Disgusted with Scottish Power

syco1

I moved to Scottish Power in September and was quite happy with there service, although I was a bit worried about the fact I was sort of tied in by charges of £50+ if I move before this October.
Amazingly I have just been notified - 9th Feb. that they are putting up their prices from 25th November last year ! Bit late to tell me that.
Well I may be stuck for the next 8 months, but I will be off as soon as October comes. I used to be a loyal customer to power companies, but nowadays we may as well take the incentives and keep moving. They show no loyalty to us.

Thank you for your email.
Your accout is currently on Online Energy Saver 10 Monthly Direct Debit tariff. This tariff matures on 31st October 2011. If you move to another supplier before this date, you will be charged £30.64 for electricity and £20.42 for gas as cancellation fee.
We have already increased our prices with effect from 25th November 2010. ScottishPower increased prices due to a combination of rising wholesale energy costs ? which we can no longer absorb - and rules introduced by the energy regulator, Ofgem, about how gas and electricity prices vary in different areas.
We are informing our customers about the price increase between 7th December 2010 and 16th February 2011. This is the reason you have received an email from us about the price increase.
I apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

DirectDebacle

As far as I am aware the Standard Licence Conditions require that energy companies have to notify customers of price changes within 65 working days of the price change coming into effect. If they have not complied with this then they cannot enforce the change if you disagree with it. In that case you must change supplier and notify your supplier within 10 days (I think) that you do not accept it. This condition will be detailed precisely in your terms and conditions.

If it is more than 65 working days from your price increase to the date you were informed of it then they are in breach of contract. As such I would argue that they therefore cannot enforce a cancellation fee as they are forcing you to cancel the contract by their failure to comply with the SLC. Furthermore they cannot enforce the price increase and your energy has to be charged at the previous price until such time as the switch is completed.

Ofgem were intending to reduce this 65 working day limit to 30 days, I believe. Not sure if this has come into effect yet.

No doubt someone more up to date will clarify.

Premier_2

What DirectDebarcle says is correct ... mostly

If you didn't want to incur any price changes, you needed to agree to a fixed rate tariff.
What actually happens in such situations is if you don't agree to a change of terms, the original terms still apply ... as as the original terms included an early exit fee you will be charged this if you leave early.
Time limits apply if you wish to reject the change in terms.

syco1

Thank you both for the comments and advice. I will make a note on my calendar as to when I can change again. May as well play these companies at their own game and keep taking the incentives to change every year or so. Not like I can afford to have the central heating on anyway.

fiendishly

syco1 wrote: »

I moved to Scottish Power in September and was quite happy with there service, although I was a bit worried about the fact I was sort of tied in by charges of £50+ if I move before this October.
Amazingly I have just been notified - 9th Feb. that they are putting up their prices from 25th November last year ! Bit late to tell me that.
Well I may be stuck for the next 8 months, but I will be off as soon as October comes. I used to be a loyal customer to power companies, but nowadays we may as well take the incentives and keep moving. They show no loyalty to us.

read the small print at the bottom of the email:

#You have the right to end your contract and have 20 working days from receipt of this letter to do so. If you do that, and the transfer of supplier process begins no later than 15 working days after you inform us, the new prices will not apply

get declining quickly and sign up for a new supplier :T