Npower Bill 2 years later

[Phaeton]

My son moved into a rented property with his girlfriend in April 2014, she moved out in August 2014 & he moved out in April 2015 the house stood empty for May 2015 although he was still the tenant. At the time he was in full time employment with one company during the week & worked every other weekend for another company.

In February 2017 they sent him a letter saying that in 20th January 2017 the meter had been examined & it had been bypassed prior to my sons occupation & included was a bill for a further £546 which they estimate is the electricity he used in that period on top of the £450 he'd already put on the prepayment card, they had in May 2014 refused to change the meter to a post payment one.

We have reached deadlock with them, it has gone to the Ombudsman who are siding with Npower in that they can claim 10 units a day usage as that is the national average. Our argument is that no account of his single full time working status has been taken into account. Are there grounds to fight this or do we just have to roll over & take it no matter how unfair it is. I do not object to paying an amount to make this go away, but the amount they are claiming is greater than my own bill in a house which is 50% bigger, with my wife at home all day.

Not sure it makes any difference but my son now currently lives in New Zealand

Thanks in advance.

[des8]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

hi
Sure it makes a difference!
This is not your bill.
Tell Npower that your son is no longer in the country, having emigrated to New Zealand.
That should make it go away

[Phaeton]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

hi
Sure it makes a difference!
This is not your bill.
Tell Npower that your son is no longer in the country, having emigrated to New Zealand.
That should make it go away

They do know, it took over 6 weeks before they would even talk to me about it, maybe that was my mistake, being too honest, maybe I should have just put 'Not known at this address' & returned to sender. He's not emigrated he's there on a visa until at least next February but not sure what is happening after that, whether he will come home or continue travelling elsewhere.

[des8]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

Whichever way you look at it, it is not your bill,
As a parent I appreciate your desire to help your son, but unless you have given an undertaking to Npower there is little they can do.
If you want to help your son and are prepared to pay something you could write a "without prejudice" letter to Npower,
Remind them your son is no longer available (!), but that to resolve the matter once and for all you are willing to make an ex gratia payment to them of £X in full and final settlement. You will require confirmation that they will take no further action.
They will probably not accept it, but from then on I would ignore them (and tell your son to stay o/seas for 6 years!)

[Phaeton]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

Thank you for this, yes I do feel responsible, I am also willing to pay a sum which would reflect his usage, but they are basing it on the UK average of 10 units per day which I find unacceptable. The Ombudsman has found in their favour, or least they have made a decision that what they have done is within guidelines, with a £75 reduction on how it was handled.

Is there a standard template letter available to use?

[des8]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

I doubt you'll find a template letter anywhere for your situation.
You should just write and remind them you have no liability for this estimated bill, which is due from a person no longer resident in the UK.
However to bring the situation to a conclusion you would consider paying a reasonable sum.
Confirmation would be required that this amount would have to be accepted as a full and final settlement,

You understand the AVERAGE uk usage is 10 units per day.
As however the person liable for the outstanding amount was single, and rarely in the premises to which the bill relates, you maintain the estimate is excessive.
Offer a figure you think is reasonable (less a further 20% ? to allow for negotiations) and tell them again this is not an admission that you are liable for this debt,
Await their response.

Do not admit any responsibility

[Phaeton]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

Sorry to bring this up again but it is still ongoing, I've jut been to 3 solicitors offices who were not interested in assisting me they said it was a consumer matter & go to the CAB , so went to the CAB office only to find them queuing out the door. My concern is, they to my mind have not proved or provided any proof that the bypass was done prior my son moving in, it could have happened after he left for all we know. But by offering them an amount am I not conceding the fact that I believe them & that the bypass was before his residency.

[des8]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

IMO you should write one last letter, insisting it is not your account and if they are unwilling to accept your offer as full and final within eg 14 days you do not want to hear from then further.
It's their loss.

