Moved to Scottish Power last Novemeber and yesterday they send me a bill for £780?

dogshome

I read & post on this site when I think I can help, but get cross at replies along the lines of "Did you not expect to pay for what you used..." Why didn't check your bills/read the meter".
Those who make critisism of the poster have got it wrong, the poster is not a muppet, they are just innocent. The present 'Competition' controlled market is a minefield for consumers with virtually only this site as an unbiased information scource of the pitfalls. It is only 7 years since it started, during which time many young people will have married and had children, and unless they have switched on parents, and there many who are not, they will be under the impression thier utilities are like Tesco - you pay the bill and walk away.
Before labelling anyone, use your imagination and consider just what a huge back-bill will do even the best managed budget of a young family. In those same 7 years many of the already retired will have become the elderly - just how does this group stand on a chair to read the meter once a week, or take advantage of savings offered for an online account?
If you are that angry you must critisise - Don't wast it on the innocents who are being screwed by the system - Shout at Ofgem and the Govt to change the rules. It's a sure bet that the Disrtibutors would sharpen up thier act if they could not back-bill for more than 6 months and they could not bill, but only issue credits in cases of Metric v Imperial Gas meter errors

notwithit??

Hi OP!
I too changed to SP in aug last year and had a £55 DD, mine was an online saver, so i had to input the meter readings in myself every month, but i only knew that, because of all the helpful people on here, The people at scottish power probably thought by telling me that the account was an online saver, that i would automatically know i had to do it all myself online by the title....online saver. but not everybody is as clued up as most people, hence why we have these online forums, thats why i love MSE because i learn something new every day! :money:

veronarona

I've muddled up my own contract with SP - I didn't remember that I'd signed up for 3 years fixed and was shocked to find I can't follow MSE's advice and Switch Now! because I'm tied until 2011, but I made my bed and must lie in it - so I'm in no position to be harsh with others.

However, Scottish Power send me an email every quarter asking me to read my meters, so I don't understand how consumers can get so behind :huh: Is it not automatic, does one have to tick a box amidst myriads of others to get emails?

veronarona

Premier_2

Martin_McCarthy wrote: »

...
We complained and asked why we was not informed about the debt before and they said they only check usage ever 3 months (no excuse I said) ...

No supplier reads conventional meters more than once per quarter.
(but you could supply your own readings more often)
That's why they would only check every 3 months without you supplying extra readings.

Remember, although they may attempt to read the meter every 3 months (some suppliers only attempt to do so every 6 months) they may not be able to so then they will estimate usage.

DVardysShadow

dogshome wrote: »

I read & post on this site when I think I can help, but get cross at replies along the lines of "Did you not expect to pay for what you used..." Why didn't check your bills/read the meter".
Those who make critisism of the poster have got it wrong, the poster is not a muppet, they are just innocent. The present 'Competition' controlled market is a minefield for consumers with virtually only this site as an unbiased information scource of the pitfalls. It is only 7 years since it started, during which time many young people will have married and had children, and unless they have switched on parents, and there many who are not, they will be under the impression thier utilities are like Tesco - you pay the bill and walk away.
Before labelling anyone, use your imagination and consider just what a huge back-bill will do even the best managed budget of a young family. In those same 7 years many of the already retired will have become the elderly - just how does this group stand on a chair to read the meter once a week, or take advantage of savings offered for an online account?
If you are that angry you must critisise - Don't wast it on the innocents who are being screwed by the system - Shout at Ofgem and the Govt to change the rules. It's a sure bet that the Disrtibutors would sharpen up thier act if they could not back-bill for more than 6 months and they could not bill, but only issue credits in cases of Metric v Imperial Gas meter errors

I have some sympathy for this - it is Ofgem in part and the utilities for sure. Part of the problem is monthly DD payments detaching people from the reality of what they are using. But I don't have sympathy when people do not compare their billed units with their meters - and don't check their bills to see how much credit or debit they have each quarter.

w.f.

espresso wrote: »

So what is your complaint then?

Surely anyone can take meter readings and multiply the number of units used by the rate per kWh unit for your suppliers tariff. If you can't do this then learn how to!

For gas you will need to use the conversion factors to convert to kWh but this is all explained on your bill.

I dont really want to get involved with this thread, but I would have to say "NO"...not anyone can do this.
Meter reading x 2.83 (if imperial meter) x correction value x calorific value / 3.6 or whatever it is to get KWH and then so much at one price and the rest at another.

Even the energy Company struggle....Npower change the correction value (i think) depending on the time of year and the atmospheric pressure and they have also been accused of over charging on the higher rate of gas (sculpting ? and the re setting of annual clocks), which saw them fined over £1million by the ombardsman.

Add to that, the fact that Npower have been sending me bills based on imperial readings when my meter was actually changed to a metric one nearly 4 years ago, I would have to again say
"NO", ....I would defy anyone to work out their actual gas bill.

As a fellow "new boy" to this forum, I must say that I have to agree with Martin in as much as the welcome he has received from certain people in this thread, is certainly not what I would have expected. _pale_

tij303

W.F, Martin - I am also a newby for similar reasons in that the bills are ridiculously complex, the methods used to attract customers vague and misleading, the follow up service poor, and the general commercial tactics making a fortune out of others. Hence the reason sites like this exist.
I wont say what I do for a living but it involves long hours and whilst we all have a responsibility to manage our finances effectively my work related competence usually turns into swiss cheese brain by the time I get home, help out, do chores play with my son and so on. Sometimes sites like this give you support or just help you make a decision (as I got the other day). The welcome some gave you in my opinion was harsh - I thought this was a team of people trying to give the consumer an edge so give a newbies a break !!!!! :T