Our service to you
Paying for gas and electricity
1
How to contact us
If you would like more information on any of the services described in this booklet,
please contact us.
For details of how to contact us see the back cover of this booklet.
Interpreting service
If you tell us English is not your first language, we can talk to you in any language with the aid
of a translator. Ask someone to call us on your behalf to tell us that you need to speak to us in
your preferred language.
Os byddwch chi’n dweud wrthym nad Saesneg yw eich mamiaith, gallwn siarad â chi mewn
unrhyw iaith gyda help cyfieithydd. Gofynnwch i rywun ein galw ar eich rhan i ddweud wrthym
eich bod angen siarad â ni yn eich dewis iaith.
2
Our service to you
Paying for gas and electricity
Contents
Page
Introduction4
Our service to you booklets
4
Applying for a supply
5
Security deposits
6
Your bill
7
If you think your bill is wrong
8
Ways to pay your energy bills
9
If you have difficulty paying your bill
12
Disconnection14
Warm Response Service
16
Energy efficiency advice
17
Independent advice organisations
18
Customer Service
Back cover
3
Introduction
This booklet tells you about applying for
a gas or electricity supply from npower,
paying your energy bills, and what to do
if you have a query about your bill. It also
describes how we can help you budget for
your energy bills or help you if you have
difficulty paying.
If you would like more information on any
of the services described in this booklet,
please contact us. All customer service staff
have been trained on the services described
in this booklet and will do everything they
can to help.
For details of how to contact
Customer Service see the
back cover of this booklet.
Our service to you
If you ask us, we will send you any of these
booklets in large print, in Braille, on CD or
in another language.
We want to ensure that all our customers
are treated fairly and receive a service that
meets their needs. The following booklets
are available:
• Paying for gas and electricity
• Prepayment meters
• Using electricity and gas
efficiently in your home
• Warm Response Service
• Free gas safety checks
• Visiting your home.
4
Applying for a supply
You can apply for a gas or electricity supply
by calling us on the Customer Service
number on the back cover of this booklet,
or by applying online at npower.com.
We will send you a separate letter if you
have a prepayment meter, describing
how the meter works, the charges and
unit prices as well as where and how to
buy credit. If you move into a property
with a prepayment meter we would
normally expect you to keep the meter
for 12 months, unless your personal
circumstances make this an unsuitable
payment method (for example you are
unable to use the prepayment meter or
get to an outlet to buy credit). The letter
will ask you to tell us if you have any
special needs.
We will agree with you a way for you
to pay your bills (see ‘Ways to pay
your energy bills’ on page 9 for more
information). We will ask you a few simple
questions and may ask you to pay by
Direct Debit, join one of our payment plans
or have a prepayment meter installed.
When you sign an npower contract, we will
send you our terms and conditions within
five working days. You have a 14-day
‘cooling off’ period - if you change your
mind, the terms and conditions will explain
how to cancel the contract.
For more information please
ask for our booklet
‘Prepayment meters’.
As a new customer we will send you a
letter confirming:
• your name and address
• the supply address
• your customer account number
• your supply number
• t he date when you become responsible
for the supply
• t he price you are being charged and
how you have chosen to pay your bills.
5
Security deposits
In some circumstances it may be
appropriate for us to ask you for a security
deposit. The amount is normally based on
how much gas or electricity we expect you
to use in 19.5 weeks. We will not ask for a
deposit if you agree to have a prepayment
meter and it is safe and practical for us to
fit one.
We will hold the security deposit for at
least one year. If you pay your bills within
28 days of the date of issue for 12 months
or if you pay by Direct Debit and do not
miss a payment for 12 months, we will
return the deposit to you within 14 days
of request unless the account is a final
account. If you do not pay your bills within
28 days or if you miss a Direct Debit
payment, we reserve the right to retain
your deposit until your payment pattern
is acceptable.
If you change supplier during this time,
we will return the deposit to you within
one month of you leaving, providing that
all outstanding charges have been paid.
If you do not feel you should pay a security
deposit or disagree with the amount,
please contact us.
6
Your bill
Depending on your payment method, we
will normally send you a bill or statement
every 13 weeks or every 6 months.
