Gonna get some sugar, gonna spike their gasoline. Have to turn those engines off.

[reddragdiva]

Answering 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.