I currently have my power supplied by npower. Last year I received my first bill - £600 for just 4 months electric.I live in a 1 bed flat, all electric and as I was at work, I was out the house some 60 hours a week. I was so angry at the prices, I visited moneysupermarket back in Oct 08 and npower came out cheaper (to npower) by some £450 a year!

I couldnt change my tariff because I was on the standard tariff, the ONLY tariff they offer customers who move into a property that they(any supplier) provide power to - meaning that as a consumer, I dont get the best deal. The cheaper prices are only online, so if you are someone who is happy with their supplier, you are being overcharged by some £5-£10 a week when you could simply go online and sign up to a cheaper tariff by the same supplier.

I am angry because this is something that they NEVER tell customers signing up. At least with companies like BT, they give you a choice whether to either telephone in, or sign up online and get a free home hub(for example) - so why cant the electric companies advertise the same way?

Unless you are looking to switch supplier, you will be totally unware of the savings you could make, which can run into hundreds of pounds a year

Sorry - maybe I am thick - but why can't you change your supplier ?
I believe that anyone is entitled to pick whichever supplier and tarrif they choose ?

- Did all your bills start and end on an actual meter reading, including more importantly the opening meter reading for your account, with Npower.

- Who informed you you weren't able to change supplier? Was this Npower themselves? Whomever it was was giving you grossly inaccurate infomation. You are free to change tarriff (in general terms) providing you meet the critieria for the tarriff i.e. have internet access for an internet tarriff etc. Although these generally require direct debit payments. Even so there are still plenty of tarriffs available on all suppliers for non-direct debit payments.

- If you weren't given a choice when signing up that's just bad customer service. You should be talked through the best options for you (this goe son in the organisation I work for). Energy Suppliers do advertise this way (comparrison sites for example).

- You can and should always be asking your current supplier if you're on the right tarriff for you and swapping accordingly. Like most industries if you're apparently content to pay over the odd's for a service they'll happily charge you over the odd's. Its up to you to be pro-active. It comes down to simple business practices making the most profit form the least resources.

Npower told me that I couldnt switch tariff because I was still under contract for the standard tariff - which is automatic. But my point is, if you are happy with your supplier, you are being charged over the odds, when you could simply go online and change tarriff and save hundreds a year.

It stuns me that this practice is allowed

grim rita:

I couldnt change my tariff because I was on the standard tariff,

If you post the name of the tariff as it appears on your bill you will get better help here.

Assuming you're a domestic customer you will intially be placed on a standard tarriff untill such time as you selected something different (if you didn't have the appropriate disucssion in the first place) - whomever told you you were unable to switch lied - pure and simple.

As for online tarriffs being cheaper this is for a very good reason. Suppliers save huge costs. They do not have to physically arrange for the bills to be printed, so that's material cost and labours costs saved. Secondly they do not have to pay distribution costs again again more cost savings for your supplier which they return in the form of larger discounts.

This is in addition to regular meter readings being provided by the customer enabling all your bills to be billed to an actual meter reading first time every time, thus preventing repetition of work (ie. re-billing your account to correct an estimation). It also means that more oftne than not other thigns such as direct debit adjustments being more accurate - agian preventing duplication.

All in all online tarriffs cut so many costs, for your supplier enabling these to be passed on to the consumer.

grim rita:

I couldnt change my tariff because I was on the standard tariff, the ONLY tariff they offer customers who move into a property that they(any supplier) provide power to - meaning that as a consumer, I dont get the best deal.

Almost certainly there is a big misunderstanding going on there. Given that (probably) you are in a position to switch (just by going online to a comparison website), it would not have been in NPower's interest not to attempt to sign you up (and lock you in) to a more competitive tariff.

Don't be a victim, but until you post the name of your current tariff as printed on your most recent bill it won't be certain that you can switch penalty free.

I have complained to Npower - but its slow and very painful - they are simply useless.

After yet another conversation with them yesterday, it appears that my economy 7 doesnt actually kick in until midnight - so I am being charged the higher rate for energy ALL day. I never had any problems when I was with EDF in London. I was paying £30 a month and that was it.

My tariff is just the standard tariff

grim rita:I have complained to Npower - but its slow and very painful - they are simply useless.

