Scottish Power Fixed Price - 28 February 2011

Premier_2

My advice to anyone who signed up for Online Energy Saver 12 is to check the welcome letter carefully.
You'll find it once you get full online access to your account under messages and then click letter history at top right of screeen.

If you get a similar letter to me, it gives the incorrect deiscount details down the RHS of the page.
On my letter it says you only get £10.50 per year dual fuel discount (unless in Manweb or SP supply regions where it is £16.80)
This is incorrect. All OES12 customers on dual fuel should get £16.80 annual discount.

COMPLAIN! COMPLAIN! COMPLAIN!

Rather than simply write to you and inform you it was their error in the letter, they seem to prefer to throw money at the problem and will credit you with the difference (£6.30). As they say, even if your account is then later credited with the full £16.80 dual fuel credit you are entitled to, they won't reclaim the £6.30 credit paid.

Hey I know it's only £6.30, but it's £6.30 more than you'll get by not bothering :beer:

elektra

Premier wrote: »

Just tried to call SP because my new account (it's got a different account number to the previous electric only tariff) is now in debt to the amount they should have collected. This will mess up my monthly payment plan.

I was hoping it would stay the same account number and any credit I had built up applied. I'm not even sure what prices I'm paying now as fixed elec only deal ended but OES12 switch still at early stages.
I shall be complaining if expected to pay standard elec prices until the full switch is finalised (i.e bringing gas over from Ebico).

re new account - seems we are being treated as a new customer yet not receiving any cashback switch amounts.

Premier wrote: »

So I asked, well if that's the case, can you just bill me every 3 months and I'll pay for what I actrually consumed (as I always did previously). She said oh no, we can't do that. When I asked why as that is what she effectively was suggesting i.e. to pay for only what I consumed as I consumed it, she asked if I wanted to escalate the matter to a complaint. So I did.



Cheap is good, but when I have to spend so much time complaining, I'd rather pay a few more pennies and get a much better service

I think I'm going to miss paying gas bill on receipt e.g two large winter bills and small bills in summer.


I think your whole experience explains why some people don't bother to switch.

why does it take 4-6 weeks to switch anyway ?

tobykim

Don't know if it's any help but you can log into your account online and make a payment, I've done this if I've thought there would be a rise in my DD for the winter months, just paid a bit extra to save them increasing my DD

oldandhappy

Switching here to BG from SP... so I will weekly enter my meter readings to keep a close eye on my bills knowing the changeover takes so long. I guess the 1st thing is SP will switch me to standard tariff.
I had phoned SP for tariffs on offer to me because Fixed Feb 2011 ended. I was greeted by a very pushy female and overall got little sense as to my options at the end of my phone call...I would state that I was steaming out my ears at some of her statements:eek: but she was to phone me at my request 4.00pm that same day with all prices available but the one that would' apparently suit me' was a capped 2012(no thanks...but she would NOT lisen to me:p)...I thoughly checked prices here which did take me several hours actually:( and BG seemed my best bet...so without further ado I switched...I am now really starting to understand some of the mentallity of the poss. hand picked call centre 'people'. I actually expect a bit of a rough ride...but I am now armed a little better:)Dianne...(just now have to sort out my new Smart Car Insurance and I can take a step back hopefully from the PC....)

Scottish_Power

Hi Premier

Sorry to hear about the start you have had to your new Dual Fuel account with ScottishPower. I know you are very familiar with how this industry works but I just wanted to explain what I believe has happened with your account since the gas supply has transferred to us.

You were previously paying for your electricity quarterly by Direct Debit which is not a payment option under the Online Energy Saver 12 tariff as this tariff is monthly Direct Debit only. It would appear that the gas account has transferred over to SP prior to your quarterly electricity Direct Debit being due. As a result of this, we have have created a Dual Fuel account for you changing both the gas and the electricity onto the monthly Direct Debit tariff. As we have not taken payment for the electricity used up to this point you will have the following options:

1. Add the charges for the electricity that has been used to date to the first Dual Fuel Direct Debit payment. The second Direct Debit payment will then be for ongoing consumption only.
2. Make a one off payment to clear the electricity charges and have the Direct Debit payments set to cover ongoing consumption only.
3. Spread the electricity charges through the monthly Direct Debit payment over an agreed period of time.

