those presented by the utility co.

This particular affair is rediculous inasmuch as a customer tells you in writing so as to avoid confusion:
a. There's a problem
b. What the problem is
c. How it has occured

the power company staffs incompetence then proceeds to frustrate the customer with the aim of paying the incorrect amount, breaking their own complaints protocols many times over and numerous other rules in the process.

It's only when you ignore the drones and aim a lot higher that someone with a little logic realises what a c*ck up they've made of the whole affair and how stupid they're going to look when it eventually goes public, or reaches a body with some kind of authority

[whirlybird]

Have you contacted Energywatch yet?

They may not have very sharp teeth but did resolve my prob with supplier in a phone call and a letter.

Know what you mean about making it up as they go along and theyre very quick off the mark about sending in the debt collectors!

I still dispute my bills as im paying a lot more than people with higher consumption yet Npower blatantly disregard all queries and wont explain how they got to amounts.

Good luck x

[spamheed]

Update

after trying to contact the lady dealing with my complaint, and bearing in mind, this has been passed to them from their MD, i am told she hasn't yet had enough time to review my account (9 weeks). she will call me back when she has further news.......


I wont hold my breath

[spamheed]

Update.

Well I transferred to Eon successfully, Even though I was paying NPower £100 a month, they have now produced final bills totalling over £1100

I got my first threatogram this morning, reminding me that the amount is past due and I need to pay it. I take it someone hasn't told them what the word "dispute" means

another letter on its way

[diamondsdiamonds]

Hi There

First time Poster

I have a dispute with NTL at the moment. Theyve come out with a ridiculous bill of over 2000 pounds for my gas and electricity. Ive taken it to the disputes department and they have sent me a breakdown totalling the amounts but I am sure it's just made up!
What should I do next? Energy watch? Are they any good? I dont want to pay this amount as I dont think its right. what rights do I have?

Thanks

[spamheed]

Did you provide them with the initial readings, or do you have readings from a point where you know they were correct?

[diamondsdiamonds]

Originally Posted by spamheed

Did you provide them with the initial readings, or do you have readings from a point where you know they were correct?

Theyve had meter readings at all stages, and then it suddenly went up!