npower sucks
Rant mode on:
Don’t you just love utility companies? Not only do they overcharge you, but they also send you threatening letters. Let me explain – we have recently moved our utilities to British Gas, hoping that we get some better service – npower have easily set the standard for rubbish, woeful and uncaring customer service, so we figured, hey, we might as well change.
So, we changed to BG, and then they sent us a last meter reading for the gas. It was wrong. Told BG, told npower. They told us they would sort it out. You know the drill, “don’t worry Mr Moss”. Yeah right. Total drivel.
So, today I get a letter from npower, saying why haven’t you paid, we will be sending round a Debt Collection Agency if you are not careful etc etc. No other communication. No phone call.
So, on the phone, 9 numbers later, no joy. Queue. Queue. 15 minute wait predicted. 40 minute wait predicted. So quickly remembered this excellent website where you can access numbers that the companies don’t want you to know about – direct dial numbers, 0800 number etc. (Click here and bookmark it). Eventually got through to helpful lady, who then said – “Nothing to do with us, you need to speak to British Gas”.
I give up.
Useless. Incompetent. Hopeless. Chocolate fireguard (managed to get that phrase in on the conversation I had). Choccy teapot. These and more, are ALL too pleasant for the utility companies I have had the misfortune to deal with.
Moral of this story – invest on some new technology (solar power although unlikely in the UK), or perhaps geo-thermal stuff, so you can cut ties from these vultures. Grrrrr.
UPDATE!
Well, after receiving no reply from the letter I sent and not trusting the customer service to give me any update, I rang their Accounts Collection Manager directly.
I think he was a little surprised to get a call 
I made it VERY clear how unhappy I was with the service and also their now number one ranking on Google for npowersucks. What did amaze me is that he said it was the first he knew about it, so he had not got my letter, although he had been away for a few days. What I cannot believe is that he knew nothing about it, and I have a letter from him in my hands. Doh. I give up.
So, he has now promised to phone me back this morning. Updates as they happen!
UPDATE 2!
Well, as promised, he phoned back within ten minutes, and all is being resolved 
Hat off to him for getting back to me so quickly. They now seem to be up to date with the where we are, and are going to be looking at some compensation – I should jolly well think so – I’ve wasted 3 hours on this so far!
UPDATE 3
“You will get a compensation cheque in 14 days”.
4 weeks later and nothing and I have to make another call. More sad excuses and they say the cheque should have been sent on the 3rd. Even with the post, I think it should have arrived here by now.
This reinforces my view of their incompetence being awesome in their magnitude. They excel at it. They also say that a cheque has to go to two locations to be checked (no pun intended), and you wonder why we are struggling with business in this country. Give me strength.
UPDATE 4
After numerous phonecalls, admittedly from them, the compensation cheque arrived. About time is all I can say.
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The people on the other end probably don’t care anyway, it’s just a 9-5 attitude. What incentive is there to care about customers? So sad! Maybe ecotricity.co.uk is worth a shot.
Sounds good!
There communication is just so bad. BG have a record that npower have confirmed the new reading, but npower don’t know anything about it.
I’ve now sent a strongly worded letter to Kevin, their accounts payable manager. I’m not holding my breath
yes npower definitely sucks….my biggest issue is with their meter readers who don’t check if the meter they are reading corresponds to the correct accommodation. I have received two bills for £250-300 in the last 18 months (much higher than my normal bills for a 1 bedroom flat) because their meter readers got the readings wrong. The biggest issue with this is that they can then almost double my direct debit amount. I registered a complaint but it was never followed up.
I hear that British Gas customer service has undergone a complete about turn. Going back to British Gas sounds like a good idea!
It doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident – npower do suck – big time.
I don’t mind people making mistakes, but they need to make them right. I am not holding my breath here, but will keep on posting about my experience until someone takes note.
I have a feeling they are not monitoring their online reputation, or if they are, (they should be), they really don’t give a you know what.
British Gas seem to be very good indeed – professional and friendly.
I’ve recently switched my business supply from npower to eon… In theory it’s going to cut my bills in half. I wouldn’t touch npower with a bargepole, they’ve been utterly incompetent in every respect.
Hey Rossman,
A 50% cut is VERY impressive
Good to hear (or rather sad to hear) that npower are living up to their shocking reputation. You would hope someone would have rung me by now after receiving my letter.
But no.
Perhaps even monitored their online reputation. Stick “npower sucks” into Google and this post appears at number 2!
They sent me a letter this morning saying that my rates were going to increase by 19%… Erm, excuse me, but they stopped supplying me on July 2nd! Enclosed in the letter was a leaflet entitled something like “We’re blah blah blah making our business *brighter*”. So bright they’re sending rates increase letters out to ex-customers who’ve left them because they’re too expensive? Muppets!
Oh my goodness! Totally inept.
I think they need to make their general intelligence “brighter” for a start and lock down their CRM system so they get communications right.
I fear I will be having to call them today over our disputed meter reading…. I have a feeling of dread already
Just make sure you write down every name you speak to, what is resolved, etc. … so that when you *next* have to write to them you can quote facts and figures.
I honestly thought that when npower stopped wasting money paying for the advert breaks in “The Bill” they might spend the money they saved on improving their customer service – after all, if they had hired another couple of temps, they might have been able to reach the dizzying heights of customer service provided by a company such as BT!
“npower – famous for the bull”
Well, I’ve just spoken, at 8.55am with Kevin Hutchinson, the Accounts Collection Manager. I gave him my fairly strong thoughts and he took it on board.
And, he has just phoned again, and seems to be getting this sorted out! Good news!
PS Ross, I have a strong feeling that it is their internal communications and communication with British Gas which has gone wrong here. Ok, most of their communication!
Did they call you? If not then it’s their internal, b2b and b2c communications that are dodgy. Hmm, what does that leave? Aha – b2nc (business to non-customer) because as we already know, they’re great at sending informative letters to non-customers
Call me!? You’re joking!
I had to chase them after a handwritten letter that had not reached its recipient and also phonecalls to the customer unhelpful centre.
b2nc must be the worst
Couldn’t agree more that they suck.
After browsing prices on money market – I was surprised to see that Npower were cheapest for dual fuel. As an Npower customer, I was shocked to see that the rate that we are paying is way more than the rate advertised on the internet. After calling them up to ask them why they’re intent on shafting existing customers, they fowarded me to the “Retentions” department. It was only after threatening them that we would leave them did they cave in to agreeing to put us on the internet fare. They should have put us on the best rate anyway. They have no problems putting you on the worst rate whenever they want!
Richard,
Many thanks for commenting – sounds like another bad experience
Everything seems geared up for maximum profit at the expense of their customer, and with no care at all towards loyalty.
If they treated people better, then they would get good retention, even when rates fluctuate.
Well, after being told I can expect a cheque in 14 days, we are now on 21. Why can’t a company actually come good on their promises?
It’s not that hard. Or is it!?
Did npower ever manage to get their act together?
Hey Ross,
Funnily enough, I am going to be depositing a compensation cheque from them today!
It is taken a while, and the communication, initially was woeful. However, I have had someone ring me every few days to make sure the cheque arrived.