Npower taking us to town on gas bill.

A question about : Npower taking us to town on gas bill.

First, a little set up -

2 Bedroom flat, built in around 2003, double glazed windows throughout, top floor (of three floors total) insulated attic.

I have lived here with my housemate Rob, since 28th May 2013. On the 4th June 2014 we got our gas and electric bills, prior to this we had no idea who our gas and electricity was supplied by. We got a bill for Ј330 Electricity and Ј300 gas for the year. Fair enough, we thought. We are rarely in both working full-time evening jobs, and it was a very mild 2013 Winter so gas heating wasn't really used.

Fast forward to November 2014 and we get a bill for Ј253.22 covering the period of 2nd September 2014 - 12th November 2014 - 3 months.

After complaining to Npower they told us that the original Ј300 bill was only an estimate, and that this is a catch up bill for the year + 3 months gas.

Because we had no correspondance with Npower after we moved in, we were placed on the Standard Tariff and charged accordingly, which is a LOT.

Currently, this bill is still unpaid. I have contacted the Energy Ombudsman (most recently today) who have stated that because we didn't ask to be put on a cheaper tariff, Npower apparently haven't broken any rules by placing us on the Standard Tariff.

Originally I rang up the Ombudsman to explain the problem on the 7th January 2015, and because 8 weeks hadn't passed they couldn't lodge a formal complaint, but gave me a case reference no. and wrote some details down.

I rang Npower back and informed them that I had opened a case with the Ombudsman and would be waiting until the middle of January to make it official. They then told me that the debt on my account (Ј253.22) would be placed on hold and we wouldn't be chased for it. I also requested to be put on the cheapest Gas tariff they had, and Direct Debit. My housemate provided his details to be put on DD instead of ROB.

I also said to Npower that if they could apply the new tariff to my bill of Ј253.22 instead of the Standard Tariff, I would happily pay it right now there and then. The representative went off to their supervisor and came back telling me it wasn't possible.

Fast forward to the 13th February and we get another gas bill for the quarter covering 13th November 2014 - 9th February 2015 entitled Your final gas bill

It is for Ј524.93

This is a bill for Price Fix February 2017 Gas ROB - not Direct Debit as I had asked.

It covers the November - February gas usage of allegedly Ј237.71 + Ј253.22 of the previous quarter - Ј490.93... plus Ј34 which got added on somewhere?

All this set up for one question - where the f*** is this gas going? Our flat is SO cold. We rarely have the heating on. Our combi boiler is set to come on twice a day - from 8-10am then again in the evening from 5-7pm. In those time periods, it heats the water to a certain temperature, I think about 60c, and when it reaches that temperature it shuts off. So it's not heating constantly.

Myself and Rob shower each once daily, 5 minutes tops. We use one sink full of hot water to wash up. Sometimes we cook on the hob, if I had to average it I would say 30-40 minutes of gas hob usage per day averaged out across every day (some days we get takeaway or use the oven or only fry for a few minutes, some days a chilli is cooked which requires over an hour of simmering etc)

So where is this gas going? How is it that average gas prices for the YEAR are Ј440 for a 2 bedroom flat in 2013/2014, yet we have used Ј524 in 6 months?!

Any insight on this would be appreciated, thank you!

- Chris

EDIT: I need to add something I missed out, a lot of these readings were estimates, and I am currently trying to find out where our gas meter is for the flats. I rang the ombudsman today and they said my best course of action to reduce this bill is to get Npower the correct gas reading and that should hopefully reduce the Ј500+ down to something more manageable.

Best answers:

