Not sure if I'm in the right area here, if not maybe I could be directed to the correct link please.

I have a house that has been rented out for a few years. The electricity provider was Npower and the tenant bought/used tokens to pay for his supply. In 18 months he paid £3,000.00 which he believed was excessive. He then asked for a 'normal' meter to be installed. However, he till received very high bills including one for £1400.00. He has contacted Npower several times over his tenancy as he believed he was being charged a higher rate. The property is a small 2 up, 2 down terrace. It did have night storage heating. He moved out in March and for 2 and half months the property was being renovated - during which time only one storage heater was used and then for approx 1 month, before the gas central heating was installed. Npower have now billed me £249 for 2 months electricity. This is an estimated bill and does need reducing but it will still be an expensive bill for one month of heat from one night storage radiator and lighting. Is there anyway of finding out if the meter has been set correctly? I changed provider to British gas and this was before I had any idea of what Npower have been charging. In the past 12 months he has received bills of £1400.00, £800.00 and just recently a bill for £500.00 whic cannot possibly be correct.

Any help or advice gratefully received

My daughter-in-law puts £30 every 3 days in the gas pre-payment meter this to me is appauling especially as she is on benefits any advice please

I don't wish to alarm you, but I wonder if there may be a gas leak. I would suggest that's checked out first and also that the meter is working properly. If there's a problem she should get a refund.

If she gets no joy after complaining to the gas company in writing then she should complain to the Energy Ombudsman. http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/3-31-making_a_complaint_to_energy_ombudsman.php

Sent letters to Eon, British Gas and N Power who my daughter-in-law is with at present she had account numbers for all except Eon and they refused to give it her anyway wrote to Chris Huhne this is response

The Coalition Government is committed to ensuring that energy consumers get a fair deal from their energy supplier. A regime has been set up to enable Ofgem, the energy market regulator, to act when required. Ofgem has put in place rules which go further than ever before to protect consumers on pricing, including licence condition changes to prevent unfair price differentials.

Ofgem has recently reported on the effectiveness of these changes and found that the differentials for customers paying by pre-payment meter (PPM) have been completely eliminated and are now, on average, £19 below the equivalent Standard Credit tariffs. Ofgem also reported that the average premium over direct debit for a typical dual fuel PPM customer has fallen from £111 to £69, which is less than the £88 indicative cost difference between providing and servicing a PPM compared to a direct debit account, identified by Ofgem. The full Ofgem report is available online at: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/Update%20on%20Probe%20Monitoring_FINAL.pdf

We support the action Ofgem took last year to address unjustified tariff premiums, their action to evaluate the effectiveness of these changes and their action to enforce the changes. We believe it is important to see ongoing monitoring and enforcement, so consumers do not lose out.

In addition, you may also be interested to know that Ofgem has recently announced a comprehensive review of the retail market and will also be looking into issues concerning tariff complexity and consumer engagement. Ofgem will look to decide if further changes are needed to ensure the market works in the interests of consumers and plan to complete its review by March 2011. This announcement is available online at: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/PressRel/Documents1/Retail%20Market%2026%20November.pdf

N Power rang my daughter in law said she had not been over charged and Eon as sent the letter below which just talks about direct debit no mention of pre payment meter which is the only method she has ever paid http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af10/Lac-1822/Photo0058.jpg?t=1300391752

I suggest the Energy Ombudsman next then. http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/3-31-making_a_complaint_to_energy_ombudsman.php

I suggest the Energy Ombudsman next then. http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/3-31-making_a_complaint_to_energy_ombudsman.php

Caro what do we say to the Ombudsman please

Any advice on what to say in a letter to the Ombudsman please about post 130

You need to explain about your complaint to E-on, that you aren't satisfied with the final response, and ask them to look into the matter for you. Spending £10 a day on gas is ridulous.

It would be as well to send copies of your correspondence with E-on with your letter to the ombudsman.

Will do thanks Caro Npower didn`t even respond back by mail just a telephone call that doesn`t seem correct procedure to me and British gas not responded

Will do thanks Caro Npower didn`t even respond back by mail just a telephone call that doesn`t seem correct procedure to me and British gas not responded

Did you make it clear in your letters that they were complaints? To contact the ombudsman you need to exhaust their complaints procedures first, and usually it should be dealt with within 8 weeks. If it's been more than 8 weeks you can go straight to the ombudsman.

Will check the letters if I didn`t say they were complaints what can I do?

Check out the complaints procedures for the companies that you have an issue with. I thought it was e-on you were complaining to but if there are others check out their complaints procedures and see if you need to do anythng with the companies first. You should be able to find them by googling.

RE: Your Prepayment Gas Enquiry

17/10/2006

[email protected]

To [email protected]

Caro this interesting just found in my drafts my daughter in law was paying too much to BRitish Gas back in 2006 as proof by this draft

Dear Nicola

Regarding your email some of it made no sense to me I am the tenant, the account is in my name? I did call the gas board 16th October on the number you quoted and today an engineer as called and reset the meter with a £10 credit. He stated that he had never seen anything like the mess the meter was in last week I purchased £70 of gas, it as been staggering what amounts we have had to purchase and on benefits we have had to neglect other things in order to keep warm.

I am awaiting a replacement gas card to enable me to purchase further gas, I trust that you will look into the amounts I have paid in gas charges as I can only assume I have a large amount of credit built up somewhere?. This whole situation as been very unpleasant and as caused myself and my family a lot of upset, I would appreciate some form of compensation as a gesture of good will, I have took it upon myself to also contact Sam Laidlaw at CEO about my situation. The whole experience as left me a wreck. I can only hope now that I pay a fair and normal price for the gas I use

Wrote to British Gas, Eon & N Power who she`s presently with as they all been her suppliers over last 12 years and she as always been on pre-payment meter

Interesting. Did she get a response?

If she did I do not have it

Just printed the draft off and surprisingly off came all the responses they blamed the cost as the meter being set too high to pay off the last tenants debt and that they could not discuss it with her she pointed out that this was ludicrous as she had been the tenant since 1999 all very bizarre the responses they talking as if they have no idea what her complaint was about it was because of same thing now she putting lots of top ups in the meter got the names of the people who responded to her and all conversations and dates

That sounds excellent.

I think I'd be inclined to send them one last letter with copies of it all, and tell them that you will go to the ombudsman with all this info if they don't deal with it to your saticsfaction.

Does that make sense?

Yes will send British Gas one last letter and then if no response will send onto the ombudsman thanks

I sent the template letter at page 124 to the companies is this a complaint it doesn`t say so

No it doesn't does it. Can't say I noticed that letter before.

Just checked the NHF site MTM linked early on, and apparently the energy suppliers are meant to have removed the high premiums that they've been charging prepayment meter customers,

I'm finding it hard to comment further as I don't really know what's happened so far, eg has the meter been reset when a new tariff has been introduced. See if this link helps. http://www.housing.org.uk/default.aspx?TabID=485

Have you any idea what the tariff should be just rang her she said Gas meter not been read for around a year but they have read electric she has no idea what the tariff is meant to be and as no knowledge of anyone ever saying the meter as been reset

I have no idea - sorry. I believe there are numbers to contact on the link I provided. They may be able to advise.