Energy provider complaints hit record levels

NPower are devoid of any notion of the meaning of the phrase 'Customer Service'. None of their departments appear to even talk to each other. The latest (of about ten) sagas in my close family related to dealing with this pathetic organisation is my son being pursued for an amount supposedly owed for gas in a property which had the gas meter removed, arranged by NPower in the full knowledge that there was no gas required at the property. The meter removal was, of course, promised to be at no charge. The company already paid out two lots of compensation, one to me and one to my son, relating to this meter removal, but after a brief period of blessed peace the NPower idiots and their attendant debt collection department have decided that the phantom gas meter is once again supplying gas.

If my experience is anything to go by, you won't do any better with First Utility with whom I have been having problems for something like two years now. I originally switched to them after their door-stepping sales person seduced us with the offer of a smart meter for monitoring electricity. Despite repeated requests for this meter, it took nearly a year to arrive, a delay which First Utility blamed on EU regulations! Then we had to endure some eighteen months of over billing. At first, my wife and I thought it was due to the energy price rises and we tried everything short of death by hypothermia in an effort to reduce our bills. Then it turned out that First Utility were incapable of distinguishing between cubic feet and cubic meters. In the event, over three thousand pounds was remitted back to us (a significant interest-free loan). However, that was not the end of the matter. Presumably because their computer system is programmed to compare one year with another, it now constantly rejects our entirely accurate meter readings and substitutes estimates based on last year's wild miscalculations. I have now refused to pay their invoices until they sort this out and am making a complaint to the Ombudsman Service. We have heard a lot about the terrible Big Six but what about these smaller players? What exactly is required to set yourself up as an energy supplier? From our experience with First Utility ("Always here to help") it's just a broker linked to a call centre.

nPower have been unable to rectify the problems with their billing system which have ongoing for many months now. This has resulted in them being unable to provide me with an up-to-date bill despite the fact that they only provide me with a bill every six months. This is affecting many customers and npower are totally unable to give any indication whatsover of the likely timescale for rectifying this totally unacceptable situation. My account is currently over £1500 in credit and I am thinking of changing supplier because of the appalling response to my complaints and the virtual impossibility of contacting nPower by phone. To avoid any possibility of terminating the contract with nPower and being unable to obtain a refund of the credit due to the failure of their billing system, I have cancelled my direct debit until such time as I receive a correct (non-estimated) bill from them. I have also referred the matter up with the regulator as this state of affairs shows the total incompetence of nPower in the energy marketplace.