Anyone Else Getting Fleeced By Npower?

[Blank]

We've been fleeced by NPower too: very much in the same way as Junior Bedlingtonian. A few years ago and over night our payment account went from £250.00 in credit to -£800.00 because they did not do a meter reading for 2 years.

It was a nightmare trying to sort things out with them. They were demanding money via their arrogant, disrespectful and thick minded minion brigade employed to deal with such matters. And who I might add, do not know or understand the meaning/concept of customer service. They were one of the worst customer services I have ever had to deal with in my life.

It took a couple of months to sort out and in the end I had to go above the minions' head to get things done, getting everything checked and double checked, and make arrangements for payment. As soon as that bill was sorted out and we paid in full we happily dumped them - never to return.

If they didn’t check your meter for 2 years, then that’s their fault and surely you shouldn’t have had to pay that money. The same thing happened to someone who was on Watchdog and they managed to get the company to scrap the debt (think it was British Gas?). It's amazing what they'll do (and how quickly they'll do it) when BBC's Watchdog gets on their backs... but for the rest of us, we just have to struggle on and usually end up paying the price for their mistakes!

I've wrote several complaints to Npower now without success, my next step is to get in touch with the energy ombudsman, which I'll do once I've had a reply to my latest email.

[BedlingtonLass]

woah we aint all thick, we have rules and regulations we have to stick to and the people public deal with (for the record) are not in my dept

[Camille]

I have found Npower completely useless.

Over winter 2006/2007 they reckoned my electricity tripled. We couldnt understand it. We had not bought anything new that guzzled electricity or used any more than usual. We had to pay it.

The result was that i now keep records of electric and gas consumption on monthly, sometimes even weekly basis. i can calculate how much energy we use weekly and i quote it to the power companies.

Every six months they try to increase my direct debits enormously and i ring them and quote all of my usage to them. They dont have a leg to stand on now. They always end up agreeing with me and allowing me to pay the amount that i calculate.

I agree i am doing their job for them, but I'd rather do that than have them take stupid amounts of money from me each month.

I would like to change my suppliers (gas is with british gas) but I've heard so many bad stories Im too scared to take the jump.

By the way, we in Europe appear to be bearing the brunt of the new fashion to conserve energy. Other parts of the world burn massive amounts of energy and at a much cheaper price!!! Charging us more for our energy shouldnt be the incentive to make us conserve energy.

[Cympil]

I have found Npower completely useless.

Over winter 2006/2007 they reckoned my electricity tripled. We couldnt understand it. We had not bought anything new that guzzled electricity or used any more than usual. We had to pay it.

The result was that i now keep records of electric and gas consumption on monthly, sometimes even weekly basis. i can calculate how much energy we use weekly and i quote it to the power companies.

Every six months they try to increase my direct debits enormously and i ring them and quote all of my usage to them. They dont have a leg to stand on now. They always end up agreeing with me and allowing me to pay the amount that i calculate.

I agree i am doing their job for them, but I'd rather do that than have them take stupid amounts of money from me each month.

I would like to change my suppliers (gas is with british gas) but I've heard so many bad stories Im too scared to take the jump.

By the way, we in Europe appear to be bearing the brunt of the new fashion to conserve energy. Other parts of the world burn massive amounts of energy and at a much cheaper price!!! Charging us more for our energy shouldnt be the incentive to make us conserve energy.

I`m suprised you even know that NPower have tried to increase your Direct Debits..normally they just help themselves without any knowledge of it happening!

And i`m also doing their job for them, i`m forever having to write numbers down, constantly check usage and see if it`s adding up correctly, i`m always having to watch my back with them..they should be investigated. There`s so much on the internet about their sly ways..it has to be illegal.

Looks like there might be investigations going to happen with the energy companys..about time too.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum...tml#post1837937

[BedlingtonLass]

We've been fleeced by NPower too: very much in the same way as Junior Bedlingtonian. A few years ago and over night our payment account went from £250.00 in credit to -£800.00 because they did not do a meter reading for 2 years.

It was a nightmare trying to sort things out with them. They were demanding money via their arrogant, disrespectful and thick minded minion brigade employed to deal with such matters. And who I might add, do not know or understand the meaning/concept of customer service. They were one of the worst customer services I have ever had to deal with in my life.

It took a couple of months to sort out and in the end I had to go above the minions’ head to get things done, getting everything checked and double checked, and make arrangements for payment. As soon as that bill was sorted out and we paid in full we happily dumped them - never to return.

