Npower was bought by Eon - what has changed?

Npower has been a mainstay of the UK energy industry for two decades, beginning life under the name Innogy in 2000. Operating as Npower since 2002, it was one of the country’s major suppliers in its own right until it became a subsidiary of another industry leader in 2019.

The merger between two Big Six giants has created one of the industry’s biggest powers, but how has it affected Npower customers? We’re going to start by addressing these changes.

About Npower

So what’s going on with Npower? We’re going to get to the bottom of it by answering a couple of simple questions.

Who is Npower owned by?

Npower was acquired by Eon UK at the beginning of 2019, following a failed merger with SSE. It is now in the process of being absorbed by Eon, and will eventually cease to operate under the Npower name.

Does Npower still exist?

Npower customers are not necessarily Eon customers yet - the Npower brand is still operating, its website is still active and you can log into your online account to manage your tariff for now. This won’t be the case forever, though, as its customers are gradually being switched over to its new owner.

When the merger happened in early 2019, there was a plan to absorb Npower’s business and its former customers over to Eon within a two-year period. This period is ongoing, meaning that for now if you were an Npower customer and you’ve heard nothing from them, you probably still are.

For more information about the switch from Npower to Eon and how it will affect you, give either provider a call and the switching team should be able to fill you in on the details.

Npower reviews

If Npower reviews are to be believed, the news that their provider is in the process of being taken over will have come as a pleasant surprise to many customers. The consumer review site Trustpilot offers a sorry account of customer satisfaction with Npower - out of almost 3,000 reviewers, 93% gave the provider the worst rating of 1 star.

Just what has Npower been getting wrong? The most common issues relate to unexpected (and dramatic) price hikes and the handling of complaints, which are usually related to said increases. Npower reviews also repeatedly mention either incompetent or evasive staff:

Our experience has been dire. Friendly staff, but one delay, mistake, evasion, etc, after another. One person states one thing and the next countermands it. We have faced months of inept handling of a major problem [...] Their 'Complaints' system is a joke.

If there’s one thing worse than significant bill increases after being promised they were fixed, it’s having difficulty in getting a problem like this resolved. Npower customer service seems to fall short of acceptable standards, and only a minuscule number of positive reviews counterbalance the bad.

Only 3% of reviewers record having had a positive experience with Npower, and some of these seem to have intended to leave a 1-star score but misunderstood the scoring system! One five-star review reads like this:

I've had problems with Npower in communication and the solving of problems - unbelievable.

Hardly a glowing review for Npower customer service. It really does seem that customers would be better off with Eon, who actually perform quite well according to Trustpilot. For an insight into how much better reading than Npower reviews those for your new provider make, head over to our Eon page.

Npower tariffs

As Npower has been taken over by EON, its website will redirect you to the EON Next website to get a quote. For a three-bedroom house in London with medium usage, we received a quote of a little over the government-regulated price cap of £1,138. It’s not much, but it’s clear that EON has no issue flouting the rules and charging its new customers as much as it can.

Existing customers' Npower tariffs will continue at the same rate until their term was due to end, after which they will pay the NextFlex rate for their area. If you're not happy about this, shop around for a better deal - you'll be able to leave NextFlex without paying an exit fee.

Not happy with what you're paying for your energy tariff?Shop around for a better deal and you could save hundreds of pounds a year!

Npower green tariffs

Npower does not have any green tariffs listed among the tariffs currently available on its website, so if you’re looking for green energy tariff you’re better off looking elsewhere. Npower does not seem to engage in any carbon offsetting tariffs either and you can look at the details of its fuel mix below.

Fuel mix

If you've signed up to an Npower tariff, we think it’s important to know the effect this is having on the environment. Here’s how it sources the energy you use:

As you can see, Npower falls short of the UK average for renewable energy sourcing. As a result, it sources more of its energy from fossil fuels, specifically natural gas, which means that Npower customers’ energy supply is bringing up their carbon footprint considerably.

