MSE News: Scottish Power to hike energy prices

beaujolais-nouveau

I have been on Scottish Power's Online Standard (Domestic Single Rate) account for several years and I pay when I have put in the meter readings (not by Direct Debit). I use very very little electricity. Has no one else had a notification from SP in which the electricity unit price does not change but the daily standing charge - which one cannot escape or reduce by using less electricity - has increased hugely?

For electricity, the SP changes are

Daily standing charge for electricity
from/to - percentage increase
20.84p / 38.15p - 83.06 per cent
That's an inescapable increase of £64 over the year.

Price of electricity used - no change, to continue as 11.982p

Daily standing charge for gas
from / to - percentage increase
28.97p / 35.49p - 22.5 per cent

Price of gas used
from / to - percentage increase
3.503p / 4.074p - 16.3 per cent

beaujolais-nouveau

Tilley lamps seem to run for about 11 hours on one filling of paraffin and are easily as bright as a normal electric light bulb.

Is this a practical alternative?

beaujolais-nouveau

Just saying.

I've looked at the .pdf on a link from this page (righthand side) here

http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/your-home/existing-customer/scottishpower-energy-direct.aspx

and can't see any reference to the daily service charge. No wonder they want people to sign up quickly.

Froglet

No standing charge with that one.I changed last year and my gas bill has been cheaper without the daily charge.I am much heavier on electric,it makes no difference if you use a fair amount of both.

That is some increase on the electric!!

NO_WORRIES_3

19% & 10% increases ?? I have just recalculated my mum's bill for the last qtr, she is on an the Online energy saver 12 and the increase is a massive 35%, not only has the unit price increased, they have also increased the number of units that the primary charges are applied.

Have I got my sums wrong or is this for real ?

A._Badger

NO_WORRIES wrote: »

19% & 10% increases ?? I have just recalculated my mum's bill for the last qtr, she is on an the Online energy saver 12 and the increase is a massive 35%, not only has the unit price increased, they have also increased the number of units that the primary charges are applied.

Have I got my sums wrong or is this for real ?

I wouldn't bet you have got them wrong! I'm on OS10 and when I called today, found that my annual bill would increase from c. £388 to £503!

When I pointed out that seemed somewhat more than the headline rate I was told 'oh, that's just an average increase'!

Checking the comparison sites, apparently I can save a few pounds by changing but I'm puzzled. If I switch to British Gas (nothing on earth would ever persuade me to endure npower again!) what's to stop them increasing their prices in a month meaning I might have been better off staying put?

I really have no idea what to do. What a bunch of crooks these people are!

rodenal

Here's a question - I'm on OES8, any recommendations on whether I should change to another SP tarrif or move? Currently pay about £86 / month. I don't trust the information I get from the comparison sites - they have claimed I would make around a 200 a year saving the last two years. I've worked out the actual saving to be about £30 each time!

macman

The comp sites are perfectly accurate if you put in the correct data (annual kWh figs, not monthly DD figs).
What you pay per month has nothing to do with how much energy you use.

kar999

I was going to fix but I've decided to do nothing for now. In on OS10 and like others say I'll be paying 30-40% more from 1 August. I'm going to see what increases come from other companies (hopefully by 1 August) as we are not on a level playing field at the moment. I might risk losing a slightly cheaper fixed rate (and that's all it is... slightly cheaper unless I go for a variable tariff) but to be honest I'm not prepared to lock in beyond 2012 anyway.

There might be a bit more competition soon and some cashback deals. IMHO, at the moment the other comapnies are happy just to hoover up as many Scottish Power customers as they can who are running around like headless chickens in a panic just like I was when I saw my increases!!!

Newcroft

I agree; headless chickens. That's what Scottish Power were banking on in order to trap customers.

They keep changing the goalposts as and when it suits them. When I left them a few weeks ago, they miraculously were able to offer me better terms (and I was on one of their 2 year tariffs). No thanks! If they can reduce their prices for customers who are leaving; why can't they reduce their prices to all customers?