Hey we aint all thick, some errors do occur

[Mr Darn]

Hey we aint all thick

Q: Please state in 15 words or less why we should choose you above your colleagues:

A: Coz They Are All Thick, except me, coz i don't work with the public

Perhaps a good read

[Monsta®]

Hey we aint all thick, some errors do occur

yeah lots of errors

[BedlingtonLass]

I agree there are some numptys that work there but thats not my dept, we are all clever, witty and charming in my dept

Take some local employers for example, i wouldnt want to be seen working in some of the places around here, where u need a degree in lack of social skills, education and language.

[Mr Darn]

Take some local employers for example,

Like who??

[BedlingtonLass]

Like who??

I am sure u can think of a few

[Mr Darn]

I am sure u can think of a few

But unable to name and shame them.

i personally cant think of any businesses in bedlington that employ people with a distinct lack of social skills, education or language, with the exception of Tesco, who employ these people knowingly to help them gain confidence and have as close to a normal life as possible.

or am i missing your point?

think some clarification is required before someone gets seriously offended by accident here...

[Guest mrsvic]

i personally cant think of any businesses in bedlington that employ people with a distinct lack of social skills, education or language, with the exception of Tesco, who employ these people knowingly to help them gain confidence and have as close to a normal life as possible.

As a regular Tesco customer I don't really see a 'them' situation (which I guess is some reference to the Disabled Employment Act/ Social firms concept) I think it represents a fair cross-section of the community (although with more attractive blondes on the check-out than most)...

My only criticism of the staff is their inability to distinguish an aubergine from a courgette...

Sadly, my criticism of NPower is endless... on each call I am met with snotty attitudes, bad mathematics skills, appauling use of the English language, and the inability to press the 'quiet' button when talking about me with contempt to their colleagues... on every level, in every department that I have spoken to in the company I have been met with the same attitudes or sheer arrogance, shouted at me with conviction and really bad grammar.

If there were anywhere that required a degree in lack of social skills, education and language it would be NPower, however it would be a GNVQ level 1, taught at Ashington Tech, and the staff would still struggle to make the grade.

Sorry BedlingtonLass, if you are one of the few exceptions... perhaps I gave up before I got through to your department, or maybe you were just off playing with one of the bribes the company gave you for your relentless support!

[Cympil]

As a regular Tesco customer I don't really see a 'them' situation (which I guess is some reference to the Disabled Employment Act/ Social firms concept) I think it represents a fair cross-section of the community (although with more attractive blondes on the check-out than most)...

My only criticism of the staff is their inability to distinguish an aubergine from a courgette...

Sadly, my criticism of NPower is endless... on each call I am met with snotty attitudes, bad mathematics skills, appauling use of the English language, and the inability to press the 'quiet' button when talking about me with contempt to their colleagues... on every level, in every department that I have spoken to in the company I have been met with the same attitudes or sheer arrogance, shouted at me with conviction and really bad grammar.

If there were anywhere that required a degree in lack of social skills, education and language it would be NPower, however it would be a GNVQ level 1, taught at Ashington Tech, and the staff would still struggle to make the grade.

Sorry BedlingtonLass, if you are one of the few exceptions... perhaps I gave up before I got through to your department, or maybe you were just off playing with one of the bribes the company gave you for your relentless support!

Agreed!

No offence meant here but NPower is a bit like the army ..they only employ misfits of society

Gizza job

[BedlingtonLass]

To say all Npower staff are alike is not correct though, there are different departments within the company, as i said at the beginning of this subject i can not fault them as an employer, the best ive worked for, salary and treatment of staff, i work for money not for fun

[Guest mrsvic]

To say all Npower staff are alike is not correct though, there are different departments within the company, as i said at the beginning of this subject i can not fault them as an employer, the best ive worked for, salary and treatment of staff, i work for money not for fun

I must be great to get treated well and a bit more cash... but what exactly have the NPower employees done to deserve these grand gestures? It must be great for NPower that they can leave a huge number of customers (just see the number of site members with a grievence here) with huge bills, a poor service and no accountability at the end of it. The staff at NPower are so sure of their fantastic company that they won't deal with complaints efficiently, as though they don't exist. If the members of this site and people I know are anything to go by, NPower has a huge number of faults and the only way to escape them is to change... usually before this happens a big bill has mounted up (much larger than it should be) but a usless team of self-important, illiterate shouting knackers who can't even add up will stop you in your tracks.

The staff at NPower that I have encountered (and I mean all of them... and I've spoken to lots) gave no sympathy to my situation (where they had over charged me by thousands and were habitually taking £600+ by direct debit for bill that didn't exist) and only after I shouted louder then them (and months later) did they rectify it to some extent. I know of a number of older people who have been absolutely screwed over by NPower and left in positions where they just had to pay up because your well looked after staff were too arrogant about their service to assist with any potential faults.

