Scottish Power - another increase in my direct debit

Magentasue

StevenA wrote: »

was told by a most unpleasant and unsympathetic advisor that because we are now on "Fixed Price Energy Online" after coming off "Price Fall" and before that "Capped Rate" our unit rate has gone up by 70% in the past 12 months, and that they had no better rates to offer.

I seem to remember my brother getting a letter from SP, more or less telling him he was being put on a fixed price tariff unless he opted out. In other words, if you did nothing, you ended up on a tariff where you were paying a premium for fixing.

Stevie1

Quentin wrote: »

It is you.

It adds up.

The bill is £479. Less credit of £218 = £261!

Sorry, forgot to add that this is after the various discounts have been applied. There was a reason for my confusion, not just my usual maths thickness...

StevenA_2

StevenA wrote: »

We have been with Scottish Power now and on Dual Fuel for a number of years with no complaints at all - until recently.
After reducing our energy consumption steadily over the past 18 months and being in credit with them for the past 8 months (up to £54.00), I could not beleive my eyes after I supplied them with our latest meter readings.
We have gone from being in credit to owing them £100.54.
I rang straight away, and was told by a most unpleasant and unsympathetic advisor that because we are now on "Fixed Price Energy Online" after coming off "Price Fall" and before that "Capped Rate" our unit rate has gone up by 70% in the past 12 months, and that they had no better rates to offer.
Then to add insult to injury an email arrived tonight to say the Direct Debit will increase from £70.50 per month to £107.50 per month.
Needless to say I will definitely be caling them tomorrow.

Well, I called SP first thing this morning.
When I eventually got through the advisor told me again, that since being on the fixed tariffs energy prices had risen, and that there were no better deals to be had, so my unit prices have increased since October by 70%, and even though my consumption is coming down my DD will increase. She did manage to get the DD down to £98.00 instead of the £107.50.
That is still an increase of £28.00 pm - so looks like a change of energy company may have to come soon. Any recommendations would be appreciated

neil9313

kjsmith7 wrote: »

You obviously don't need to actually answer this on here, but do you have any debt on the account? Where you previously on a fixed price tariff that has now ended? If you were, then your rates may have increased the first time due to increased consumption and the second time due to the fact your rates have changed. If you are on a standard tariff, your consumption/amount you have used may be higher for this quarter than the same quarter last year... There are numerous reasons why DDs go up and down, to be honest, the discounts probably aren't worth it. If you can, just pay quarterly by cash/cheque/card (and put the money you would have spent on a DD in a savings account, even though you won't earn much money on it now!) or by a direct debit every quarter that only takes what you owe.

Forget the above, DD is cheaper

Gilmo

Good old Scottish Power, I am having the same problem. I just went with Scottish Power had someone at the door - capped until December 2009. He set my D/D at £80.00 p/m duel fuel, told after 3 months to put in meter reading and it might slightly go up. Done that and I owe them £339 so they are increasing my d/d to £160.00 p/m. I live in the 3 bedroomed house, just had a new heating system installed and new windows fitted.

Emailed them asking they come and check my meter and they told me that there doesn't look anything wrong that is the average usage, but if I wanted someone out to check it I would have to pay them £85 in advance and if they found it was incorrect they would refund me...

Magentasue

Gilmo wrote: »

Emailed them asking they come and check my meter and they told me that there doesn't look anything wrong that is the average usage, but if I wanted someone out to check it I would have to pay them £85 in advance and if they found it was incorrect they would refund me...

Why do you think your meter is wrong? How many kwh are you using a day?

davecon1

I joined SP about 5 years ago after a nightmare with NPower. My original bill was £50 per month for a 3 bedroom house. I got lucky with a capped rate for 2 years but as soon as I came off my bills jumped to about £70 per month where they stayed.

Last year they jumped up to £89 but then back down to £75 then in Octoer they were raised to £97.50 pm. I had built up a nice juicy credit £320 but I updated my meter readings yesterday and my bill for 80 days came to £405!! (£220 for gas and £185 for electricity). I've never had a bill anywhere near this before and now my DD has now been revised to £116. After holding forever on the phone I managed to speak to customer services who simply said prices had gone up and I could move to a crap fixed deal.

I can see by my consumption that I've used about 30% more gas and electricity this winter (a combination of cold winter, loft conversion and being in more) and the cost of fuel is about 30% more than last year.

Other than the huge increase my main concern is my energy consumption. On average I use the gas central heating on a timer for 5 1/2 hours a day (1 1/2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening). I consider that to be low usage although my consumption figures are apparently average at 5000 kw for electricity and 18000 for gas. My partner has recently become self employed and works from home and I shudder at the thought of the heating being on all day (even with all the rads turned off/down around the house).


Apparently I can save by changing to British Gas but I'm also getting the cavity wall filled as I'm end of terrace which can cut down on heat loss. My boiler is brand new and very heat efficicient and the curtains are going up this weekend!

From the posts on this site my DD does not seem that high in comparison to others but does anyone else have comparable figures?

Any advice on cutting bills would be greatly appreciated.

Magentasue

We are high users - we use 31000 kwh gas a year and 5000 kwh electricity. Family of six, someone home most of the time and gas CH in a three bed house on three floors. Comes to about £1600 a year so £135 a month.

judderman

Just had an email from SP putting my monthly DD up from £47.50 to £62.50.
Not happy, even worse tring to talk to someone on the phone.
What phone numbers are people using?? 0845 2706543

I'm on the online energy saver 4.

sutton111

They have increased our Direct Debit from £75 to £112 per month.

I can never get through to this mob either.