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Hi if anyone has suffered with Npower I’d really welcome some help. We have just electricity from Npower. We’ve lived in house since 2004. Paid by dd, no problems. In 2009 got a bill for £14k (for 6 months electricity)Rang and was told it was probably a mistake. 2011 I spoke to them regarding swapping to cheaper tariff and was told I couldn’t because of this 2009 bill. But still no chasing it. In 2015 account showed credit of over £5k with note saying did I want to reduce payment to £5 a month or have the £5k. Obviously opted for having £5k put into my account. Then it got passed to ‘large refunds’ then the 2009 bill came up and they said I owed them £12k. I took it to ombudsman and the young guy dealing with it said it was worse case he’d ever seen but catastrophically for me ombudsman ruled in Npower favour and I didn’t know I could appeal. I was very anxious and stressed and couldn’t cope with this. I rang Npower to work out how to pay and they said £143 a month !!!!!!!!!!! For usage and debt!!!!!! Crazy but I was broke so went with it. Fine for about a year even though our usage alone is far more than that , then they put dd up to £1400 pm. Cancelled dd. It’s been so stressful. From them to now my account has sometimes been up to £8k in credit and £14k in debt. They agreed that saying I couldn’t go to a cheaper tariff in 2011 was incorrect and they said from 2011 all bills would be charged at a different rate. Massive credits and debits (over £20k ones) were made to the account but it still resulted in me owing the same.
even since this happened my account is surprisingly in credit for months at a time! I asked them to split my account which they did last year but did put some of the old debt into new account. I was frightened of them cutting us off or breaking in to put a pay meter in. Last year they handed it to Wilkins Chapman. I asked them when the debt was from as I don’t think it was looked at as backbilling by ombudsman. WC said May 2012! And I asked them to confirm this which they did so saying account was fine until that date, I sent them all the statements of electricity used and payments from that date (account showed credit of £5k at May 2012) and it worked out I owed £5k not the £14k they say I do! Then they said no, all payments made since May 2012 have been allocated to ‘old debt’
I have found this incredibly difficult and stressful to deal with as we simply don’t have the ability to pay this amount and now they have sent me a court claim form and I don’t know what to send as defence. What part will have the most effect? Does all this defence documentation need to be sent within 28 days or can I send brief defence and all the documentary stuff later? My file to ombudsman was massive. The ombudsman have said they will look at the restructuring of the account- should I do this first? I have buried my head ! Npower has me listed as a vulnerable person because of the effect it has had on me mentally and I am over 60. Any help would be massively appreciated. Thank you
even since this happened my account is surprisingly in credit for months at a time! I asked them to split my account which they did last year but did put some of the old debt into new account. I was frightened of them cutting us off or breaking in to put a pay meter in. Last year they handed it to Wilkins Chapman. I asked them when the debt was from as I don’t think it was looked at as backbilling by ombudsman. WC said May 2012! And I asked them to confirm this which they did so saying account was fine until that date, I sent them all the statements of electricity used and payments from that date (account showed credit of £5k at May 2012) and it worked out I owed £5k not the £14k they say I do! Then they said no, all payments made since May 2012 have been allocated to ‘old debt’
I have found this incredibly difficult and stressful to deal with as we simply don’t have the ability to pay this amount and now they have sent me a court claim form and I don’t know what to send as defence. What part will have the most effect? Does all this defence documentation need to be sent within 28 days or can I send brief defence and all the documentary stuff later? My file to ombudsman was massive. The ombudsman have said they will look at the restructuring of the account- should I do this first? I have buried my head ! Npower has me listed as a vulnerable person because of the effect it has had on me mentally and I am over 60. Any help would be massively appreciated. Thank you