If you’re concerned about the effect your carbon footprint is having on the environment, we’d recommend looking into one of the many 100% renewable energy tariffs available on the UK market.

Npower login

As we mentioned before, if you’re an existing customer your Npower login will still be valid for a time until you’re switching to Eon. You can use your Npower login to access your account online or via the mobile app. The Npower app, unlike other areas of the company, seems to function very well, and allows you to do the following things on the go:

• See what’s coming with your account’s timeline
• See your energy usage in £, kWh and in terms of your carbon footprint
• Get notifications for when meter readings are required
• Chat to an agent via WhatsApp
• Use the built-in torch function to help see your meter reading
• Get a reminder when your tariff is about to end
• Let Npower know if you’re moving home
• Personalise the app with your own custom background

Npower says it has updated the app in preparation for its customers’ switch to Eon, and that once you set up a new account you can manage your energy usage on the Eon Next website. In the meantime, it’s still available to use and you can download it for iOS on the App Store and for Android in the Google Play store.

The app gets an average rating of 4 stars or more on both platforms from a total of almost 30,000 reviewers, the majority of which report a positive experience, often pointing to the ease with which you can send meter readings. There are some negative reviews relating to bugs in the app, but it seems to work well for most.

Npower login help

Having trouble with your Npower login? If you’re trying to get into the app, the login screen will appear automatically when you open it, whereas on the website you’ll have to click the ‘Login’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Just enter your email address or username in the first box and then the password you chose on signing up in the second box. If you’ve forgotten your Npower login, just click the link that says “I’ve forgotten my login details” below the ‘Login’ button. You’ll be able to recover your details by providing some personal information, which you should be able to find on a bill, so have one to hand in case you need it.

Npower smart meter - is it free?

New customers when they sign up often agree to have an Npower smart meter installed without knowing. You can see if smart meter installation is a requirement in your contract by checking the detailed tariff information available for all tariffs on the Npower website.

If it comes included in your tariff, your Npower smart meter will be free of charge, whereas you may have to pay if you order it separately. We recommend getting yourself a smart meter for the following reasons:

• They allow you to keep track of your spending and see where you could use less to save money.
• They send out accurate readings automatically, saving you from having to provide your meter readings every month.
• By saving money and cutting down your gas and electricity usage where you can, you’ll be doing your bit to save the environment.

For more information about your Npower smart meter, see the provider's website.

Npower Warm Home Discount

The Npower Warm Home Discount could save eligible customers £140 off their energy bill. The discount is a government-run scheme to help those at risk of fuel poverty. Eligibility changes year on year for some, but if you qualify for the Core Group you will be notified by government and the discount will be deducted automatically from one of your bills.

If you fall into what is called the Broader Group, you will have to apply for the discount every year, and just because you got it last year doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get it again this year. It is offered on a first-come, first-served basis by participating suppliers, so you’ll have to pay attention to when the Npower Warm Home Discount application window opens.

You can apply for the Npower Warm Home Discount online via its website or by calling 0808 172 6999 or 0330 100 8669. Lines for these numbers are open from 8 am to 8 pm during the week and on Saturdays from 8am to 6pm.

Get in touch: Npower contact numbers

Looking for an Npower contact number? Here’s a list of numbers you can call to get in touch with Npower’s different departments:

As you can see, there is a line dedicated entirely for customers to inquire about their switch to Eon. You can find many more Npower contact numbers for different queries, including relating to smart meters, prepayment meters, and moving home, on its website.

If you’d prefer not to call and be made to wait, you can also use the Npower live chat function or send them an email. The email for complaints is [email protected] - this seems to be the most in-demand.

Want the number to report an emergency?If you’re an Npower customer and you want to report a gas emergency, the number to call is 0800 111 999 (this is a 24-hour line). To report a power cut, call 105.

Npower was bought by Eon - what has changed?

Npower Business customers to be switched

Npower -  04/08/2022

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