To understand how your consumption has
been calculated, we will always tell you
whether the reading was an estimate or
provided by one of our meter readers.
We will base your bills on:
With some types of prepayment meter,
for example Smart or Quantum meters,
we do not need to read your meter as we
pick up the reading from your payment
card when you buy credit. You will receive
a statement twice a year.
• A
n estimate of how much gas or
electricity you have used, or
• A
meter reading taken by one of our
meter readers, or
• A meter reading you have given us.
Removed meters may also be identified
by a change in meter numbers shown on
the bill.
We aim to read your meter at least once
a year and base as many of our bills as
possible on actual meter readings.
Estimated bills
If we cannot read your meter when we
call, we may leave you a card asking you
to phone us with your own meter reading.
We will update your account and send you
a bill based on your reading. If you don’t
give us a reading or we don’t receive it in
time we will send you a bill based on an
estimated reading.
Sometimes we need to estimate your
bill and we do our best to make sure our
estimates are accurate. However, if we
send you an estimated bill we strongly
recommend that you give us your own
reading. This will ensure your account is
up to date and you are not unknowingly
building up a debt.
To give us your own reading, go online at
Sending us a regular meter reading online
or by phone will mean more accurate bills,
so you only pay for the energy you use.
npower.com/meterread
or call the 24 hour automated meter
reading line on
0800 073 3000
(free from most landlines) or
0330 100 3000
(included in any ‘inclusive’ minutes from mobiles)
7
If you think your bill is wrong
If you don’t agree with your bill tell us at
once. We won’t take any further action
while we are checking that your bill is right.
We try to sort out any problems as quickly
as possible.
To test a gas meter it is necessary to
remove the meter and install a new one.
An independent examiner then tests the
meter. If the meter is found to be accurate
there will be a charge for the test, and if
the meter is faulty you will not be charged.
We will tell you what the charge is before
carrying out any work.
If it seems that the problem may continue
for some time, we will ask you to pay
a reasonable part of the bill. When the
problem has been sorted out, we will ask
you to pay any outstanding money you
owe us or we will refund any money we
owe you.
It is very rare for a meter to be found to
be inaccurate, so you should be prepared
to look for other possible reasons why
your consumption is not as expected,
before relying on a meter test to resolve
the problem.
If we cannot sort out the problem
over the phone, we may ask one of our
representatives to visit you, to resolve
any outstanding issues.
If you write to us with a question about
your energy bill, we aim to reply within five
working days. If we do not reply you may
be entitled to compensation under our
Guaranteed Standards of Service.
If the problem concerns a dispute about
the amount of energy used that has not
been resolved through our investigations,
the representative may arrange for the
meter to be checked.
An electricity meter is checked by running
a measured electrical load through it. If
you are not happy with the result the next
stage is to install a check meter for 4-6
weeks, which operates beside the installed
meter and provides a comparison to the
amount of electricity used. If you are still
not satisfied with the result we will tell
you how to ask for an independent meter
examiner from our regulator Ofgem to
check it.
If you would like more information about
our Guaranteed Standards of Service,
please contact Customer Service or visit
npower.com
8
Ways to pay your energy bills
There are lots of ways to pay your bills and
our staff are trained to help you choose the
most suitable way for you.
If you would like advice about
the most suitable way to pay
your energy bills, please contact
Customer Service.
Paying when you receive your bill
Variable Direct Debit We automatically
take the amount you owe from your bank
or building society account 14-21 days after
the date of the bill (unless you contact us to
query it).
Unless you have joined one of our payment
plans we expect you to pay your bill in full
when you receive it. There are several ways
to pay:
At any post office You can pay your bill at
any post office but there may be a charge.
By post Send your payment to the address
given on your bill. Please do not send cash
in the post.
At an appointed agent You may be able
to pay your bill at an appointed agent
displaying the PayPoint or payzone sign.
At any bank Use the Bank Giro credit slip at
the bottom of the bill. You will not have to
pay a charge if you pay at your own bank,
but there may be a charge if you pay at any
other bank.
Debit or credit card You may be able to pay
your bill by debit or credit card. There is no
charge for paying by debit card. There may
be a charge if you pay by credit card (we will
tell you before you pay).
Girobank If you have a Girobank account,
fill in the Giro transfer form at the bottom of
the bill and send it to Girobank.
Online or telephone banking You can
pay through online or telephone banking
services. You will need to quote your
customer account number and our bank
details (you will find these on your bill).
9
Payment plans
You can spread the cost of your energy
bills evenly throughout the year with a
payment plan.
If you have a current account with a bank
or building society you can pay by monthly
Direct Debit. This is the cheapest way to
pay, as you could then qualify for a discount.
We will tell you what this is before you join
the scheme. You don’t need to worry about
remembering to pay your bill, as payments
are automatically sent to us each month.
If you don’t have a bank account you can
make regular cash payments with a payment
card or payment book, every month or
more frequently.
Where possible we calculate your payment
amount based on the gas or electricity
you have used in the last year. If we do not
have this information, we try to base your
payments on average amounts used in similar
circumstances, or on the amount you tell us
your charges have been in the past. If you are
a new user we will agree with you an amount
we think is reasonable.
We will tell you how much we think you
should pay and the date of your first
payment. Let us know if you don’t agree,
so we can discuss a revised amount or
payment date with you.
We will send you regular statements.
If these are based on estimated readings
we recommend you give your own meter
reading. It is important we have accurate
readings to ensure your payments are up
to date. We will check that your payments
are covering your charges and will ask
you to increase or reduce your payments
if necessary.
Once a year we will send you a settlement
bill or statement. If this refers to your annual
review where you pay by Direct Debit and
where this is based on an actual meter
reading, we will automatically refund any
credit balance of more than £60 to your
bank account. Please contact us as soon as
you receive your statement if you would
rather carry this forward to reduce your next
year’s payment. Refunds of less than £60 are
available on request.
If you have not paid enough we may ask you
to pay the outstanding amount. If you pay by
Direct Debit this will be collected from your
account unless you contact us to pay
by another method. If you are unable to pay
the outstanding amount you can ask us to
spread it over your future payments. Please
contact us as soon as you receive your bill to
arrange this.
If you decide to leave the payment plan
we will ask you to pay any amount due and
pay future quarterly bills in full when you
receive them.
If you move house we can set up a payment
plan for your new address.
If you would like to join a payment plan, please contact Customer Service.
10
Other ways to spread the cost of your energy
Part payments
We recommend that you join a payment
plan, but we will always accept any part
payments you want to make towards
future bills. You can use a payment card or
payment book to make payments at any
appointed agent displaying the PayPoint or
Payzone sign. When we send your bill it will
show the amount you have already paid
and we will expect you to pay any money
still owing in full.
If you would like a payment card or book
or information about your local agents,
please contact Customer Service
Prepayment meter
Prepayment meters help you budget
because you pay for energy as you use it.
There are no large bills to face, but there
are disadvantages. For example, you must
remember to buy enough credit to ensure
you don’t lose your energy supply, and a
prepayment meter is a more expensive
way to pay for energy than Direct Debit
and online payment methods.
For more detailed information about
paying this way, including the advantages
and disadvantages, please contact
Customer Service or ask for our booklet
‘Prepayment meters’.
You pay for your gas or electricity by
charging a key or card that you insert into
the meter.
11
If you have difficulty paying your bill
When we send you a bill we are asking you
to pay for energy you have already used. If
you are finding it difficult to pay your bill it
is important that you tell us as soon as you
receive your bill.
advice on keeping your bills to a minimum,
as well as advice on home insulation
schemes to keep your home warmer.
Please tell us if any of the following apply
to you and tell us anything else about your
circumstances that will help us to help you:
If you are in financial difficulty or have
many debts, you may be able to get help
and advice from your local Citizens Advice
Bureau, money advice agency or the local
council’s social services department. You
can find their addresses in your phone
book. We will ask the appropriate agency to
contact you if you give your written consent.
Money advice agencies
• Anyone in the household is either of pensionable age, disabled, chronically sick or under 18.
• Y
ou are receiving Income Support or
Pension Credit, and have an energy debt.
If you have contacted one of these
organisations, we will take no further action
for 14 days whilst the agency investigates
your circumstances. We will always take
account of what they tell us when agreeing
a repayment level.
• T he debt is in the name of a past tenant.
If you have made a suitable arrangement
to take over the supply, you will not be
responsible for the previous debt.
• Y
ou are a tenant and you pay your
landlord for gas or electricity. If they have
not paid us, we will tell the local council
and you should do the same.
• Y
ou have applied to a money advice
agency for help.
We will treat any information you give us as
confidential, and the more we know about
your circumstances the easier it is for us
to help you. Our staff are trained to offer
advice in a sympathetic, sensitive way and
to help you choose the best way of paying
your current and future bills. We also offer
a free Energy Efficiency Helpline (see page
17 for more information). Expert staff can
discuss how you use energy and provide
12
Payment plans
Prepayment meter
You can pay what you owe by monthly or
more frequent instalments.
If appropriate we can install a prepayment
meter and set it to cover the energy you use
and to pay back the money you owe based
on what you can afford. Once you have a
prepayment meter fitted we will ask you to
keep it for at least 12 months.
We will agree an amount for you to pay
back, taking account of:
• t he charges you will have to pay for
future energy use;
For more information please ask for our
booklet ‘Prepayment meters’.
• how much you can afford to pay; and
• a ny problems you’ve had with payment
plans in the past.
Direct payments (Fuel Direct)
Please tell us if your circumstances change,
as we may be able to adjust the payment
amount. If you are receiving benefits and
owe us money we will not normally set the
repayment amount to cover your arrears
above the Fuel Direct limit.
This may be helpful if you receive Income
Support, Income-Related Job Seekers’
Allowance or Pension Credit, and a
prepayment meter is not suitable for you.
If the Department for Work and Pensions
agrees they will take an amount from your
weekly benefits and pay it to us to cover
what you owe and your future energy use.
Let us know if you think this may help you,
and we will apply for a Direct Payment on
your behalf.
Short-term payment
arrangements
If your problem is temporary we will agree
a way for you to pay what you owe, usually
before the next bill is due, although this can
be extended if necessary.
13
Disconnection
We have a right to cut off your supply* if
you do not pay your bill. This is a last resort
and can be avoided if you contact us to
make an arrangement to pay and keep to it.
If you do not respond to your first bill, we
will send a reminder about 15 days later.
You should contact us as soon as possible to
agree a way to pay your bill.
If you do not contact us we will send you a
final notice 25 days after the original bill.
If you do not contact us you may have to
pay extra charges as described below.
We will tell you of all charges before they
aremade.Unfortunatelythesecanadd
considerably to your debt, so please contact
us as soon as possible so that we can help
you avoid these charges.
If you do not respond to our reminders, we
will try to contact you by phone.
If this is unsuccessful we will arrange for
someone to visit you. If we have to visit you
because you have not responded to our
attempts to contact you we will normally
charge you. Our staff and representatives
are trained to help and offer advice, and will
follow the guidelines in our booklet ‘Visiting
your home’.
For more information please ask for
our booklet ‘Visiting your home’.
* Cutting off your supply may also mean limiting how much energy we supply through your meter,
or putting a cap on how much credit you can spend on your energy before your supply goes off.
If you have still not made an arrangement to
pay your bill we will start debt management
procedures. We carry out a 12-point check
on your account to ensure that all disputes
and actions have been completed and that
the bill is correct. When the check confirms
no actions outstanding, we will start
collection proceedings.
We will reconnect your supply within 24
hours (normal working hours) of making
a satisfactory payment arrangement with
you. However, a gas meter can only be
reconnected when a Gas Safe Register
engineer is available to purge and re-light
the appliances in the property.
If we do not hear from you within four
weeks of disconnecting your supply, we will
try to contact you.
We will make charges if we have to apply for
and use a ‘rights of entry warrant’ to enter
your home. We will fit a prepayment meter
if it is safe and practical to do so.
If you tell us, or if we are made aware,
that anyone in the household is either of
pensionable age, disabled, chronically sick or
under 18, we will not cut off your supply in
the winter months (1 October - 31 March),
but we will still seek to recover the debt.
If we have to disconnect your supply,
there could be an additional charge for
reconnecting your supply. We will leave a
card which tells you:
• how much you owe;
Any agents acting on our behalf during
the debt recovery process will follow
the guidelines in our booklet ‘Visiting
your home’.
• the reconnection fee, and
• h
ow to contact us on the phone
number provided.
15
Warm Response Service
At npower we want to ensure that all our
customers are treated fairly and receive a
service that meets their needs. If you are an
npower customer and have sight or hearing
difficulties, or are disabled, chronically sick or
of pensionable age you can apply to join our
Warm Response Service (WRS).
Among the services we offer are:
• B
raille bills, talking bills, large print or third
party bills
• P
assword scheme to identify genuine
callers at the door­­
• Leaflets in large print, in Braille or CD
Joining the WRS enables us to provide you
with a range of helpful services to make
life easier, and helps you to notify us of any
circumstances that we need to allow for when
providing you with gas and/or electricity. If
you know anyone else who might benefit, be
sure to tell them about it too.
• Textphone service for the hard of hearing.
For households where everyone qualifies for
the Warm Response Service, we also offer a
range of adapters, free gas safety checks for
gas customers and quarterly meter readings
for those who can’t read their own meter.
For more information about the Warm
Response Service, or for a copy of our booklet
‘Warm Response Service’
visit npower.com/warmresponse or
Please call the Warm Response Service
team on
0808 172 6999
(free from most landlines) or;
0330 100 8669
(included in any ‘inclusive minutes’ from mobiles).
16
Energy efficiency advice
Reducing the amount of electricity or gas
you use will save you money. For tips and
ideas on how you could save visit
npower.com/savingenergy
Our free and impartial Energy Efficiency
Helpline offers practical advice on the
many ways there are to reduce your bills
without sacrificing comfort or convenience.
We can also advise on the grants that are
available to help you improve the ability
of your home to keep in the warmth. For
example, if you receive income-related
benefits you may be able to get home
insulation measures carried out free of
charge under the government’s Warm
Front programme.
Good insulation can save you money and
keep your home warmer.
Our energy efficiency specialists can offer
advice tailored to your circumstances.
You can call our Energy Efficiency Helpline
free on:
For more information visit
npower.com/savingenergy
0800 022 220
or please ask for our booklet
(free from most landlines) or;
‘Using electricity and gas
efficiently in your home’.
0330 100 8620
(included in any ‘inclusive minutes’ from mobiles).
17
Independent advice organisations
There are many organisations that offer advice and information on the topics covered in this
booklet. Here are the details of some national organisations. However, many of them have local
groups and there are also other, locally based organisations - you can find their details in the
telephone directory or by asking at your local library.
National Debtline
Citizens Advice Bureau Service
Tricorn House
51-53 Hagley Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B16 8TP
Myddleton House
115-123 Pentonville Road
London
N1 9LZ
Telephone: 020 7833 2181
Website: adviceguide.org.uk
Telephone: 0808 808 4000 (free)
Website: nationaldebtline.co.uk
18
Customer Service
If you need to get in touch with
us, you can visit our website
npower.com and send us an email.
Or you can call us on
0800 073 3000
(free from most landlines)
0330 100 3000
(included in any ‘inclusive minutes’ from mobiles)
We’re here to help you 8.00am - 8.00pm Monday
to Friday, 8.00am - 6.00pm Saturday
You can write to us at
Customer Service
npower
PO Box 93
Peterlee
SR8 2XX
If you have hearing or speech difficulties
and use a textphone, call
0800 413 016
Phone calls: Calling us on a 0800 number is normally free when you call from a landline but charges may vary if you use a mobile. Calling us on a 0330 number will
cost you no more than 01 or 02 numbers from landlines or mobiles. If you get ‘inclusive minutes’ with your package, calls on a 0330 number will be part of these.
npower is a registered trademark and the trading name of Npower Limited (Registered No 3653277) and its associated companies, including Npower Gas Limited
(Registered No 2999919), Npower Yorkshire Limited (Registered No 3937808) and Npower Northern Limited (Registered No 3432100). Registered in England and
Wales, registered office: Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon SN5 6PB
npm1141/RF13514/11.13