• We need to see some actual meter readings in order to give meaningful advice, ideally one from when you moved in, and one today.
  npower are a complete joke, although trying to get your bill revauled at a different tariff is a non starter.
• I just took one now, 8336, which is significantly lower than their most recent estimate of 8560. I'm trying to work out what this price difference is.
  Unfortunately, a reading of the gas when we moved in was not done. In fact, this is the first time I've even seen the gas meter after asking a neighbour where it was.
  Would it be something that the Estate Agent had done while looking over the property when the sale was completed?
• Yeah I literally just waited on hold for 15 minutes and then as soon as someone picked up it said "call failed"
  Banter.
• Tried to submit my gas meter reading online...
  Well I can't post pictures but it says online "Sorry, we're unable to take your meter reading online because your account is closed"
  Fantastic, I'll just move to another energy supplier who aren't completely useless and receive correct billing at a reasonable price
• Welcome to the forum.
  Firstly you haven't mentioned meter readings once in your post.
  Secondly a combi boiler doesn't heat domestic hot water(for taps etc) to a set temperature on a timer('8am to 10am and 5pm to 7pm'). It heats water on demand and doesn't have a hot water tank.
  If you didn't know who your energy supplier was until over a year after you moved in, it follows that you couldn't have given them your opening meter readings when you moved in; or made any effort to ascertain which company was supplying your energy.
  Unless you had contacted NPower(who it transpires were your supplier) you were on a legally binding deemed contract which entails being placed on their Standard tariff. Other cheaper tariffs may have terms and conditions to which you must agree e.g. penalty clauses for early closure, run on the internet etc etc. So Npower must place you on a Standard tariff.
  It is not surprising that your flat is 'SO cold' if you 'rarely have the heating on'
  So being placed on a Standard tariff is down to you I am afraid. It is also perfectly possible that you have ended up paying for some of the previous occupant's gas/electricity. Without being given opening meter when you moved in, what else can Npower do except take the closing readings of the previous occupant(if given, and if accurate) or an estimate.
  The Ј253 bill in Nov 2014 is, as Npower explain, simply a 'catch up' bill because the Ј300 bill in June 2014 was based on an estimated meter reading - because they hadn't been given actual meter readings. It is important to note that this Ј253 bill isn't reflecting your gas usage between 02 Sep 2014 and 12 November 2014.
  Your bill for Ј237.71 for 3 months from 12 Nov 14 to 9 Feb 15 is not excessive - but you can check if this is correct by looking at your meter readings - I assume this bill is based on actual meter readings not estimated?
  Your statement that you have 'used Ј524 is 6 months' is incorrect. As stated above(in bold) the Ј253 element is not just the usage in 3 months but a 'catch up'(i.e. correction) bill.
  Not being placed on a direct debit as you requested seems to be down to Npower; but why didn't your housemate contact them when a monthly DD was not deducted from his account.
  Apart from the failure to put you on a DD - which you have only just discovered -, I am sorry to say I am struggling to see the basis of your complaint that you complained about to the Ombudsman in Jan 2015.
• Some good points, Cardew.
  However the purpose of writing that the flat is so cold and we barely have the heating on is to draw attention to the fact that we have received such a large bill yet barely use our heating.
  Seeing as today is my first weekday off in so long, I have decided to dedicate my Monday morning and afternoon into sorting this out.
  Subsequently, I spoke to a neighbour and discovered the location of the gas meters. We are 224 units UNDER the estimate which I assume means that the most recent bill will be adjusted to something (hopefully dramatically less than Ј237)
  After speaking to the Ombudsman they reflect your statements and sentiments. It was our responsibility to inform Npower of our gas reading, and I do in fact suspect that we have probably partly paid for our previous tenants gas bill in some way. However, if you moved into a property and were not told by your estate agent the energy supplier, what would you do? Ring up each supplier and say "Hey do I have an account with you?" - We are new to this independent, outside of University world, and while ignorance isn't an excuse, you wouldn't like to fill your tank up with petrol and then be told after you paid "You do know you could have saved Ј40 on that?" well it's no bloody good - the fuel is in my car! Ipso facto, receiving a bill for ЈXXX and being told that if 12 months ago we magically had the foresight to change our tariff we could have paid ЈXXX less, it's not exactly a brilliant business practice for consumers to deal with (though it does help line some pockets of officials)
  Regardless, I'm happy that at least the final bill isn't going to be Ј524, however I am still not happy with the Ј253.22 bill and won't be happy until it is reduced in some way. Seeing as prior to this bill, we already had an adjustment bill for Electricity stating that as the previous year was based on an estimate, here is the actual reading and you owe us this much more.
  We never received a similar one for gas, which asked for Ј40.02, and the next bill of Ј253.22 has no where stated on it that it includes a catch up charge.
• and Council Tax....TV Licence.....Contents Insurance (if you need it)?
• Plenty of university students take opening meter readings every day and google to discover their supplier as after their first year they are in a private tenancy.
  I once moved into a rented property and gave my reading to my supplier. After five months I called them to ask where my quarterly bill was-They told me I wasn't with them and gave me the contact details to find out who my supplier actually was . This was before I went to university . If you hadn't had gas or electric bills for a year- did it never occur to you to wonder why not (or even to put some money away towards the eventual bill).
  Sounds like you are masters of your own misfortune.
• Crazy thread. No actual complaint about npower and wasting Ombudsman resources on vexatious, pointless whingeing. What is the complaint you are making to them?
  What has the coldness of the flat got to do with your energy supplier?
  You have waited nearly two years before bothering to look for or read your meter? Crazy.
• So you'd rather spend hours wasting Ombudman resources than 5 mins locating your gas meter, 2 mins reading it, 5 mins tracing your supplier, and bothering to check your bills (which are all marked 'estimated' if that's how they've been calculated)?
  The supplier has to read the meters only every two years-all intermediate reads are down to you if you don't want to receive estimated bills, and then an eventual huge catch-up bill.
  How were you planning to turn the gas off in the event of a leak or emergency?
  The utility meter readings and accounts are nothing to do with your EA. they're the responsibility of the householder.