@npowerhelp NPower electricity backward billing enquiry

[lambethcashcow]

After getting a new electricity meter fitted I have received a shocking bill I was wondering if anyone could give me some help and advice.

 

On 17/05/13 a new single-phase digital meter was fitted replacing an old analogue meter in the communal hall of the Maisonette I live in. ‘Lowri Beck Services’ have been trying to replace it for years, over that time missing a couple of arranged appointments!

 

Checking my records I have found that the last actual meter read NPower undertook was on 11/02/11 at 36903KWh and the last read I undertook was on 5/10/11 at 38480 KWh. The reading taken upon fitting the new meter on 17/05/13 was 52842 KWh.

 

I have therefore taken the spread of excess KWh owed as the difference between the last actual NPower reading date (11/02/11) and the date of the meter change (17/05/13 ).

 

In order to work out the cost am I right in assuming the excess units should be spread out over this period?

 

The last bill I paid was £149 up to 42372 Kwh estimated used, date 19/02/13. Therefore I work out the excess units as follows:

 

52842 – 42372 = 15939 KWh over 27 months (17/05/13 – 11/02/11) .

 

The next bill I received was £1562.62 for the excess units generated by changing the meter, estimated meter readings and dates of 41843Kwh 07/02/12 until 52842Kwh 16/05/13 therefore:

 

52842 – 41843 = 10999Kwh over 15 months (16/05/13 - 07/02/12)

 

I don’t know why they have taken the estimated excess start date as 07/02/12 rather than the last actual read on 11/02/11 or my read on the 05/10/11. I also don’t know why NPower used the meter reading 41843Kwh as the start of the excess Kwh rather than the meter read of 42372 Kwh that I have already paid up to, an overcharge of 305Kwh.

 

Am I eligible for the 12 month back-billing restriction?

 

Would this be taken as 12 months prior to the bill for the excess units of £1562.62 (which was reversed) or from the last bill I have actually been asked to pay, rather than been reversed (I still haven’t received one as yet!)?

 

Answers to the above questions would be really useful and any help in how I go about structuring a response to NPower would be gratefully appreciated.

 

Ps any advice as to where to address letters would be great, my account is currently under review by the complaints team due to informing NPower of the problems via telephone.

Edited April 1, 2014 by lambethcashcow
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[citizenB]

I would send your complaint to their Head/registered office - as it is a "proper" address and not a PO box. Make sure your letter is headed "Complaint" They are then obliged to deal with this within a certain time (8 weeks I think) - you can then go to the Ombudsman if you are still not satisfied.

 

 

 

 

Head Office

 

npower Limited

Windmill Hill Business Park

Whitehill Way

Swindon

SN5 6PB

 

 

 

I will try and find someone who knows about the back billing situation.

[dx100uk]

you certainly cant be back billed if it is their mistake that caused them not to charge you correctly.

 

also under the act of parl, they must read meters better than once every 24mts.

 

so something else is amiss here too.

 

dx

[lambethcashcow]

Thank you dx

 

I have read the attached document and

 

it seems to me that they will try to claim that they have made every attempt to access the property to read the meter

and that when they haven't they have tried to contact me via (generic) letter to obtain a meter reading.

In this way they can avoid the back-billing regulations.

 

I on the other-hand argue that they have not made a payment re-estimate based upon reasonable data in the last

15months and not informed me of this.

 

The hallway is communal and the neighbors have had no problem getting their meter read

ie access has not been denied to any meter readers.

 

They have not read the meter in over 27 months and have made no specific attempt to contact me in order to resolve this.

 

I have on request given meter readings (maybe not every time a generic letter has gone out) and

 

have twice made appointments for meter engineers who have not shown up (regrettably i don't have the dates for these appointments).

 

I know ive been a burke for not keeping up to date with readings but i didnt realize there was a problem until too late.

 

Do you think i have a case for back-billing?

 

regards LCC

Edited April 1, 2014 by lambethcashcow
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[dx100uk]

I think from what you said about they have not read the meter in 27mts

and would not have been denied access should be the clincher

 

dx