The Direct Debit payments should be set to cover your gas and electricity consumption so that there is minimum variation over a 12-month period and you should not have been advised otherwise.

I am concerned about the length of time you have been kept on hold and would like to investigate this further for you. If you would be happy for me to do this please send me an email to [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL] and I will review the contact that you have made with us.

I will be more than happy to answer any other questions you may have so please do not hesitate to ask or contact me directly.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

DirectDebacle

Hi,

Can you tell me where to find a copy of the Fixed Price 2011 Terms & Conditions.

I have looked under Previous Products on the SP site and it is not listed.

I was on this tariff. I received a copy of the General Terms and conditions on signing up but never any T & C's specific to this tariff.

Thanks.

elektra

DirectDebacle wrote: »

Hi,

Can you tell me where to find a copy of the Fixed Price 2011 Terms & Conditions.

I have looked under Previous Products on the SP site and it is not listed.

I was on this tariff. I received a copy of the General Terms and conditions on signing up but never any T & C's specific to this tariff.

Thanks.

http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/pdf/H...Energy2011.pdf

DirectDebacle

Thanks elektra.

Appears to me there is a bit of sharp practice going on here. My DD payment was on 10th of each month.

At the end of January I started the switching process to a new supplier. On 22 Feb cancelled the DD as no more payments due under this plan and received an estimated bill dated 23/2/11. On 28/2/11 submitted closing readings and to go on Standard rate until the switch completed.

SP have charged me standard rate from 23/2/11-28/2/11 and claim that I finished the contract early by cancelling the DD. Maybe I am missing something but it seems to me that the T & C state that the A/C has to be paid for continuously by DD. This was done. No more DD payments were due under the plan after 10/2/2011 and the T & C's do not state that a DD mandate needs to exist until 1/3/2011.

This action by them has caused my bill to be more than I anticipated it would be.

Anyone any thoughts other than I shouldn't have cancelled a redundant DD mandate?

NICKYS32

DirectDebacle wrote: »

Thanks elektra.

Appears to me there is a bit of sharp practice going on here. My DD payment was on 10th of each month.

At the end of January I started the switching process to a new supplier. On 22 Feb cancelled the DD as no more payments due under this plan and received an estimated bill dated 23/2/11. On 28/2/11 submitted closing readings and to go on Standard rate until the switch completed.

SP have charged me standard rate from 23/2/11-28/2/11 and claim that I finished the contract early by cancelling the DD. Maybe I am missing something but it seems to me that the T & C state that the A/C has to be paid for continuously by DD. This was done. No more DD payments were due under the plan after 10/2/2011 and the T & C's do not state that a DD mandate needs to exist until 1/3/2011.

This action by them has caused my bill to be more than I anticipated it would be.

Anyone any thoughts other than I shouldn't have cancelled a redundant DD mandate?

They did exactly the same thing to me. I was furious when I went onto my online banking and found out they had set up 2 new direct debits along with the original one. I cancelled all 3 and they have now sent me a bill at standard tariff.

They are a nightmare to get hold of on the phone, I can't log on to my online account anymore and they are demanding meter readings that have already been provided to my new supplier.

I also had a Scottish Power representative come to my house the day before I was due to transfer, saying that he was here to read the meter. Which he supposedly did. He then tried for 20 minutes to try and get me to stay with them, saying that he could cancel my transfer etc and that I wouldn't get charged any cancellation fee from my new provider, as they would say that they would not give permission for me to leave!!! as it was at their discretion.

All in all a complete nightmare transfer.

DirectDebacle

Waits for the S.P. rep to explain.