Nurses, paramedics and the like are getting lower wages and harsher working conditions than NPower staff for jobs with much longer hours that require skilled training and a level of empathy with their clientelle. Does it ever make NPower staff wonder what makes their role so important that it warrants better working conditions or higher rates of pay? Is it for loyalty to a company that knows it's in their best interests to have impolite, underskilled yes men on their payroll as it's saving them the thousands they are fleecing from them every day?

[BedlingtonLass]

I must be great to get treated well and a bit more cash... but what exactly have the NPower employees done to deserve these grand gestures? It must be great for NPower that they can leave a huge number of customers (just see the number of site members with a grievence here) with huge bills, a poor service and no accountability at the end of it. The staff at NPower are so sure of their fantastic company that they won't deal with complaints efficiently, as though they don't exist. If the members of this site and people I know are anything to go by, NPower has a huge number of faults and the only way to escape them is to change... usually before this happens a big bill has mounted up (much larger than it should be) but a usless team of self-important, illiterate shouting knackers who can't even add up will stop you in your tracks.

The staff at NPower that I have encountered (and I mean all of them... and I've spoken to lots) gave no sympathy to my situation (where they had over charged me by thousands and were habitually taking £600+ by direct debit for bill that didn't exist) and only after I shouted louder then them (and months later) did they rectify it to some extent. I know of a number of older people who have been absolutely screwed over by NPower and left in positions where they just had to pay up because your well looked after staff were too arrogant about their service to assist with any potential faults.

Nurses, paramedics and the like are getting lower wages and harsher working conditions than NPower staff for jobs with much longer hours that require skilled training and a level of empathy with their clientelle. Does it ever make NPower staff wonder what makes their role so important that it warrants better working conditions or higher rates of pay? Is it for loyalty to a company that knows it's in their best interests to have impolite, underskilled yes men on their payroll as it's saving them the thousands they are fleecing from them every day?

I agree we are much better paid than most other companies for less demanding jobs but can you blame anyone for wanting to work for them when they treat there staff so well, i think if people were offered a job working with them then they would def take it, best thing to do is go compare all utility companies, see who has the best prices and go with them.

Take a look at some of the good that the company does, i dont know many other companies that are so generous.

[Mr Darn]

As a regular Tesco customer I don't really see a 'them' situation (which I guess is some reference to the Disabled Employment Act/ Social firms concept) I think it represents a fair cross-section of the community (although with more attractive blondes on the check-out than most)...

To be fair, i dont see them at bedlington's tesco either, but i work at Blyth's ASDA, and i know we employ at least 2 there. And to be fair, i'd rather talk to either of them on the phone than the services department at ASDA.com!

My point is, Bedlingtonlass suggested a company which employed people who

need a degree in lack of social skills, education and language.

i was, and am still, wondering to whom she is refering.

Whilst out the other day, 2 things were mentioned to me.

1, people on this site are far to willing to make statments that can do potential damage to bedlington's businesses without any grounds, and have no proof to back them up when called upon.

2, Even a newspaper will not print anything without knowing the name and address of the person who's opinion it is, and by allowing such statments, we may actually be breaking the law.

i tried to point out that each statment is the posters view, and not that of Bedlington.co.uk, but they insisted. I also mentioned you could send a letter in with a fake name and address and it would be published, but this was also dismissed.

I actually wanted Tesco to be named, as i had a witty comeback lined up, especially after MrsVic's

As a regular Tesco customer I don't really see a 'them' situation (which I guess is some reference to the Disabled Employment Act/ Social firms concept) I think it represents a fair cross-section of the community (although with more attractive blondes on the check-out than most)...

My only criticism of the staff is their inability to distinguish an aubergine from a courgette...

Sadly, my criticism of NPower is endless... on each call I am met with snotty attitudes, bad mathematics skills, appauling use of the English language, and the inability to press the 'quiet' button when talking about me with contempt to their colleagues... on every level, in every department that I have spoken to in the company I have been met with the same attitudes or sheer arrogance, shouted at me with conviction and really bad grammar.

[BedlingtonLass]

Mr Darn or anyone else for that matter ... can you say that you are truly happy with the company that you work for, pay rates, treatment of staff, yourself and customers and i mean 100% happy

[Guest mrsvic]

I agree we are much better paid than most other companies for less demanding jobs but can you blame anyone for wanting to work for them when they treat there staff so well

I guess it's human nature for most to put money before ethics for most. I just question the company that is bribing many easily led employees to carry out their dirty work that leaves loads of people out of pocket. In an ideal world the folk who give such a poor level of service - for something that is actually the job that pays their wages - would have been the first to be out of job (with nice Woolworths staff to replace them). Sadly the world is not an ideal place. One of the reasons for this, I guess, is because there are people out there prepared to take well paid jobs that require them to swindle the customers, and companies that are prepared to pay over the odds for henchmen to line their pockets even further.