[Phaeton]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

[MENTION=39710]des8[/MENTION] Quite spookily I eventually wrote them a letter this week which was signed for on the 10th advising that we still disagree with their decision, that I will without prejudice offer them £100 as full & final payment. Today my son has received a letter from CST Law, Sheffield, who appear to be trading as Credit Style Ltd http://www.creditstyle.co.uk/ are they debt collectors & able to be ignored or do I need to respond to them my son is still living in New Zealand but is considering returning at the end of May.

[des8]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

As you posted a copy of the letter i assume they have not sent it to NZ!

They are only debt collectors, and whilst this letter threatens court action, it is not a letter before action.
i personally would ignore that, but am tagging [MENTION=99495]slainte caragh[/MENTION] who is well up with utility companies!
She may have better advice.

[slainte caragh]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

Thanks [MENTION=39710]des8[/MENTION], didn't see this one.

VEEERRRYYYY interesting.

I know you want to @Pheaton, but my inital advice is.. and I cannot say this strongly enough.

PAY NOTHING.

You need further information, and you are fully within your rights to demand it (or your Son is),

The first thing you need to establish is when did this mistake first come to light, and when was the initial correction bill sent? You need to see confirmation of that bill, until you see it showing the mistake within 12 months. This is due to the Back Billing principle.

Remind then they your son was not responsible for mistakes caused by faulty equipment (i.e a bypassed meter) which should have been noticed and investigated during routine maintainence and safety checks.. which is ultimately their responsibility.

[Phaeton]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

Thanks [MENTION=39710]des8[/MENTION],

The letter came to my house, I have been returning Npower's, but this came in a different envelope
[MENTION=99495]slainte caragh[/MENTION]

The 'error' came to light or so they claim on the 24th January 2017 (approximately) We/he received the initial revised bill (10th February 2017) approximately. I tried to go down the back billing route with them, but both they & the Ombudsman have rejected it as it's being classed as fraud. I also tried the regular maintenance but they claim that it wasn't an unreasonable period of time just under 3 years from my son starting the rent to producing the bill, no idea how long before that it had been checked they refused to give that information. We also asked them to change the meters (he had both gas & electricity from Npower on prepayment) in May/June 2014 when they had to change the gas one as it was faulty, but as he had never had any service with any energy company they refused to put in post payment meters, I forgot to advise the Ombudsman of this on the original complaint & they refused to consider it later on. They have always refused to provide any details of how the bypass was made & how they know it was before his tenancy & not afterwards.

[slainte caragh]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

I would re-raise the complaint on the grounds of inadequate maintainance on the meter, advise them that you are still fighting the matter and would like an independent and impartial review, which you intend to take as far as you can.

Remind Npower the onus is on them to prove that the bypass was caused by your son, meaning that you will require proof of how they know the dates of the bypass, and proof your son would have been aware of it without any formal training (as per their QUALIFIED (use the word qualified) engineers.

The whole 3 years thing.. veeeerrryyyy interesting as OFGEM state maintainance should be done every 2 years

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/defau...ns_final_0.pdf

They might like a copy so they can refresh their memory... they might also like to be reminded that an accusation of Fraud with no proof is a very serious allegation that perhaps a Solicitor would be interested in, and could they furnish you with documentary evidence that this is the case, including photographic evidence of him tampering with the meter.

They will REALLY enjoy that *sarcastic laugh*

[Phaeton]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

[MENTION=99495]slainte caragh[/MENTION] Sorry for the delay I'm not getting notifications of posts on this post although I am subscribed, getting them for other posts though so uncertain why not.

They received my last communication last Tuesday so will give them until Wednesday before sending a further latter, btw they are not accusing my son of the actual tamper they are claiming it was before he moved in & that he benefited from it, but refusing tell us how they know it was before he moved in.

[slainte caragh]

Re: Npower Bill 2 years later

To suggest someone has knowingly benefited from Fraud is as good as saying he was party to it.

You need to see documentary proof that he actually knew he was benefiting from this and kept this knowledge secret, in which case when did they involve the police to rectify this?

He has a right under the Freedom of Information act to see information relating to him, I would suggest him quoting this and demanding the evidence of this tamper happening before he moves in, reminding them that the onus of proof is on them.

If they don't have it, he don't owe it!