Gas & Electricity Dispute

[bridges]

Morning all,

Had a bit of a shock today, we were cornered by the M&S Energy people one day, and they talked us round, so we are now moving to them (actually Southern Electric).

So, our current supplier (N Power) have sent us through a final bill for over £200, which we were shocked with as we're paying roughly £100 for combined.

So we called to ask why it was this much, we were then told the wording on the letter was wrong and that this was just for our gas! Our Electric Bill was more! So we needed to pay a final payment of over £500!!!

Obviously, we then started getting very angry. And we were then told this is how much our account is in debt! Apparently as we haven't been giving regular monthly meter reading we have been using more than the £100 every month. I find this very unusual as although I work from home, the only other thing apart from my laptop which stays on is my radio. I sit in the cold and don't keep the heating running, we use our tumble dryer less than 5 times a month. And it is only a 2 up 2 down house!

My question is, why have we been allowed to run up such a high bill? Surely they have a responsibility to check on these things? Is £1700 not a little excessive for a 2 up 2 down house with only 2 people living there?

B x :|

 

[Beachcomber]

Npower
This is a common problem with them - they reply on estimated billing and rarely take proper meter reading meaning many customers run up large debts without knowing.

Happened to us when we moved house - got a bill for £700!

Write to them and ask them to give you a breakdown of consumption and actual meter readings as you dispute the amount owing.

Check the details - compare readings / consumption to what you think you use.

If they won't help take it to the ombudsmen:
http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/

They are legally obliged to take meter readings every 24 months (or thereabouts) so if they have been relying on estimates for longer than than they are on dodgy ground.

 

[*Lexxy*]

hope you get it sorted ok

we've been with Npower ages as they're the cheapest for gas&elec in our area. terrible customer service if you have to contact them for anything tho, it took me about 10 months & no end of emails/phone calls to sort a very straight forward charging issue!

i'm sure i've seen something from them recently that states they're taking more frequent readings to try & avoid this problem now. a little late for you i know, but at least they seem to be doing something about it now (i don't know if this is something new that's been brought in across the industry as there have been so many complaints with this issue).

 

[bridges]

Thanks, if I were you I'd take a look at Southern Electric too, they are the cheapest all round from what I hear, and I don't think they're the board in your area so they should be the same as here.

Anyone I speak to who is with Npower, I'll be telling them to move to Southern Electric! haha

Thanks again

B x

 

[Alanpowell]

Average UK house consumes about 4,000kWh wlwctricity and 20,000kWh gas a year

 

[bridges]

Thank you, I'll take a look

 

[Biggy]

??????????????try emailing chief exec's office directly for a quick resolution

 

[Biggy]

email "andy(dot)duff(at)npower(dot)com"
I've shown it like this cos I can't post URL's yet

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Check your meter is showing cubic metres and you are paying for cubic metres.Some older metres show in cubic yards.

 

[easyasit]

to be honest we have similar issues here, month after month the bill went up
Now its close to 100 quid a month for a mingy 1 bed house.
All we burn is the laptop and an enery efficient light bulb.
I only allow the heating on in the evening, hot water in the morning.

Yet its still this?
Washing takes place after 10:30pm.

Really is a joke

 

[easyasit]

To be honest, this capitalist stunt is indicative of the large utlilities out there

Like politicians they lull us into a sense of false security with their cheap sales speil.
Like lambs to the slaughter we accept it and sign on the dotten line under the microscopic line called "terms and conditions"

Thenceforth we loyally slave to earn the money to pay their extortionate prices. Where we cringe more and more and wonder how we will meet every onther forthcoming bill.

The problem is so many of us are caned too heavily by individual problems to challenge it.
They know in time they wear ous down with things like, write us letters of send in meter readings.
The only way out i feel is to say "tough" i can't afford it, so what are you going to do about it?
I wonder then how these people would respond. After all, what can they really do, if we just move on after paying our monthy due's and refuse to the the rest?
We cancel their direct debits.
For me if they persude, i merely add them to my list of creditors when i finally declare bankruptcy.
This might sound radical to many.
But its they who are breaking the rules.