We alerted npower to fraud – it set the bailiffs on us

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/may/16/npower-fraud-bailiffs-meter-warrant

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In January this year we moved in to a rented property, and phoned npower two days later to let them know we were the new tenants – and also that we suspected- the house had been tampered with to allow a free gas supply.

Npower told us it could not open an account for us until it had looked into the issue of the possible rigging. In response, it sent two agents to carry out safety checks. Another women arrived to deliver a letter addressed to the previous tenant – and I again explained we were new tenants. She put our details into a hand-held terminal.

Last week we arrived home to find two bailiffs, an “authorised officer of npower” and a locksmith in our house. They had a warrant in the name of the previous tenant and would not show us any ID. They proceeded to turn off and cap the gas supply, and also damaged the lock on the door.

All that our complaints have yielded so far is a gas card with £100 credit on it, but we still have no gas supply, which means no heating or hot water.

Npower admits that it knows we were the people who notified it of the suspected dodgy meter, but we are still left without any answers as to why it went ahead with a warrant for the previous tenant, even though it knew he had vacated the property.

For the past three days we have been passed from pillar to post, and have hardly got anywhere. We want answers as they have caused so much distress and upset to us and our house. RM, Middlesbrough

This is one of the worst letters we have received about a utility company, and one that gives credence to a view, held by many, that the power companies are out of control.

In 2011, npower was fined £2m by regulator Ofgem for mishandling customer complaints – other power firms have faced similar action since, but these are tiny sums to companies the size of npower that, arguably, fail to act as a deterrent. A few weeks ago we featured the case of a reader who spent hours and hours trying to get an accurate bill out of Scottish Power – another company that has faced similar problems in this area.

Until the regulator comes up with a meaningful sanction, we suspect letters like this will continue to come in.

After initially taking a rather high-handed approach, npower did at least move fast to get you reconnected – a minimum requirement – after we raised your case, and it has also offered to pay for repairs to the lock.

“While a visit took place in line with gas safety procedures, it is clear that this visit should not have gone ahead. We have called RM to apologise and we are also offering him a suitable goodwill gesture [£500].

“It is clear to us that there were process failings on our part and so we are implementing changes to the way we manage this sort of issue in the future.”

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number