nPower Help Please?

[timetoshine]

Hi everyone,

My partner and I currently have a back log of approximately £300 with nPower that they are chasing us for.

We are on a standard meter and get billed every 3 months by post.

My partner is a full time student and I am the major wage earner.

In July of this year I was diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder and have been signed off work with a significantly reduced income since then.

We want to pay but cannot afford the £300, nPower are next to useless at helping on the phone.

 

Does anyone please have any advice as to how we could approach this matter?

 

Thank you all for your time and help/suggestions you make.

 

Kind regards,

 

timetoshine

[dx100uk]

so they've not offered any of their social tarrifs?

 

dx

[i hate bailiffs]

try writing to them will possibly get a better result then a phone call:-)

[timetoshine]

Thank you, I am going to pen a letter now and post up for feedback if you would be kind enough to comment.

 

Thanks,

 

timetoshine

[timetoshine]

Npower

Customer Service

PO Box 93

Peterlee

SR8 2XX

 

1st December 2012

 

Dear Sir or Madam

 

Account number: 00000000

 

I am writing with reference to the above account.

 

My partner and I are struggling to pay our energy bills due to current ill health and would like to know what help might be available to us.

 

I was diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder in August 2012 and since that time have been on a reduced income due to being signed off as not being fit for work. I am currently in receipt of statutory sick pay and am also awaiting a decision on my application for disability living allowance.

 

It is my intention to pay for any existing and continued energy usage and would be grateful for any help that you can provide during this difficult time for me.

 

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

 

Yours faithfully

 

I was thinking something along the lines of this...

 

timetoshine

[dx100uk]

good letter

 

dx

[timetoshine]

Hi everyone,

 

Just looking for a bit of advice re NPower. I was diagnosed with bipolar this year and as a consequence have been on sick leave and a greatly reduced income.

 

My partner and I are doing our best to pay what we can to who we can; however, there is always a shortfall.

 

Our NPower account is just under £400 in arrears. We cannot afford to pay it all off in one go but have written to them to propose a monthly payment arrangement.

 

They are always quick to threaten a prepayment meter installation so I am just wondering how would that actually work in practic.

 

I know that a proportion of our top up would go to paying off our arrears but say we were to put £10.00, how much would actually go in paying off the debt.

 

Thanks for looking and for any help you can provide,

 

timetoshine

 

[45002]

Sorry to hear you have problem have a read of this

 

http://www.npower.com/Home/Energy-efficiency/Green-energy/Tariffs/Prepayment-meter-tariffs/index.htm

 

http://www.npower.com/Home/Electricity-and-gas/Types-of-meter/Prepayment-meter-tariffs/index.htm

 

Topping up £10.00 how much would they take off for arrears,will depend on if your working or receiving benefits and how much the arrears are ?

 

I would phone them up making a payment offer on the phone asap as well as in writing and stick to the payment plan will be better than having a PPM installed.

 

Having a PPM you will pay for electric/gas you use plus an amount to pay off the arrears.

 

If it gets to this stage don't refuse them permission to fit a PPM as they can obtain a Warrant from magistrate court to gain entry and you would end up paying court,legal,labour cost plus the Debt all via PPM.

 

Good Luck

Edited December 23, 2012 by 45002

[45002]

OP Previous thread on same subject

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?374659-nPower-Help-Please&p=4066367#post4066367

[timetoshine]

Oops, sorry everyone - mods, could be two threads be merged please. I do apologise, I completely forgot that I made the first post.

 

timetoshine

[maroondevo52]

Threads merged.

[timetoshine]

Hello everyone,

I have a little bit of an update. I have written to my local MP about the problems and he has very promptly written back advising that he is going to be writing to NPower on behalf of my partner and I!

Result, I will post as and when more news comes in.

timetoshine

[survivor1984]

Hi,

 

I've got my electric account with NPower and was in £800 arrears.

 

Due to illness I was in a total mess and was thinking they would cut off any day; however, after speaking to their accounts team they set up an affordable arrangement plan to repay the debt over time and repay also what I was using to date.

 

So far not bigging them up but consider NPower are one of the better electrical suppliers out there.

[timetoshine]

Consider yourself one of the lucky people that they choose to deal with.

My partner and I are incredibly fortunate in so much that our MP has intervened. He has been very helpful indeed.

NPower, in my experience, are a bunch of disorganised shisters!