@npowerhelp NPOWER Not charged for gas for 2 years and overcharged 6000 units on final electric bill

[trev_bo]

Hi

We closed our account with Npower in april this year.

Before closing we were informed that we were £300 in credit.

 

2 weeks ago we received a final bill of £1577.24

When I spoke to the operator he informed us that we hadn't been billed for gas since sept 2013.

 

 

I questioned this and suggested that even if this was the case we had been paying £100 per month

and that this should have covered close to what we were using.

When I was also surprised as our meter was read by a reader on christmas eve.

 

I then enquired about the excessive electricity costs.

The operator said that the meter was read at 12150 when in fact the final reading was 5958.

 

We have now received another final bill for £873.81.

 

 

I am also think this bill is a bit dubious as on the same page it states that our estimated duel fuel consumption this year would be £1150.

 

We are at a bit of a loss as to where to start with all this.

I have no way of checking their facts and charges and

I'm also extremely unhappy that they (and for that matter I) haven't noticed that we haven't used any gas for 2 years.

 

I just get the feeling I'm being shafted and would be really grateful for any help from someone with a bit of experience in this area.

[Markie G]

I am in the same situation, although slightly different reasons how I got there.

 

 

They took DD for all my payments,

then one month changed the bill to £1500 saying that they had not done the bill right.

 

 

Short answer is get all the info off them about how they managed to cock it up

and then do a data subject access request (cost £10)

but they have to send all the info they have.

 

 

Its a long road and you will be pulling your hair out, but dont let them get away with it.

[BankFodder]

Good advice from Markie G - although, Markie please would you start your own thread and we will help you there.

 

I'm afraid that exactly these kinds of facts are not at all new.

 

As advised, you should start off by sending a subject access request.

 

Also start assembling all the information that you have. Read our customer services guide. Implement the advice fully and then start making a few telephone calls to npower so that you can record the variety of stories that will probably be given to you.

 

When the data disclosure finally arrives then you will need to spend considerable time going through it and understanding what is there and more importantly what is missing. Assembling all the information you have at the moment will help you to understand what I be missing.

 

It is entirely possible that either the data disclosure will not be made within the statutory time limit of 40 days – or if it is, that the disclosure will be him complete.

 

Either of these eventualities would be a breach of their statutory duty and you would add this to your complaint. If they have failed to comply with their Data Protection Act then this at least is an automatic win in a County Court small claim

 

In the meantime it would be helpful if you would post on your thread a careful bullet pointed chronology of everything that has happened.

 

This will help us to understand it and it will also help to crystallise everything in your mind.

 

Make no mistake about it, you probably will end up starting a small claim in the County Court. If you really want to avoid that then you can consider going to the regulator but this is likely to be unhelpful, long winded and very frustrating. It is not at all transparent. We have found so far that once the County Court documents are issued then it produces a far more focused response from npower – although not immediate solutions as even in their litigation they seem to specialise in obfuscation and getting their facts wrong.

 

Npower is a total shambles and although they received a warning from the regulator last year, it seems they have managed to deceive him into letting them continue their business as usual.

 

By the way, are you aware of the back billing rules? I believe that if through their own fault they failed to bill you then they are not permitted to seek repayment of any money older than 12 months.

 

Maybe somebody will be kind enough to post the link to these rules on this thread

[Eversir]

Energy UK Code of Practice for Accurate Bills:

 

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/Industry%20codes/Code%20of%20Practice%20for%20accurate%20bills/code-of-practice-of-accurate_bills.pdf

 

Also a specific guide released relating to Back Billing:

 

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/Factsheets%20and%20guides/back_billing_consumer_guide.pdf

[trev_bo]

Thanks everyone. This is really helpful stuff. Just getting on with SAR now. Will post up a chronology later when I get a response and have a bit more time.

Thanks again

[BankFodder]

I suggest that you send the SAR accompanied by a cheque rather than the postal order. It is much easier to keep tabs on the cheque and to know exactly when it is cashed and also to obtain a copy of it from your bank