We had NPower phone twice today, wanting us to come back to them. We have very good reasons for not going back to them - they signed us up via one of those door-to-door salesmen all the utility companies use, and it was only after I went through the bills months afterwards (they were on direct debit, I didn't have to worry about them) that I realised that:
- We were paying three utility companies - electricity from NPower, electricity again from Scottish Gas and gas from Scottish Power (I know, a bit perverse)
- Scottish Gas's estimated meter readings looked like our meter. NPower's meter readings weren't anything like them
- After a number of phone calls, we worked out that we had in fact been billed for our neighbour's electricity.
NPower haven't paid us back yet, and every time they call, they remind me that I still haven't chased them up on why they haven't sorted this fiasco out yet.
I'm not sure if we ever told the neighbours that they should expect a honking electricity bill fairly soon.
That wasn't what made me write this entry, though. I've just put the phone down on another cold caller who was trying to give me holiday vouchers ("you have been randomly selected", all that nonsense). She asked me why I wasn't interested in her offer.
"I don't appreciate being cold-called from South Africa."
I am not making this up.
