Raw Deal: Conflicting power fees meant switching energy firm wasn’t as easy as it seemed

THE Raw Deal mailbag is constantly full of complaints telling of readers’ experiences with energy firms.

Mark Jackson from Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne & Wear, is one of those disgruntled readers.

Mark had been an unhappy customer of npower. So earlier this year his partner, Alison, arranged for him to switch providers for his gas and electricity to OVO.

Meter readings were submitted to both companies. Mark received a final bill from npower for £280.88, dated February 27.

However, Alison had been told by customer services to ignore this as Mark would receive another bill for £200 following a deduction of £80.88 for earlier problems.

On March 20, Mark received two reminder letters stating he owed £118.20 for gas and £81.80 for electricity. Alison phoned npower to pay the bills and was told this could be done in instalments.

Alison gave her debit card details and was initially told £20 would be taken then with 10 further payments of £18 via an npower payment card. But that was changed to £24.50 and 10 instalments of £17.50 by payment card to clear the bill.

Alison was told Mark would get a payment schedule through the post.

She then made a payment via the card on April 27, rounding it up to £20. This meant the next payment would be due on May 20.

On May 7, Mark got an urgent reminder letter demanding that unless he pay an outstanding balance of £106.20, or contact npower within seven days, his details would be passed to a debt collection agency.

On May 14, Alison rang npower and was told there was no live payment plan in operation. But the firm confirmed two payments of £20 had been received.

Although she’d been told she’d initially paid £24.50, she checked her bank and discovered just £20 had been taken.

It was confirmed to Alison the first payment plan had indeed been set up but when she made her second payment of £20, and not just £18, this over-payment cancelled the plan.

Alison was told a third payment plan could be set up for nine payments. One of £22, to be taken on June 20, followed by eight of £17.50 bringing a total of £202 – including the £40 already paid.

However, during this Alison was also having an online live chat with npower which threw another spanner in the works. She was told the amount owed was actually £137.50.

This conflicting information was far from the end of the matter. Mark received two more letters from npower via Telemessage, again threatening a debt collection agency.

Mark is disabled and all this stress was making him ill.

Alison emailed Raw Deal.

We contacted npower and there was soon better news.

A spokesperson said: “We have cleared the outstanding balance and called Mr Jackson to let him know. He is now happy to close the complaint.”

A delighted Alison said: “Thank you so much for intervening on Mark’s behalf. It was incredibly frustrating and upsetting for Mark to have the threat of legal proceedings hanging over him.

“The Raw Deal team provide such a valuable service and we are very grateful to you all.”

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