Not necessarily looking for help, just a heads up to steer clear of nPower and the 'Too Good to be True' offers pedalled by the now infamous (Dragons Den) 'Look after my Bills!' (sic).

So, along with millions of other people I signed up with LAMB (to the slaughter!!). nPower came along and offered me a deal £40 pcm cheaper than I was paying to BG. A Side-by-Side comparison of the two tariff's and standing charges did indeed seem to be cheaper. A £40 pcm saving though, too good to be true. I queried it but signed up anyway.

The atrocious nPower didn't take any payments from me, despite having all the correct data etc. for three months, by then there was a three month debt on my account. When I signed up it was for £110 pcm. Three months later nPower sent an email saying it had gone up to £215 pcm, almost double, to cover the extra debt and, in their words, increased use............ I rang, complained, and we settled on a slightly lower figure of £194. A small but hollow victory.

4 weeks passed and low and behold, they didn't take their £194, they took £215. I rang and complained, confirmed £194 was agreed but got someone who had only worked there 5 day's, poor guy was confused as hell.

Basically he said they could vary the direct as much as they want, month to month, and that was it.

So, complaint in, got my Ref No. wait for another call in the next however many days to speak to a complaints drone.

I've not had a good fight for ages so I am quite looking forward to confusing more people.

In the mean time, I would stay clear of 'Look After My Bills' (Because they don't).

Don't touch nPower, even with someone else's bargepole.

People slate BG but they never screwed me over like this.

H

Should have cancelled the dd and invoked the dd guarantee

No, that's not what I should have done. The advice, which I'm not looking for, on this forum is getting worse.

If I had cancelled the DD then that would have been another month of nPower not getting a credit to my account and another potential 3 months whilst they faffed about trying to set up another new one. That would be 7 months and an enormous energy bill.

I'm not trying to avoid paying. I'm happy to pay for the energy I use and if that turns out to be £215 pcm then so be it. My point was just about the lackadaisical attitude and poor service from nPower.

H

Actually, yes, that is exactly what you should have done. Along with calculating your ACTUAL usage and paying that amount to them yourself, either on the phone or through their website.

As they haven't taken a payment for ~4 months, you should have that money to pay them. Then, no debt = no DD increase!

The poor level of service isn't exclusive to nPower, they are all the same.

No, that's not what I should have done. The advice, which I'm not looking for, on this forum is getting worse.

 

If I had cancelled the DD then that would have been another month of nPower not getting a credit to my account and another potential 3 months whilst they faffed about trying to set up another new one. That would be 7 months and an enormous energy bill.

H

Too true on all counts

NPower ramped mine up three times in a year despite missing no payments and being in increasing credit throughout. The first time at just 3 months in - and in credit.

They even gave me notice of increase and actually increased the DD again when I had given them notice, was effectively two months payments in credit and me telling them they must not increase the DD.

When i rang them and said i would stop the DD as I was 2 months payments in credit, another was due to be taken and was already transferring supplier, they actually said they would take action against me if I did, and that they were entitled to increase the DD and it was all automated.

Took almost 3 months after I had left and threats of small claims court (they totally ignored my complaint to the regulator- which did nothing I could see) to get my significant credit balance back.

If you had cancelled the DD you would have quickly ended up running round in circles trying to defend your credit rating from their errors and automated systems.

Avoid NPower like the plague.