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reddragdivaAnswering the burning question of whether Npower can be trusted with a direct debit: No, not really.
From: David Gerard To: enquiries@energywatch.org.uk Subject: Complaint about Npower and direct debits Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to enquire as to whether OFGEM deals with complaints about a gas supplier's behaviour with regard to billing and direct debits. We recently received two estimated gas bills in succession from Npower; they could not account for why they were unable to send someone to check the meter, nor did they send us a key when requested for us to open the meter box and read it ourselves in the usual fashion. Despite saying on the first call they would freeze the account until the meter had been read, they increased the direct debit - from £14/month to £23/month (a remarkable gas usage for a two-person flat). On the third call, enquiring as to why they had done this, they said we should open the meter ourselves with pliers and take a reading. They could offer no adequate explanation for the grossly increased direct debit, which we explicitly did not authorise. We have cancelled all direct debits with Npower and are switching our gas and electricity to British Gas. But the account still has a credit, which we obviously wish to recover; and such fast and loose behaviour with direct debits surely cannot be reasonable industry practice. If we make a formal detailed complaint, would this be dealt with by OFGEM, by Trading Standards, a banking industry body or by some other body? yours, David Gerard
The best bit was calling Natwest and promptly disabling the direct debits.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 11:44 am (UTC)Put a zero on it. There's our gas bill ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 12:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 12:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 12:53 pm (UTC)Canadians know all about it, and insulate our homes. If we didn't, we'd die.
I suppose there's not much you can do to stone, though, except hang curtains on the inside, or not heat all of it all the time, and double-glazing is probably right out of the question...
Maybe all the pretty toys in the background of this (http://www.velvet.net/~edwards/webcam.html) generate some heat, though?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 01:01 pm (UTC)- Big thick wool tapestries on the walls
- Two giant dogs sleeping on the floor
- Big thick carpets
- A herd of sheep sheltering along the walls
- A roaring log fire
- Lots of blankets
- Wearing three jumpers at a time
- Not going to the the ground floor unless you have to
- Draught excluders in front of all the doors
Are among the measures taken to make stone houses (notably castles) warmer. I suspect some of these are conditional upon being the king and having effectively infinite money and labour at your disposal.(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 01:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 02:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 03:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 03:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 03:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 04:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 01:40 pm (UTC)We do many of these things in Canada as well, although when you have insulation in the walls it isn't usually necessary to put curtains on the inside as well.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 03:07 pm (UTC)In the college room I had in my first year, there was a great big lead-clad dormer window that accounted for something silly like 30% of the surface area of the room. It was freezing. I eventually bought as much cheap fabric as I could find and hung it over the walls of the alcove and somehow strung another bit across the ceiling (this bit was midnight blue and it was great!) - the room was literally about five degrees warmer after that. Bloody silly room.
weird insulations
Date: 2004-10-21 06:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-21 06:30 pm (UTC)or sheep!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 02:06 pm (UTC)The kit generates heat upstairs, where it goes to make the attic warm (already warm enough) - I spend a lot of summer wishing for A/C. And of course, that's only half of it.
G5 Mac is remarkably cool running, though.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 04:08 pm (UTC)a lot of the gas bill is just down to having an 8+ bedroom house over 3 floors, and lots of legacy hardware. we have a hot water tank appropriately sized for several 2 bed flats.
and
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 12:38 pm (UTC)Our gas bill is £24 a month, with British Gas - I'm sure Uswitch suggested cheaper than that. I can't be arsed to wrestle with it right now, but I'll be paring every damn penny off the bills once I can move.
NPower suck more than a sucky thing. My downstairs neighbour had to set the dog on their salescretins ;o)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 02:21 pm (UTC)Also I do not think the banks will get involved, even over the direct debit guarentee. They will say you and the supplier are just disputing the amount and it is a civil dispute rather then a banking error (npower agree they are doing this and I guess there contract with you allows them to do it and the amount is not a silly amount they are taking) or a criminal matter.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 04:24 pm (UTC)As for our bank, they said they had to let today's payments go through, which is fine, and NPower are indeed entitled to any arrears we owe, but we are ahead, and will pay the final bill when it arrives in a timely manner.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 11:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 11:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-28 03:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-28 04:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-28 12:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-27 06:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-28 01:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-29 05:03 am (UTC)No committing double adultery!
Nephilim*
(Changed my mobile number, I'll text yer when next in credit)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-29 07:09 am (UTC)Email me at dgerard at gmail dot com ...