Think carefully about changing suppliers (NPower)

Member Name: laughinggiraffe

Product:	NPower
Date:	17/07/02 (1394 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Cost, Poor Customer Service, Tactics of Reps

Here's a tale of warning to anyone thinking of changing gas & electricity suppliers...do you really want a month or more of grief?

I moved into my flat with my parter at the end of May 2002, a property we rent from the council. After the usual shopping around we were taken by the literature that Powergen would work out cheaper than the existing supplier Npower for both gas & electricity.
We requested a transfer from Powergen the day we moved in but minutes later noticed that we had no gas supply at all. I went out to the Quantum meter & discovered it had been badly vandalised.

I tried to get back on the phone to Npower but was met with a jammed switchboard with an infuriating automatic message that terminated my call & asked me to send them an e-mail. Numerous calls & unanswered e-mails later I finally got through to the Npower call centre & in my anger accidentally let it slip that we had requested a transfer.

I was told in no uncertain terms by the operator that Npower would not supply the property with a new prepayment meter, or issue me with a prepayment card, unless I was prepared to sign a new 12 months contract with them. Always being one to stand up for my beliefs (big mistake!) I decided to bite the bullet & await the supply tranfer to go through on a date given by Powergen as 17 July 2002.

Since then I've been in limbo with the gas supply. Npower won't do a thing...Powergen can't do a thing until the transfer (not even arrange a Transco engineer to visit on the date of the transfer)...Energy Watch weren't interested...Citizens Advice Buerau didn't have a clue. I'm driving a 45 mile round trip to have a shower at my parents' place

In the meantime I continued without gas but then started to receive letters from Npower threatening court action unless I paid up a hefty overdue bill. Hang on, I'd only been with Npower a matter of weeks & had received no bill from them whatsoeve
r. At the same time I also received an unwanted gas supply contract from Npower. Needless to say, that didn't get returned.

Most disturbingly on the 12 July (I think!) I received a visit from an Npower rep attempting to save my business from being transferred. When I told him I wasn't interested he threatened to delay the transfer of the gas supply. I'm sorry, but his bullying tactics won't stop me from switching supplier.

Today is the 17th July, the day of my transfer. I called Powergen to check if everything was okay. The electricity transfer was fine...but the gas? I have been told that this will not go over to Powergen until the 25 July. More than a week later than expected & another week of no hot water.

When I asked the Powergen operative what the hell was going on she was unable to provide any answers. Has the rep delayed the transfer as he threatened or have Powergen been feeding me misinformation? Nobody will tell me anything. Ranks have closed & I am suffering as a result.

The be all & end all is that I now have dealings with two companies (Npower & Powergen) who both appear to not have any idea what is happening. I distrust both immensely.

Now it transpires Powergen do not know what gas tariff I will be switching to if & when the transfer finally goes ahead. I requested a standard account rather than prepayment. I only hope that Powergen are organised enough to realise my situation & request a priority meter fitting with Transco.

That little matter of the mysterious unpaid Npower bill remains unsolved. I really, really wish I had not bothered requesting a transfer. Npower may be amongst the most frustrating companies I have ever had the misfortune to deal with but Powergen are quickly catching them up.

Now for that cold bath...

Summary: