Powerless . . . Rita, 97, left £4,000 in energy debt
PRICE rises are one sting – but problems with billing and complaints are another in the tail for many households.
Energy supplier Npower is one of the worst culprits. One customer who has fallen foul of its dreadful service is Rita Shead, a 97-year-old woman with dementia. She has been left struggling with an array of unclear bills and an outstanding debt of more than £4,000.
This is despite many delays in the company delivering her bills and her son, David Shead, raising questions over their accuracy.
David says: ‘She was sent multiple bills at the same time. One was for thousands of pounds and it sent her into a spin.’
Last year Npower delayed sending bills owing to a ‘systems issue’ – a problem affecting an unknown portion of customers.
In December last year Rita was sent bills dating back to 2015, each demanding different but large sums of money for usage at her threebed bungalow in Bournemouth, Dorset.
‘Competency and efficiency do not seem to be concepts it can deal with in my mother’s case,’ says David. ‘I have no intention of leaving a bill unpaid. I am just not convinced its bills are right.’
David has paid small sums on a regular basis to demonstrate he is not avoiding the issue.
A spokeswoman for Npower says: ‘There have been some billing delays and missed appointments on the account.
‘It is now up to date and unfortunately the outstanding debt is £4,169. The debt has been building since 2013 and we have been sending the usual debt collection and advice correspondence.’
She adds that Npower is keen to offer additional help and will be recommending an energy efficient home visit.