Scottish Power 19.75% price rise

tinbum1

We have just receved a letter from Scottish Power saying that our electricity is going up in price due to the regulators from 31/3/2010. (yes that's over a month ago). This price rise is a staggering 19.75%!!

Anyone else heard of this regulation?

KimYeovil

There is lots of pressure on suppliers to stop offering value packages to their reliable customers. Instead your money has to go to subsidise prepayment meter users, social tariff consumers, green (sic) initiatives, people who don't pay their bills etcetera.

To be fair, the standard tariffs should be much closer in price to the cheapest direct debit tariff - the difficulty is is that consumers are very reluctant to embrace a fair stick and would much rather have an unfair carrot. That is, they prefer a cheap direct debit tariff with a bundled discount rather than a fairly priced standard tariff with fair penalties for late payment. (Look at all the complaints about BT for doing things that way round.)

Anyway, you can avoid the price increase if you find an alternative supplier with a cheaper tariff that you would like to switch to. Write to Scottish Power (within ten days) to reject the increase informing them you are changing supplier and expect to remain on the original tariff until the switch goes through. And switch to the new supplier through the usual channels.

tinbum1

Hi, Thanks, Done that and signed up with EDF predicting a saving £371 a year. Well actually a saving of £155 if you ignore the Scotish Power increase.

I have been with Scottish Power for many years and had found them to be very good, but the last two years they have been trying to increase my direct debit way beyond what i needed to pay and they are now very reluctant to give credits back.

withabix

I hope you got your £50 commission by using Quidco etc?

tinbum1

withabix wrote: »

I hope you got your £50 commission by using Quidco etc?

afraid i didn't know about that

otterjack

Just had my annual estimated bill through for Scottishpower which is quite high. I did a comparison on Moneysupermarket and found a cheaper plan with EDF not particulary keen on them but saw that Scottish power had a cheaper 'online energy reward' plan saving £220. I couldn't access it so rang them up and without mentioning it I asked if they had a cheaper plan that I could go on. Was told no, the 'online energy 6' plan I was already on was the cheapest. when I explained that I had seen a cheaper Scottish power plan she asked what it was I told her it was the 'online energy reward' and she went quite before saying that it was the latest plan for new customers only but because I had seen it and asked for it she could allow me to go on it. Its a fixed contract until July 2011.