NPower aren't the first nor the last company to use this method of control of their employees, but it's sad to think that there are people out there who are prepared to 'work' to defraud their fellow man for a few extra pennies every month

[Mr Darn]

Mr Darn or anyone else for that matter ... can you say that you are truly happy with the company that you work for, pay rates, treatment of staff, yourself and customers and i mean 100% happy

Bedlingtonlass, i am not, and never will be happy working under anyone else. you know this. Until i'm my own boss, i'll hate working anywhere.

Whats this got to do with working conditions in Bedlington?

So your being treated well, we get it. the customers arn't tho, and when N-Power goes tit's up, i'll see you in the dole que.

Do you really sleep well at night knowing your cushy pay rise and bonuses are coming from pensioners pockets whom dont have the consumer knowledge or strength to confront the 'lovey dovey' company you work for? Who have been brought up to 'hide' debt because it brings shame on a family, and should never be discussed in public?

Someone supplying a service should be doing all they can to make sure the price they are asking for is correct. Cutting out the meter man is simpily not acceptable as a cost cutting excersise with old and frail people who dont have computers, and cant submit weekly online readings because they simply cant bend over far enough under the stairs to read the small numbers.

It's a Bloody outrage, and i'm pleased your so happy!

[BedlingtonLass]

I guess it's human nature for most to put money before ethics for most. I just question the company that is bribing many easily led employees to carry out their dirty work that leaves loads of people out of pocket. In an ideal world the folk who give such a poor level of service - for something that is actually the job that pays their wages - would have been the first to be out of job (with nice Woolworths staff to replace them). Sadly the world is not an ideal place. One of the reasons for this, I guess, is because there are people out there prepared to take well paid jobs that require them to swindle the customers, and companies that are prepared to pay over the odds for henchmen to line their pockets even further.

NPower aren't the first nor the last company to use this method of control of their employees, but it's sad to think that there are people out there who are prepared to 'work' to defraud their fellow man for a few extra pennies every month

I can honestly say my job does not involve any swindling of customers, all i do is sort out accounts which are in need of figures, all computer based, i go to work, do my job and come home, it pays the bills and supports my children.

[BedlingtonLass]

Bedlingtonlass, i am not, and never will be happy working under anyone else. you know this. Until i'm my own boss, i'll hate working anywhere.

Whats this got to do with working conditions in Bedlington?

So your being treated well, we get it. the customers arn't tho, and when N-Power goes tit's up, i'll see you in the dole que.

Do you really sleep well at night knowing your cushy pay rise and bonuses are coming from pensioners pockets whom dont have the consumer knowledge or strength to confront the 'lovey dovey' company you work for? Who have been brought up to 'hide' debt because it brings shame on a family, and should never be discussed in public?

Someone supplying a service should be doing all they can to make sure the price they are asking for is correct. Cutting out the meter man is simpily not acceptable as a cost cutting excersise with old and frail people who dont have computers, and cant submit weekly online readings because they simply cant bend over far enough under the stairs to read the small numbers.

It's a Bloody outrage, and i'm pleased your so happy!

Hey i could be on the dole - my children are still of school age, but then surely people would have something to say about me being on benefits and sat at home not earning my cash (i know a few of those people who complain about people on benefits - not me before anyone starts on that one), i however go to work at a company i enjoy working for, is that so wrong?

[Mr Darn]

Hey i could be on the dole - my children are still of school age, but then surely people would have something to say about me being on benefits and sat at home not earning my cash (i know a few of those people who complain about people on benefits - not me before anyone starts on that one), i however go to work at a company i enjoy working for, is that so wrong?

not at all, but slagging off local businesses is, and you STILL have not come up with an answer.

[Guest mrsvic]

To be fair, i dont see them at bedlington's tesco either, but i work at Blyth's ASDA, and i know we employ at least 2 there. And to be fair, i'd rather talk to either of them on the phone than the services department at ASDA.com!

Politically correct as ever!

In my view there isn't a 'they' or 'them' for people with a disadvantage or disability... My 'them' is all the awful knackers out there (chavs, Mail readers, the people I've spoken to at NPower!). I wouldn't employ any of them if I had a shop*

*But I don't

[BedlingtonLass]

Do you really sleep well

It's a Bloody outrage, and i'm pleased your so happy!

Yeah i sleep very well thank you knowing that i support my children and pay my bills which to me is what working is all about

As for customer treatment i can think of a few instances of a local firm handing out frozen goods from the back of there vans which we not properly frozen and partially defrosted, therefore i ask you the question of whether you slept at night knowing the food you had just handed to a customer could cause food poision or worse.