@npowerhelp In Credit, but still Npower increase my Direct Debit ??

[citizenB]

Over the last few years, Npower always seemed to increase my DD around October time (the bill would likely show that my usage had left an underpayment of around £50.00). Npower would then have to refund me almost £100.00 around June of the following year. This because the increase in the DD was quite substantial between £20-30 increase.

 

This year it would appear I am £29.60 in CREDIT - yet they have still increased the Direct Debit although for a much smaller sum of £6.00 per month ?

[caro]

I suggest that you look at a comparison site, put in your usage over the last 12 months from your bills and see what price you get. Costs have gone down in recent months/years, plus we're having mild weather, so if yours is going up, there would seem to be something wrong.

[i hate bailiffs]

If you needed a excuse to change supplier now is the one

As you know they are awful at most things customer service being the main thing

 

If you find a good supplier let me know:razz:

[citizenB]

I suggest that you look at a comparison site, put in your usage over the last 12 months from your bills and see what price you get. Costs have gone down in recent months/years, plus we're having mild weather, so if yours is going up, there would seem to be something wrong.

 

I will do this - thanks, caro.

 

are there any good suppliers, IHB ?

[ericsbrother]

I'm with Greenstar, so far no complaints, unlike with Npower Scottish Power, SSE, BG, and even co-operative energy (they were good then grew too quickly and bought the same accounting software Npower use and screwed everything up)

read meters regularly, answer the phone etc.

[mikeymack2002]

I get this with EDF so far it has cost them over £200 in good will gestures this last year alone. Complain and threaten them with ofgem it may help..

 

You do not have to be in credit by that much as long as your bills are paid and not late then they can go swivel for high credit levels... its getting a common practice now a days.

[BankFodder]

You do not have to accept the direct debit proposals which are made by your utility supplier.

 

As you have already been advised, as long as you keep your accounting credit – or at least make sure that the bills are all paid promptly, then there is no reason why you should have any credit balance.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that the utilities companies make a fair bit of money on what amounts to interest-free loans to them from their customers.

 

I know from my own experience that they can become very heavy with you if you start dictating your own terms about your own direct debit to them.

 

A few years ago I open an account with ScottishPower and they insisted on a minimum direct debit of £50 a month.

 

I refused and to begin with I found that the customer service person was essentially telling me that this was the rule and that I had to abide by it. It was only when I stood my ground and told him that the call was being recorded that he backed off. I told him what I would be prepared to pay in direct debit and I told him that nothing else would do and if there was any attempt to take any more money than that then the recording will be provided to the bank.

 

He accepted my terms, but over the next two or three weeks I had phone calls from various senior people in the customer service department trying diplomatic and also less diplomatically to tell me that I have to raise my direct debit level. I treated them all the same way.

 

Stand your ground. It's your money not theirs. Dictate your terms – especially to a substandard ramshackle outfit like npower who are totally disreputable in the way they treat their customers.

 

As long as you make sure that you don't go behind in your bills at all so that you open up an opportunity for them to attack you to criticise you, then there is absolutely nothing they can do.

[mikeymack2002]

Not sure if this is old news but worth a read anyway see here >> http://www.realbusinessrescue.co.uk/news/npower-fined-26m-by-ofgem-for-failing-to-treat-customers-fairly

[23sopwith]

british gas up to same trick they have attempted to raise my d/d because im not using as much gas as they forecast

[citizenB]

british gas up to same trick they have attempted to raise my d/d because im not using as much gas as they forecast

 

Eh ? It beggars belief, doesn't it ?

[citizenB]

You have to wonder, if the companies that do this, aren't having financial problems ?

 

Tesco - withholds payment to suppliers in order to make its own poor financial figures look better than they are ? The fact that those suppliers might have to borrow money to pay their own bills or are forced out of business is irrelevant.. Tesco is OK thank you very much !

 

Npower increases the Direct Debits of those customers who are in credit ? - So not only do Npower have the excess that has already been paid, customers are paying for something they haven't yet had or may not even use ?

