Scottish Power are keen.

StevieJ

I received this email yesterday.

We've noticed you logged on onto the website on 24/01/11 and viewed your account without entering meter readings.

As your account is now due to be billed, please could you provide your readings by logging onto your account and clicking 'Enter meter readings'.

I think it is better for me if I provide quarterly readings (and new bill) every 90 days not 80 days as this would involve me in paying an extra 10 days at the primary rate as opposed to the cheaper secondary. The lengths they will go to in order to extract more money out of you.
Or am I being unfair.

2010

StevieJ wrote: »

I think it is better for me if I provide quarterly readings (and new bill) every 90 days not 80 days as this would involve me in paying an extra 10 days at the primary rate as opposed to the cheaper secondary. The lengths they will go to in order to extract more money out of you.
Or am I being unfair.

Whether you get billed every 80/90/100 days you don`t pay any extra at primary rates.

If you`re really interested, I`ll post how it`s worked out.


So yes you are being unfair.

StevieJ

2010 wrote: »

Whether you get billed every 80/90/100 days you don`t pay any extra at primary rates.

If you`re really interested, I`ll post how it`s worked out.


So yes you are being unfair.

Yes I am interested.

glider3560

Primary rate is 900kWh per year.

A bill covering 90 days will have the threshold at 221.92kWh whereas a bill for 80 days will be 197.26kWh.

2010

StevieJ wrote: »

Yes I am interested.

Please check your own yearly/quarterly primary rate because it may vary from this but the principal is the same.


Electricity
You are charged for 500 kWh at the primary rate per year, this is then broken up in to quarters for electricity.
If your bill covers an exact quarter of 91 days you will be charged your first 125 kWh at the primary rate.
Most of the time the bills cover slightly more or less than 91 days and this is why the amount of primary units used per quarter can differ.
Below is the calculation we use to determine your primary units on a statement;
500kWh for the year
Divide this by the number of days in the year 365
Then multiply this by the number of days the bill covers
This will then give you the amount of units that will be charged at the primary rate.
So for example, if your bill covered a 100 day period, you would be charged for 147 units at the primary rate. You will not in any circumstances pay for more than 500kWh in a year period.

Gas

2680 kwh divide by 365 then multiply by the number of days the bill covers.

dogshome

Hi StevieJ - SP's online billing system has a habit of asking for meter reads well before the 91/92 day Quarterly breakpoints - It doesn't actually increase your costs, but what it does do is artificially inflate the 'Debt' balance on your Winter bills because it registers only 2 D/D payments made over the bill period, when over 90 days you will have made 3.

Be wary of any demands from SP to raise your D/D level because the debt level on your last bill

StevieJ

dogshome wrote: »

Hi StevieJ - SP's online billing system has a habit of asking for meter reads well before the 91/92 day Quarterly breakpoints - It doesn't actually increase your costs, but what it does do is artificially inflate the 'Debt' balance on your Winter bills because it registers only 2 D/D payments made over the bill period, when over 90 days you will have made 3.

Be wary of any demands from SP to raise your D/D level because the debt level on your last bill

Thanks, I am on to that one, if I can, I tend to wait until a DD has been taken before I input my meter reading. Thanks for all the info on how the primary rate works, I checked my bills and can see it now. Oh and apologies to SP.

Scottish_Power

Hi StevieJ

Absolutely no need to apologise and glad the forum members were able to provide you with the information you needed. The online service is excellent for recording the gas/elec that you use and the more meter readings you enter the more information the account will have to display for you.

If you have any questions let me know and I will be more than happy to help.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

jack_spratt_2

I found the SP on-line system very good but as you say they would give a date when the next meter reading was due(90 days after submission ) and you can bet before that date they would request a reading about 10 days before it was due and if you ignored it they would email you again to say your meter reading was due and to submit one or they would estimate it , as you say it was often just before a payment was due to go out of the bank