Scottish Power - poor practice

matttaylor

This is just me venting some steam really for self therapy as I lack another outlet for it but also thought I'd highlighted my experiences when leaving Scottish Power.

I change supplier each year and this is the 2nd time I've moved on from Scottish Power. The first time I wasn't so clear as to whether I was in credit or debt with them upon switching but this time I decided to keep on top of it.

To their credit SP have improved things by sending out a final bill for both gas & electricity, the upshot of which showed I was in credit with gas but still owed on the electricity. The balance however was in my favor.

I'd cancelled my direct debit and as time passed I must have received three or four letters asking for payment on the electricity account.

I ignored them thinking that there's no way I'm paying them more if they already owe me. What's the point?
I Know it was too much to ask but I was kind of hoping someone at SP would see what was going on and send me a cheque for the balance.

No...today I receive a phone call asking if I can settle the debt and after a bit of explaining on the phone all is apparently sorted and I should be getting my money soon.
Using the excuse that the gas & electric are two separate accounts is a little poor in my book.
I'm still left with the impression that SP are quite happy to take as much money as they can and unfairly hold on to it forever if no-one says any different.

chanz4

all suppliers do it, although its a combined bill it is x2 accounts.

jalexa

matttaylor wrote: »

Using the excuse that the gas & electric are two separate accounts is a little poor in my book.

I agree with that. I was last with Scottish Power over two years ago and things haven't improved. Exactly the same happened, though threatened with a complaint, suprise surprise, the credit balance was transferred to the debit balance. Not made any easier by the SP closedown of the online access.

Another thing about Scottish Power (and others) is that while they are happy to collect by Direct Debit, they are unable to refund by Direct Credit to the same account, relying instead on "cheque in the post" or as I call that "cheque lost or not in the post". In comparison SSE group brands, even with their previous billing system, could easily stop collecting direct debits and return funds electronically.

If they want a "two account route" the single billing stage should state the individual fuel balance. Didn't when I was a customer.

matttaylor

I understand why there are two accounts and I have no problem with that.
What I object to is a company whose left hand does not know what the right is doing or worse pretending they don't so they can take advantage.

Jalexa is right, Scottish Power revoke your online account access pretty smartish so it's not easy to see what is going on.