Forget their customer services number look up their complaints number it should appear on any of their statements or you can obtian it from their website. Speak to their complaints department and if still not satisifed by their response obtian a copy of their complaints procedure and followit to the letter. Ultimately if it remains unsatisfied you will be able to contact OFGem who may take up your case.

grim rita:it appears that my economy 7 doesnt actually kick in until midnight - so I am being charged the higher rate for energy ALL day.

Well this is how E-7 metering works. If you have them your storage heating will also come on at this time (they are wired specifically to come on when the jight portion of your meter is active) so that they will be charged at the low rate - handy considering that they will be using a very large amount of energy far larger than any other appliance in your propety (probably far larger than all your other appliances put together). To offset the lower night charges your day-time electrcity will have a premium over non e7 metering. So where possible install timers so that other appliances cna be utilised during these times. This type of emtering and timing is standard across the energy market and is not unique to Npower. Its simply how the meter works.

grim rita:I never had any problems when I was with EDF in London. I was paying £30 a month and that was it.

What tarriff were you on? how were you paying? how long ago was this? were your bills based on actual meter readings?

grim rita:My tariff is just the standard tariff.

You can still change this - when speaking with their complaints team enquire into their other tarrifs.

grim rita:I have complained to Npower - but its slow and very painful - they are simply useless.

I'm going to be a little cruel to be kind. You seen determined to play the victim and seem to have just woken up from a long sleep.

You are the customer and there is a much more productive and positive way to play this than the complaints route you are being guided down.

Go to a Consumer Focus accredited comparison website. This is a link to one on this this Forum. Enter your details and you will get a list of suppliers in cost order. Probably NPower will be cheapest and would be so as long as you observe the tariff small print. I imagine you will prefer to select the first non-Npower tariff so select a suitable tariff that allows online switching that you are happy with taking into account the tariff small print.

The gaining company will deal with NPower on your behalf, you do not need to speak to NPower again. Its possible however NPower will phone you, (1) to check that the switch is genuine (answer YES) and (2) to try to convince you to stay. How you answer that is up to you. I suggest THANKS, BUT NO THANKS

Remember you do not need to contact NPower, the gaining company does that for you. The switch will take place in approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

Any questions, post again.

I have already gone to their Executive complaints team and they have offered me the online tariff but they dont think they can back date it to Oct 08 when I discovered it. British Gas offer a far better deal (that I found on here) but whilst my complaint is outstanding, I cant switch.

I'm not playing the 'victim' - its just annoying that these tariffs are out there, but again its up to the consumer to do their home work. Not everyone can spend the best part of a day researching the best deals and as I have mentioned elsewhere, if you are happy with your current supplier, and on the same standard tariff, you are losing out in hundreds of pounds of savings.

grim rita:

but whilst my complaint is outstanding, I cant switch.

There you go again....

Hogwash you can switch at any time, regardless of complaint.

If npower cna proive that you were mis-advised regarding not being able to switch they cna and should back date the plan (or credit your account with the cost difference), if they can't provie one way or another I cna see why they would be reluctant do so. As you are quite correct it is up to the consumer to look after their own affairs and ensure they're getting the best they can.

If doesn't take more than 5 minutes to research better tarrifs (to a basic level) so fi you're spending any where near half a day your either doing it wrong or being too picky.

And finally in your closing sentance your nopt telling anyone anything new - this has been common knowledge for a very long time and is something Jalexa, myself and numerous others have advised people to check out before.

Jalexa:

grim rita:

but whilst my complaint is outstanding, I cant switch.

There you go again....

If you cant say anything constructive Jalexa - dont say anything at all. I cant switch, I even had the letter from British Gas (who I was going to switch to through this site) saying that whilst there is an outstanding dispute, npower have refused to let me switch.

grim rita:

If you cant say anything constructive Jalexa - dont say anything at all.

As I said - "there you go again". Posts are "one to many" (hopefully). I post to try to help any OP who wants to be helped ( I take it you did want help??) but also anyone else who follows the thread who wants to be helped. If even one person goes away able to deal more confidently with a similar situation then that is a result.

Regarding the particular "objection" you have encountered, you might want to discuss that specific issue with Consumer Focus. It's news to me as grounds for an objection though I stand to be corrected. I would never take a "big company" explanation at face value. If you are in "non Direct Debit" arrears however, that is another matter.

I wait for Mynewt's insight on how to counter the "objection" and score another goal.