MSE News: Warning for Scottish Power customers on fixed rate deals

NickAJ

OK, I've cancelled the automatic move to the new tariff (and printed out the page that says I've opted out), but where to now?

Using our (horrendous) usage figures with energyhelpline I get quotes ranging from £1466 (first:utility but 2 yr contract), E-on £1496 (but fixed until Dec 2010), then EDF Energy Online 5 @ £1511. I can't see any lock-in with this tariff so I presume it's only a monthly commitment? I can also get £ 60 cashback (top cashback).

The best that SP can offer on their comparison service is Online Energy saver 6 with an annual bill of £1659 (same usage figures).

So unless I've missed something glaringly obvious my best bet is to go with the EDF option for £1451 nett of cashback??

Any comments?

tuggy12

NickAJ wrote: »

OK, I've cancelled the automatic move to the new tariff (and printed out the page that says I've opted out), but where to now?

Using our (horrendous) usage figures with energyhelpline I get quotes ranging from £1466 (first:utility but 2 yr contract), E-on £1496 (but fixed until Dec 2010), then EDF Energy Online 5 @ £1511. I can't see any lock-in with this tariff so I presume it's only a monthly commitment? I can also get £ 60 cashback (top cashback).

The best that SP can offer on their comparison service is Online Energy saver 6 with an annual bill of £1659 (same usage figures).

So unless I've missed something glaringly obvious my best bet is to go with the EDF option for £1451 nett of cashback??

Any comments?

The EDF option worked out best for me too, so I have switched through TopCashBack and The £60 tracked within hours.

1carminestocky

I think it's EDF online 5 tariff that's causing SP to have kittens at the moment. EDF have clearly timed the launch of this tariff to co-incide with the ending of other suplliers' fixed deals. Crafty, lol.

If we are comparing apples with apples here and therefore looking for the comparable SP tariff (i.e one without a naughty exit fee) then on average usage in my Yorkshire region it is Online (no standing charge). How much more expensive, you ask? Err, almost £180 a year, lol. It's clearly in SPs interests to try and keep you as customers now you are free agents. Unfortunately IMO they are doing it the naughty way by attempting to get you tied in again to an uncompetitive tariff. Whatever happened to competing on price, I wonder? Probably spending too much on the cashback inducements....

BargainGalore

I thought they all paid in advance, funny that we hardly seen any drops in our energy prices since the price hikes of last year

How can a fee be justified? its going to stifle people shopping around

1carminestocky wrote: »

From energyhelpline:




Watch out for the T&Cs in future, this is the most discredited industry in the UK after all.

silvergirl

We checked and were to be moved to the standard rate shortly. So we spoke to SP Customer Services and were moved to Fix'n'Flex online, which fixes at what we have been paying over the past year with just a tiny rise in cost (about £10p.a.). Otherwise we would have been locked into a rate which, whilst not unaffordable, would have been uncessarily higher than needed. So thanks MSE for the timely reminder.:T

tuggy12

silvergirl wrote: »

We checked and were to be moved to the standard rate shortly. So we spoke to SP Customer Services and were moved to Fix'n'Flex online, which fixes at what we have been paying over the past year with just a tiny rise in cost (about £10p.a.). Otherwise we would have been locked into a rate which, whilst not unaffordable, would have been uncessarily higher than needed. So thanks MSE for the timely reminder.:T

In my area Fix'n'Flex works out at almost 10% more than the Fixed Price Aug 2009 tariff we have just come off.

Which area are you in?

cw18

the comparison sites put it dearer in my area too......


well, the readings I submitted yesterday have generated a bill. charged for the units on it at the Fixed price (which is correct), but says on the top of the bill that I'm on OES6. So at least I know I'm now on the tariff I asked for

tiptoes27

AFTE 3 PHONE CALLS SP have moved me from the capped rate and moved me onto the standard rate from 1st September so i can now safely move to another supplier without penalty. Using actual consumption figures I got the best price from EON online saver at £245.00 less than I paid to SP. Then checked with Quidco and got £62.00 cashback for changing to EON! delighted!! Was with Eon up until a year ago and found the customer service very good so glad to be back.

ceridwen

Another one with Scottish Power - and I've been on the fixed?/capped? deal that finished at end August.

I've not heard a thing from them - as its an online account and I simply dont look at my online account. As far as I am concerned I fixed this deal because an online account deal is cheaper - but that doesnt mean I actually expect to have to look at my online account....I know...I know....but I'm not computer-literate and it totally fazes me at the thought of figuring out how.

Anyways - I've recently been having problems regarding my switchover a year ago from Atlantic Energy to Scottish Power and its clear its all S.P.'s fault for being downright inefficient. I dread to think how much they could manage to muck me about if I go in for swopping from them.

Anyways - in the course of sorting out their latest muck-up - it emerges that they swopped me to their "Capped for free" tariff and they told me I will have to pay a £50 penalty exit fee if I swop from them 1 October onwards.

My query is: Can I arrange a swopover to another firm now (knowing it could take/probably will take) weeks to have this take effect and know that I am safe for S.P. having to accept that the swopover process started when I said I was going to swop (ie before 1 October) - rather than quoting at me the actual date its all finalised (which is likely to be later than 1 October - as these things seem to take so darn long).

(I would like to swop over even if the price is exactly the same - if I can only find an efficient firm to swop to. IS there actually any firm that is efficient at all? I so hate having to deal with all the hassles these firms cause so often with their inefficiency - so I'd swop like a shot even for the same price if I could guarantee the firm I was going to is actually efficient.)

NickAJ

Hi ceridwen,

You should have had an email in July advising you that the offer was coming to an end. There is an option on there to opt out of the new Capped Tariff. If you can't find it don't worry, just phone SP and ask them to put you on their standard tariff. It's no more expensive than the Capped Tariff and has no exit penalties.

You can do this without charge until the end of September.

Would then suggest you check out your options on a price comparison site to see your best price plans with other suppliers. For me EDF works out cheaper, plus cashback with topcashback.