problem with electric meter

lyndac40

Hi everyone just thought I would let you all now about something that happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

I have a prepayment electric meter. Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed I was putting about £10.00 a week more in my meter than I usually do. I thought it was because the winter had come and my heating was now on a lot more than it was in the summer and my son has an electric panel radiator in his room he had been using it without telling me. I had a look at the meter and started pressing buttons. When I got to screen S I noticed there was a debt of £291.00 on it. I have had this meter for years so I could not understand where the debt had come from. I called my supplier on Saturday 24th October but they were closed for the weekend. So I called them again first thing on Monday 26th October. I asked them where the debt had come from. The lady on the other end of the phone asked me to go to the meter and press some buttons and give her some figures from the meter which I did. She then asked me to hang on the line while she checked something. When she came back she told a debt of £310.00 had been put onto my meter on the Saturday 10th October. I asked her why this had happened and she said it was an ERROR. She has arranged for the debt to be taken of my meter and a refund for £32.20 to be credited back to my meter. I have to put 2 separate £5.00 credits over 2 days on my key to get rid of the debt, then another 3 separate £5.00 credits of £5.00 over 3 days to receive the refund.
I did the first 2 credits and the debt did not come of so I called again. I was then informed that the information I was given was wrong, it has to be 3 credits of £5.00 over 3 days to get rid of the debt then another 3 credits over another 3 days to get my refund and they also told me the first 2 credits would not count as the post office machines were not as quick as pay point machines. So I will have to start all over again using a pay point machine. In total this is going to cost me £45.00 to get rid of this debt and my £32.20 refund due to their ERROR.
I called again this morning Monday 2nd November as the debt still has not come off my meter. When I asked to speak to a manager or a supervisor because I thought it was unfair that it was going to cost me £45.00 to sort their ERROR out, I was put on hold. When the lady came back on the phone she told me she could get this debt taken of right now for me. I don’t understand why they could not do this in the first place.
I received a letter from my supplier on Saturday telling me I was £95.00 in credit with them. Which I am unable to claim back from them until their ERROR is sorted out.
The thing that really bothers me about this is how many people has this been done to without their knowledge. It is usually people on low incomes who have these meters who can ill afford to be paying more than they have to.
If I had not contacted them would they even have told me? As it was 19 days later I called them I don’t think so.
Sorry this a bit long winded but please be aware of this situation if you have a prepayment meter.

kippen_noedel

Unfortunately, although rare it still happens all to often, which supplier is it ??

lyndac40

Hi Kippen.

I wasn't sure if i could name the supplier until i started reading other threads.
The supplier is Scottish Power.

icefall

I think that is an awful thing to happen to you, how on earth can they

a. do this (remotely or did they physically have to be by the meter)

b. do this and not tell you??

I hope you get it sorted out

dogshome

Hi lyndac 40 - As you say, how the blazes can SP make this kind of error, and how many other pre-pay customers have been affected, but don't yet know it.
Distributors can and do make mistakes, and the problem is that once it happens it's a devils own job correcting it because their wonderful computer systems are designed to only collect money, not give it back - At this moment in time you think that the problem has been resolved, even though you have not yet got your money back, but, Customer Service Desk personel are notorious for getting it wrong as you have found. I strongly suggest that you write to Scot Power heading the letter Complaint, listing the story as in your excellent
post. By doing this you fix the position at this moment in writing, and if Scot Power cause further problems you can involve the Energy Ombudsman
Good Luck

lyndac40

Hi dogshome I have emailed a complaint much the same as I have said on this thread asking for a refund of all phone calls the £32.20 to be refunded to my meter and a cheque to be sent to me asap. I will let u know who I get on.

Icefall this was done remotely. That is what makes me think that this can be done to anyone with this type of meter without their knowlege.

Fire_Fox

You really should send a letter of complaint recorded delivery not e-mail.

lyndac40

Hi everyone just a wee update.

I got a phone call from Scottish Power customer services today. The £32.20 has been credited back to my meter this morning when I made yet another £5.00 credit on my key. They are sending me a cheque for the differance from the £95.00 taking off the £32.20 and an extra £20.00 to cover the cost of the phone calls.

She had no reason to give as to why this has happened except MAYBE the wrong account number had be put into the system. I will wait and see what it says on the letter.

Still seems a bit suspect to me and I will be checking the meter all the time to make sure this never happens again.

icefall

Thanks for the update, and the answer to my question - not sure I like the sound of a debt being added remotely with no warning so randomly like that.

But they seem to have sorted the mistake out where you are concerned so thats the important thing.

lyndac40

Hi everyone

Just another wee update, I got a statement through the post this morning from Scottish power saying I was now £107.00 in credit. I think I will just leave this for just now am happy to get the £62.00 and £20.00 for the phone calls. I wonder how long it will take for the cheque to arrive. I will wait and see what the next statement says before I ask for any more money back. I cant understand why I would be in credit if I pay for my electric as I go.

debrag

can this happen with gas meters or is it just electric? Just had meters put in and we DO have a debt but it's not set up yet i.e. nothing on electric meter.