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.
