@npowerhelp NPower Bill Frustration and need advice

[DaniKindrel]

Ever since I moved to Northampton at the end of August I have had nothing but problems with NPower.

I am the account holder and since mid-late October have called them about every 2 weeks,

spending on average over 45 to 60 minutes on the phone with them.

 

 

During these phone calls, I have either given them meter readings or discussed when they are coming to check our gas meter

(as the landlord just had a non-card meter put in and they never collected the details when it was switched on).

 

 

On numerous occasions, reps have told me there has been no record or notes of my previous phone calls or given meter readings.

The times an engineer was booked to come in, no one had showed up.

Then one day a rep told me they never book appointments on the Saturdays (which were the days originally given to me),

hence why they never showed up.

 

Just recently I felt we had the meter sorted out and was sent a reasonable gas bill for September to March of £133 based on the reading I gave NPower.

We paid the electric near Christmas for £122, so this seemed about right.

 

 

However, when I called in to pay the gas bill I was told by the company not to pay it as there was an outstanding complaint on the gas meter.

Until that was resolved they told me not to pay anything until a new reading was given.

Well the complaint was resolved miraculously on April 16 (in a letter stating they had tried to call me,

which they didn't as my mobile log would have picked it up), and then, I noticed I received an estimated bill of over £500.

 

 

When I called to enquire on April 22, the rep asked me to give her the meter readings, which I did and told me a bill would come in a couple days.

 

Well I waited and no bill.

I called this morning (two weeks post call again)

and the rep told me that my previous conversation was not in the system,

nor was the meter readings I gave (which is a common thing I have heard from NPower in our biweekly conversations - I even have my call logs to prove).

 

 

I went into our basement read the meters and told them to the lady.

When I asked her how much our bill would be, she told me it would be over £967-!!!!

I told her that was absolutely ridiculous.

 

 

She clearly stated to me is that a unit (yes she used that word) of gas is charge at 4.53p

and we only used 1024 units (according to the meter)

but when I told her based on that, there is no way the bill could be so high,

she challenged me stating it was based on my current reading.

 

 

Well I can do math and it cannot add to over £600, unless I am missing something?!

 

£967- for both gas and electricity between September to beginning May is too steep!!!

This obviously does not include the £122 I paid at Christmas.

 

 

We only have a fridge, gas/stove, washer (which we use on ECO),

a gas boiler (which only heats the house btw 530am-830am and 4pm-11pm Nov to April),

and, some laptops we charge when we need.

 

 

We don’t have any televisions or large electrical otherwise.

We are also barely home throughout the day as we are students.

 

Plus I have wasted over 8 hours of my precious life (and mobile money) on the phone with this company,

have been late for work or school 3x because of them, trying to deal with their 'crap' since October,

that is not including the over 15 hours I have wasted waiting for an engineer to show when they booked days engineers aren't available.

 

I are returning to Canada soon,

and, I have raised a formal complaint about this issue with the company

but I have a feeling it will not be dealt with for another 6 months (like the last complaint).

 

 

I have also written a report from the Telegraph who has written several reports on this company.

 

Please I need advice on how to deal with this as they have been nothing but a nightmare to me!!!

[i hate bailiffs]

Dealing with them on the phone does not work as you have found out

Who ever you speak to does not care you are simply wasting their time and they tell you what youwant to hear

 

 

Deal with them in writing and keep a paper trail

Mark it formal complaint

[BankFodder]

Start off by reading our customer services guide. Do whatever you need to implement the advice there fully and then make further calls to Npower to discuss the issues - but this time you will be gathering evidence in preparation for your complaint. Have several phone calls so that you are able to demonstrate the full range of idiocy that various stories that you have had to deal with.

 

Secondly send Npower and SAR. Do it now. You may be amazed at what the data disclosure reveals. Yoy may need to bully Npower into complying.

 

Read carefully on this forum, the Npower threads so that you can understand what you are dealing with and what advice is being given generally.

 

Your one big probloem is that you are leaving for Canada and you will not be able to conduct a County Court claim from there. Are you coming back after the Summer?

 

I'm afraid that you are correct that your complaint will not be dealt with properly - or at all - unless you take court action.

 

I take it that you haven't actually paid anything yet. I wouldn't normally advise anyone to avoid paying a bill - but in this case it is so very likely that Npower are not correctly billing you that I would offer this as an option. However, if you do not deal with it you will end up with a negative entry on your credit file which could have consequences for you for a few years - and especially if you return to UK.

 

If you are a student, do you have friends who are similarly affected?

[DaniKindrel]

I am returning in 3 months thereabouts, pending issues back home. I am tired of calling them, talking to them virtually, and all other matters.

 

We do want to switch providers but... 1) who do I switch to that is cheap (well reasonable) and good, and, 2) Can I do this even though I have started a complaint with them and refuse to pay any bill?

 

Thanks!

[BankFodder]

As to whether you are allowed to switch when you are in dispute over an unpaid bill – somebody else will have to tell you.

 

Anyway, I would start off by reading the customer services guide et cetera and follow all the advice I have given you in you my earlier post.

 

It isn't worth starting a small claim until you come back from Canada.

 

Do you have somebody who can forward mail to you from your address in UK?

 

Because there is going to be such a long gap between now and when you can start a serious complaint, you might as well have some fun and start a complaint to the energy ombudsman.

 

The energy ombudsman will do pretty well nothing for you – but at least you can see how it works and how bad it can get. (Of course, I could be wrong in your case.)

 

Whatever you do I would start off by sending the SAR and also making your formal complaint.

 

You can keep on accessing this forum from Canada of course and we will continue to support you and advise you.

 

You can make sure that you are thoroughly prepared for your return to the UK will stop

 

Using the MoneyClaim system, as long as you have an address for service in the UK then you can start of the claim in September, when you get back.

 

This means that you could start the claim about three weeks before your return date