Npower Supplier Information, Requirements & More
About Npower
Npower is one of Britain’s leading energy companies, serving 3.6 million residential and business accounts with electricity and gas and is now part of the E.ON group.
My Review
I reviewed all of the Energy Suppliers in the UK that I know and Npower ranked #7 on that list. My review was based upon four criteria;
- Cheap prices
- Ethical Practices
- Ease of Communication
- Problem-solving
Here’s my review of Npower;
Cheap Prices
Npower are not cheap. In fact they’re often very expensive. I don’t think anyone thinks of Npower and thinks cheap prices. Broken clocks are right twice a day and sometimes Npower do come up cheap and when they do, I recommend them – for reasons below.
Ethical Practices
Npower have a terrible reputations. I can understand why it is justified but I have a slightly different take. Npower allow all business types and their credit policy is very lenient and transparent. They allow all businesses with a credit score of 35+. They will supply Independent Gas Transport (IGT) meters. They also accept Cash/Cheque payments, however they do charge a 5% premium for that. I’m just glad all of the above are options. Businesses need options.
There is no automatic rollover, they accept termination on time and don’t play any tactics in that regard.
Probably the best thing I really like about them is that Churches and Charities are not credit checked, neither are renewal contracts. This is a game changer and very contrary to the rest of the industry.
There is a strong argument made about Npower cutting back jobs by thousands, consistently. My position on this is tainted by my former boss detailing to me what it was like for him running the Npower sales department and the sheer amount of waste the company had. I remember back in 2016 when they had job cuts and my boss mentioned he was expecting a lot more. He wasn’t wrong, years later and they’ve had another 5000+ job cuts.
My one major criticism of Npower, and its a big one, is their debt handling. They have literally thousands of businesses on their books in thousands of pounds worth of debt. The customers debt levels means that they will need payment plans to pay them off. Those customers then are put onto high tariffs with Npower, which are way above market prices. The higher tariff leads to more debt.
Ease of Contact
Npower are super easy to contact. They pick up the phone quickly and they respond to emails in likewise a speed fashion. Npower’s social media team is fantastic and always active online.
Problem Solving
Npowers customer service might be hated by most, but I love their ability to deal with issues. I’ve had A LOT of issues with Npower over the years. I would estimate over 30 complaints, with probably 90% of them being resolved easily and quickly.
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Contact Details
Online
Live Chat
Online General Enquiry
Account Login
Phone Numbers
General Enquiry: 0800 073 3000 & 0330 100 8100
Small Business Sales: 0845 072 3072
Npower for Business: 0845 166 3360
Online account support: 0800 316 9331
Switch to Npower: 0808 156 0056
COT Dept: 0845 075 0430
Smart Meter queries: 0800 980 9907
Complain about your Npower boiler: 0800 197 5442
Electricity & gas complaints: 0800 316 9328
Renew your Npower energy tariff: 0800 316 9044
Energy efficiency enquiries: 0800 0 2222 0
Emails
Termination Dept e-mail: retention.sales@npower.com
COT Dept e-mail: businessmovers@npower.com
Social Media
Contract Information
Contract Registrations
Fast Registration Npower can register new electricity sites in around 2 weeks. Useful if client is currently on deemed rates.
Direct Debit vs Cash/Cheques
Direct Debit and Cash Cheque options available, there will be an annual 5% surcharge on Cash Cheque payments.
Three Rate Meters
Npower do not accept 3 rate meters or Group Billed customers (inc additions to existing groups).
Sell Ahead Days
1, 2 and 3 year terms can be sold up to 365 days ahead. 4 year term contracts can be sold 180 days ahead.
Billing & Payment
01-04 meters run on a monthly billing cycle. The customer can opt for either variable Direct Debit quarterly, fixed Direct Debit monthly, or by Cash/Cheque (subject to credit approval).
NPower will charge 5% extra on the bill if the customer wishes to pay by Cash/Cheque.
All Payment Terms are 14 days.
Terminations & Renewals
Terminations
Customers have until 30 days before the contract end date to provide termination notice.
Renewal Cycle
Npower will send customers a renewal offer at least 60 days before the contract end date.
Where termination notice is not received, customers will be placed on the prices detailed in the renewal notice but can give 30 days notice to leave.
Credit Requirements
Credit
Npower conduct their own credit checks using Experian. Please see general guidance of their criteria;
Credit Score
0-35 Fail
36-100 Accept on either Direct Debit or Cash Cheque
N.B the above is a guide only, acceptance is not guaranteed.
Churches and Charities are not credit checked, neither are renewal contracts.
Business Acceptance
All business types are considered and assessed on their individual circumstances.
Meter Restrictions
Npower will treat two or more MPANs/MPRs for the same business as a Group or Multi-Site. This includes related meters.
The maximum that can be processed is one MPAN and one MPR per business.
Businesses that fit the above description, with more than one MPAN or MPR, cannot be priced via the matrix. Any group sites or related meters for Npower need a bespoke quote.
Npower Updates
04/06/2020
- Npower will no longer accept Acquisitions, Renewals are still accepted.
- No contracts under 5000kwhs
- Npower COT Renewals can still be done
- Accounts are beginning to be moved across to Eons account and the full merger should be done by the end of the year
20/04/2020
NPower have informed us they will no longer be offering 3 year deals for Gas and Electricity, Renewal and Acquisition for both SME and Bespoke contracts with immediate effect.This is due to the uncertainty that many businesses face during the COVID-19 pandemic and the unknown long term impact it will have on the cost of supplying energy and credit risk