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[Dancinggirl]

I need a moan.  I decided to switch electricity suppliers last November, I was with npower and Powershop was offering a much better deal.  We are encouraged to move suppliers after all, to keep the market competitive.

I will admit that I hadn't been putting my metre readings as often as I should but somehow a very high and completely wrong reading was entered into my account last October (I know I didn't do this) and when I phoned npower with my ‘change over' readings in December I was assured that all would be fine. 
WELL - all is not fine, they are basing the final bill on these incorrect readings, so I was slapped with a bill of £1031.23, which they admitted was wrong and I then got a bill today for £886 - so despite me giving them the correct metre reading, and even taking a picture of a reading in early January that clearly proved that they are wrong, they are still using the incorrect reading as a basis for my bill!!!

Apparently I have done all the right things - according to the energy ombudsman - and now I just have to hope they get it right in the end BUT I must warn everyone about npower and their complete lack of efficiency, poor customer service and dishonesty.  They have blamed me and my new energy supplier for the mistakes! One of the npower team claimed that Powershop gave them the wrong metre reading, which is total nonsense - how could they, I certainly didn't give incorrect readings to Powershop!!!

It is very stressful. 
BTW - in case you didn't know; if an incorrect amount is taken by direct debit, you can simply ask the bank to have the money returned - which is what I have done. One of the benefits of doing direct debit. 

IF you are with npower, do check your account and metre readings regularly - they cannot be trusted.  DG x

[Dorothy]

Several years ago, I did some temp work for npower.  During our training and induction week, our manager advised us that if we were currently with npower, we should change supplier asap!  That's how bad their reputation was

[Dancinggirl]

Oh Dorothy! I wish I'd asked about npower on this forum before moving to them.  I was previously with First Utility and they were generally good.  I only changed to npower because they offered a good deal at that time. I'd rather pay more than have poor customer service. Powershop seem to be very helpful, so I'm hoping I've moved to a better company this time. DG x

[CLKD]

We get all this crap about changing suppliers but we never even think about it.  It all comes from the same grid  , power lines etc. and lots of our power comes from mainland Europe as we are unable to generate enough.  I don't change telephone line either ........

Let us know how you get on. 

[Dancinggirl]

CKLD - if you don't change suppliers, insurance companies etc. then you end up paying too much.  Companies rely on us not bothering to change (it's how they make so much money) and in the past I've changed insurance, energy suppliers, telephone and broadband etc. and saved hundreds of pounds. There is no excuse for these companies to make switching difficult, as we might well switch back to them in the future. I bounce back and forth to different insurance companies each year to get the best deal.

I know it all comes from the same grid - it's just that I want to pay as little as possible. DG x

[CLKD]

aaaah - but Himself rings round and tells the company we are with that he's had offers of ........... it works!

[Dancinggirl]

Sadly, not always.  I've said this to insurance companies and they simply tell me to return to them next year when I'm a new customer again!!! Special deals and offers are often only open to new customers. Unfortunately loyalty doesn't pay. DG x

[CLKD]

It certainly doesn't.  Loyalty in Companies, with various shops, utilities etc., then you find that when you change for the 'better deal' that the Company is then bought up by one of the Big 5 anyway [Brother in Law had that about 12 months ago]

[Snoooze]

Npower have a bad reputation but I was with First Utility and they were just as bad especially when I changed supplier. It took me a long time to get my money back and had to go through the Ombudsman.

[jaycee]

I am with First Utility, and have been very pleased with them,in fa got a £400 rebate last year and expecting at least £300 this year
Stayed with them 2 years running, but might change this year,i always pay over what they ask, just in case my bill is higher than i expect,, and i put my readings in online,although i am being pestered to get a smart meter i wontim not sure if it was N Power i was with before,or Northern Electric, but got a £499 rebate from them too
I would never never go with EON,  i was paying £120 a month and they said i owed another £200 when i left, i couldnt have, rather the other way round,
My sister is with EON and wont change,and she pays a lot more, than me and shes only in a 2 bed bungalow on her own, she wont change to a water meter either, still pays a lot more than me, really annoys me when she could have much less bills, but its her money shes wasting
I change my internet regularly too, got a special deal with Sky last year,only pay #317-99 a moth with phone calls ,internet and lanline all phone calls in with that
I

[Katejo]

Personally I didn't have any problems with Npower but I left them in 2006. i have read so many bad reviews since then that I'd never go back. Until recently I was with M & S energy (SSE) and i stuck with them because their customer service was good. However, last April, i finally switched again and I am now with Affect Energy. They have been fine so far and I saved a bit but may have to switch again soon. my discount year is nearly over.

[Snoooze]

I am with First Utility, and have been very pleased with them,in fa got a £400 rebate last year and expecting at least £300 this year
Stayed with them 2 years running, but might change this year,i always pay over what they ask, just in case my bill is higher than i expect,, and i put my readings in online,although i am being pestered to get a smart meter i wontim not sure if it was N Power i was with before,or Northern Electric, but got a £499 rebate from them too
I would never never go with EON,  i was paying £120 a month and they said i owed another £200 when i left, i couldnt have, rather the other way round,
My sister is with EON and wont change,and she pays a lot more, than me and shes only in a 2 bed bungalow on her own, she wont change to a water meter either, still pays a lot more than me, really annoys me when she could have much less bills, but its her money shes wasting
I change my internet regularly too, got a special deal with Sky last year,only pay #317-99 a moth with phone calls ,internet and lanline all phone calls in with that
I

I was always about £400 in credit with First Utility and that was the problem. When I switched, I should have got my £400 within 14 days. It actually took 8 months!

[Daisydot]

After lots of bad experiences I moved to ovo 3 years ago and they're great for me so I'm sticking with them.any queries I email and get a friendly response usually in a couple of hours and I love the charity work they do for young people,have a look at them online.x

[bramble]

I am currently with EDF, changed from Npower. I do check every couple of years my utility and insurance suppliers. If I get a better deal I swap. Everyone should do the same as it keeps the market on its toes. I have even cancelled my policy with a company and applied as a new customer as they were offering new customers better deals. Uswitch and such like make the process so easy.

Bramble

[dahliagirl]

We were with Eastern who changed to EDF and might have changed to UK power? 

Anyway, they put in a new meter, and proceeded to put the night readings onto the day tariff and vice versa. Not only that, they had been getting the readings correctly from the meter reader, then swapping them over to match what they had    After about 5 years, we realised and owed them over £K    We got them to put it down to much less and changed to a non Economy7 tariff and paid it off in instalments over 2 years.  Only after a year, they tried to get the full wack off us because their computer did not do 2 year repayments.  So we got more off and paid it all off and moved.

We wanted to pay it off otherwise we could not have moved.  However, I have found out since that as it was entirely all their fault, we could have had it out with them and NOT PAID any of it - might have been worth the hassle as we had no end of hassle trying to sort it out anyway.  I think we paid about 1/3 in the end.

We moved to NPower on a single tariff but their computer could not add the two numbers on the meter together so they put us on a more expensive economy seven without telling us.  Eventually they replaced the meter again to a single one.

We moved over to First Utility and had a good few years with them, and are now on another smaller supplier - did not get off to a perfect start, but they have been good since.  Moneysavingexpert is useful to keep track.