 

British Gas increases the Direct Debits of those customers who aren't using the amount of gas that BG predicted the customer would use ? - Again, the customer paying for something that he hasn't used and may not do so anyway ?

[caro]

My SP DD has just gone up and now I'm in credit which is unheard of a month after a winter bill. I'll probably reduce it after the next bill, assuming I can. I have been able to before but who knows.

[ericsbrother]

dont forget, the price of fuel is to go down soon so thy are topping up their bank accounts before the revenue stream reduces.

[Ell-enn]

I've just had a credit back from British Gas for both gas and electricity - apparently if you are more than £5 in credit at the end of the year they automatically refund it (or so they told me this morning when I rang up to find out what it was for). I must have been a bit more frugal with my heating than I was the previous year. Also had monthly direct debit amounts reduced.

[citizenB]

I've just had a credit back from British Gas for both gas and electricity - apparently if you are more than £5 in credit at the end of the year they automatically refund it (or so they told me this morning when I rang up to find out what it was for). I must have been a bit more frugal with my heating than I was the previous year. Also had monthly direct debit amounts reduced.

 

Could it have something to do with the fact that they reduced their prices last year, Ellen ?

 

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/gas-and-electricity/reducing-energy-bills.html

[Ell-enn]

Could it have something to do with the fact that they reduced their prices last year, Ellen ?

 

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/gas-and-electricity/reducing-energy-bills.html

 

 

Good point CB - I didn't think of that.

[mikeymack2002]

Further to my post #6 I was not once but twice subject to these darn increases. I said if it happens again I would complain to the Ombudsman it happened again guess what I did in fact complain and copied in EDF.

 

I waited for their response which took longer than necessary in the end a good will gesture payment was made for £75. As a final resolution of the complaint.

 

Moments ago I got an email from the Ombudsman this is what they said.

 

'Your complaint about EDF Energy.

 

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Thank you for your email received on 15 January 2016

 

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EDF Energy has*eight weeks to give its final answer to your complaint. This date starts from when you first complained. If you are unhappy with how things turn out or do not receive an answer within this time then we may be able to help.

 

*

 

To help us decide the best way to help with your complaint, we need to know all of the following information:

 

*

 

· Whether there are any practical needs where we could help – by making adjustments like using large print, Braille or a different language.

 

· If there is someone you want to handle the complaint for you, for example a friend, a relative or Citizens Advice. Please give their full name and contact details.

 

· The date the problem happened.

 

· The date you first noticed the problem.

 

· The date you first complained to the company.

 

· The full name of the account holder.

 

· The address where the account is held.

 

· The address where you live now if this is different to the account address.

 

· If you are a small business, please confirm that your annual turnover is less than €2 million and that the company employs 10 people or less. Alternatively, that you use less than 293,000kWh of gas per year or 100,000kWh of electricity per year.

 

· Copies of any letters or emails which you have sent to the company. Please let us know when they were sent and where they were sent to.

 

· Copies of any letters, bills or emails you have received which you think are relevant to your complaint.

 

· Details of any telephone calls made or received, including dates, times and who you spoke to.

 

· What you would like as a resolution to your complaint; this may include some practical action, an apology or an award to cover time and trouble. Our most common time and trouble award is £100.*

 

*

 

Please include our case reference number, shown at the top of this reply, with any information that you send to us. This will help us add the information to your case more quickly.

 

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When using our service you are free to seek independent advice and you are able to withdraw from the process at any time. For more information about Ombudsman Services visit our website http://www.ombudsman-services.org.

 

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Yours sincerely

 

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Alex ******

 

Enquiry Officer 

 

Telephone: 0330 440 1624

 

Email: osenquiries@os-energy.org

 

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ET3002 v1.2

 

 

So with this new information it pays to complain. Before you do consider this always record all calls and keep the letters.

 

Keep a diary of how often this happens. Don't be afraid to complain....