I hate to be the bearer of down to earth tidings but I don't think they're bright enough to do as you suspect especially without getting found out and on the front pages! May just have overestimated.

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll do just that. I was curious to see if anyone else had had a similar letter or for once a big corp was telling the truth and it was just an error. A few thousand people not noticing/challenging DD increases would be a nice little boost to NP coffers and money in their bank earning interest rather than their customers.

You could take the useage figures for the last two years and take the year you think is most representative. Then take the cost of the units today at the two different rates, multiply them out and see what you get. Say you got £20. You could then e mail THE TEAM LEADER and tell them your findings and ask them if they consider £29.50 to be correct. If you do this my suggestion is don't tell them it's wrong just in case at some later stage you land up with egg on your face.

Sorry to hear that - theres only 2 of us in the house and we heat and cook with gas. Just watch to see if they sudddenly say you need to be paying £75 and then check your bills.

Wish mine was £37!! It is about £65 a month.. I thought this was about average.. am I wrong?

Am I being overly suspicious or has anybody else had the same recent experience? I recently received a letter from nPower to say that my electricity account had been reviewed (after the 2 heaviest winter quarters) and my direct debit needed to be increased from £27 to £37 a month. This seemed an extraordinary hike and having reviewed my last couple of years bills it was plainly exorbitant and unnecesssary.

 I phoned them and having got through no less than 3 switchboard menus finally spoke to a live human being. Almost before I had got the nature of my query out she was telling me that "It was a mistake, we're only asking for an increase to £29.50". Given that many people probably don't have the time/inclination to check such letters and just go with the flow this seems like an awfully good way for nPower to increase their cash flow.