Problem With Scottish Power

Christopherj_2

I pay for my gas & electric through a pre-payment meter with Scottish Power. Today, I received a letter telling me that I have charges that mount up to £19.55. When I rang them regarding this, I was told that I had been using a Power Gen electric key to pay top up my electric and Scottish Power weren't receiving the credit. I was infact using a British Gas electric key as Scottish Power took 2 months to post me out one, so I don't know where they got Power Gen from.

The woman on the phone told me that I need to have the receipts when I topped up to prove purchase. As I didn't keep the receipts, I cannot prove purchase and the woman told me that I am liable to pay the charges.

I don't think it's fair that I have to pay for these charges when I have already paid for my electric.

If anyone could give me some advice, it would be much apprechiated.

Thank you,

Chris.

Premier_2

Don't use an old utilty key from a previous supplier.

Don't use someone else's utility key

If you do not follow either of the above, at least keep receipts or other proof of purchase if you want to have any chance of receiving a refund/credit, but even then it's not guaranteed.

dogshome

Wow ! Sorry to read you have become entangled in the fine print of Power Meter keys that means you have being paying Brit. Gas whilst being billed by Scot. Power, but the sheer arrogance of the utilities never ceases to amaze me, so don't just roll over and accept it.
If indeed you did not get a Scot. Power key until 2 months after they took over your account and the right to bill you, it is Scot Power who have seriously failed in thier legal duty, not you - (After all what were you supposed to do, live in a cave till Scot. Power delivered a key ?) DON'T Send Scot. Power any money - write or E.mail them a letter headed 'Complaint', pointing out that the delay with their key gave you no other option than to use the Brit. Gas key as it was the only one in your possession, and advising them you will contact the Energy Ombudsman,(www.energyombudsman.org.uk Tel.01925530263) if this bill isn't cancelled and they use thier own resources to recover the mis-directed payments from Brit Gas.
Good Luck

Premier_2

dogshome wrote: »

Wow ! Sorry to read you have become entangled in the fine print of Power Meter keys that means you have being paying Brit. Gas whilst being billed by Scot. Power, but the sheer arrogance of the utilities never ceases to amaze me, so don't just roll over and accept it.
If indeed you did not get a Scot. Power key until 2 months after they took over your account and the right to bill you, it is Scot Power who have seriously failed in thier legal duty, not you - (After all what were you supposed to do, live in a cave till Scot. Power delivered a key ?) DON'T Send Scot. Power any money - write or E.mail them a letter headed 'Complaint', pointing out that the delay with their key gave you no other option than to use the Brit. Gas key as it was the only one in your possession, and advising them you will contact the Energy Ombudsman,(www.energyombudsman.org.uk Tel.01925530263) if this bill isn't cancelled and they use thier own resources to recover the mis-directed payments from Brit Gas.
Good Luck

I guess you meant http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk

This specific link from that site is quite informative too
http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/5-0-complaints_process.php

Before you complain to us, you must first have complained to the energy company. You must follow their published complaints procedure. This is to give the energy company a fair chance to sort the problem out. If you are still not happy with the way things have been handled, you can contact us.

If you want advice or some one else to complain to beforehand, it'll have to be Consumer Direct

Joyful

All Scottish Power need to do is request the payments from British Gas. This happens all the time so do not pay them twice.

brysiewysie

Joyful wrote: »

All Scottish Power need to do is request the payments from British Gas. This happens all the time so do not pay them twice.

It always suprises me how common this is. Would you pay money into the Nationwide and expect it to appear in your Lloyds TSB account?

I appreciate SP should have automatically sent a correct payment card as part of the transfer but surely some of this is common sense?

It is easy for them to resolve as Joyful says.

ricky9

It always suprises me how common this is. Would you pay money into the Nationwide and expect it to appear in your Lloyds TSB account?

I totaly agree with the above statment.
Why is it always the utility companys that are wrong?
When in fact it is you and me that is wrong by using the wrong card.
And it should be up to us the consumer to fix it.
Dont forget when the utility copanys try and fix it some one has got to pay for it.
All there customers pay with higher charges.

Buttonmoons

I'm with Scottish Power aswell, and use a pre payment meter, I'd just like to say congratulations in getting a new key in 2months from them, I've been waiting 10months and this is with me PHONING them every 10days, WHERE IS MY KEY? I DOUBT the postman has LOST all those keys. Useless.

Christopherj_2

Thank you all for your replies.

The woman on the phone wasn't helpful at all. I explained to her that I have paid for my electric, why should I pay again? But she was concerned about getting me off the phone.

So, do I go through with the complaints procedure, or do I give them another call?

DirectDebacle

ricky9 wrote: »

It always suprises me how common this is. Would you pay money into the Nationwide and expect it to appear in your Lloyds TSB account?

I totaly agree with the above statment.
Why is it always the utility companys that are wrong?
When in fact it is you and me that is wrong by using the wrong card.
And it should be up to us the consumer to fix it.
Dont forget when the utility copanys try and fix it some one has got to pay for it.
All there customers pay with higher charges.

This is a false analogy.

I am with the OP on this.

If the paying in slip (top up card) was for the TSB (Scottish Power) then the Nationwide would send it the TSB. If the paying in slip was for the Nationwide (Powergen) then it would go into the Nationwide and if it was for an account that did not exist (British Gas) then it would be rejected and returned.

The OP needed energy and paid for it by using a prepayment card in a prepayment meter. Scottish Power failed him by not supplying him with the correct card. He didn't use the 'wrong card', he used the only means available to him provided by the energy companies to pay. If it was the wrong card then the meter should not have accepted the payment. If meters accept wrong cards then perhaps he should have tried his Clubcard or the key to the padlock on his suitcase.

It seems that Powergen or British Gas are keeping money paid to them in error for an account that does not exist and have made no effort to find out where the payment should go or inform the OP that they are not his supplier.

Does not the OP pay more than a credit meter account holder precisely because he does not have a credit meter. Where does this lead to him being subsidised by other account holders.

The OP has paid for his supply and if this is such a common error then it is about time the energy suppliers had a well oiled machine for sorting them out amongst themselves. Asking someone to provide proof of purchase when they already know a purchase has been made (Scottish Power told him which company he had been paying.) sounds like laziness to me.

I would go down the complaints route. If nothing else it might spur the energy companies to start thinking about operating efficiently but I am not hopeful.

dogshome

Christopherj - You must make a complaint to Scot. Power in writing, an E.mail will do, but a letter is better. Head the the letter COMPLAINT in 24pt type in bold. Scot Power are only insisting on reciepts because it's the easiest route for them to get thier money, but the original Brit Gas/Power Gen key holds your account No. and the supplier it's with, who will have recorded all the payments you made.
Point out that it's Scot Power who should resolve a problem they created and offer to send them the key you used, but only after they have advised you of the address it should be sent to, and the name and phone number of the individual who will be dealing with the problem
NOTE TO PREMIER Thanks for the adress correction for the ombudsman - I got mine from a Daily Mail article which I stuck on the wall knowing that sooner or later I'd need it. Is it just a coincidence that when Energywatch said 'competition' wasn't working, whlist Ofgen were saying it was, that the Govt. shut down Energywatch and replaced it with three different offices who's remit is unclear?