Scottish Power are driving me nuts

Richie-from-the-Boro

Beverley_Bill wrote: »

I have a "friend," No really. He has just brought me some SP bills and he is beside himself with worry. For the past 8 or 9 years he has had a prepayment meter after running up a large debt, (SP at fault there too)

Due to the competition in the market and the advice from this site etc, he changed vendors to BG for both supplies. In the recent days, "several" final demands have dropped through the letterbox demanding an extortionate amount of money.

At the beginning of the last billing period, his account was in credit to the tune of some £80, now he has a final reminder for an unpaid account. After 9 years of repaying a debt and lighting his home. the arrears were long paid off

How can this be?

He is sat here with me at the moment and given me permission to post this.

There is also a disability issue, although a bill is a bill and as a full time carer for his wife, he is obviously worried

- if he's a carer, then there's probably a DLA status for his wife
- if that's the case there's a very very attractive tariff available to the household from SP and the other big 5

Your last paragraph says that the couple were in credit just a month or so ago [billing period] and on a final demand now. That makes no sense Beverley Bill, or do you mean he was :

- in debt and on a prepayment meter with SP
- managed to switch to BG
- did not pay the legacy debt to SP
- and now SP have caught up with your 'friend' with a demand for all monies owed plus the usual megga costs ?

Froglet

Well,i am going to defend Scottish Power now.I have not had any problems with them in must be nearly 4 years now,always been very helpful on the phone and i input my readings when they ask,every quarter.The DD has only been changed yearly if necessary.

The rep from SP has asked 3 times for the OP to email them details of their account so they can help.Has this happened yet?If not they can hardly keep complaining that nothing is being done.You can also request a call back from them so that it costs nothing to ring them.

Of all the providers i have used in the past they are the most customer service friendly and offer the best rates of any of them

Scottish_Power

Hi Beverly Bill, can you please contact me with the account or address details this relates to and I can check whats happened. The e-mail address is [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL]

Thanks

[EMAIL="Marie@ScottishPower"]Marie@ScottishPower[/EMAIL]

Beverley_Bill

Richie, the debt was long settled and my friends decided to stay with PAYG as it saved them from the problem again, it also gave my friend some respite by being able to go and buy credit in the village.

Marie. Thanks.
I will send you the details with my friends permission.

Thank You

AndysDad

I'm another satisfied SP customer of several years.I give them my readings every 3 months and never had any problems.Their system couldn't be any simpler if you follow the instructions.The fact that your meter is above the top rung of the ladder is not SP's problem its yours and whoever you go with it will be a problem if you can't give them current readings.

jalexa

AndysDad wrote: »

The fact that your meter is above the top rung of the ladder is not SP's problem its yours

I think that comment is a huge oversimplification and would like to hear informed comment from the Scottish Power rep.

Beverley_Bill

I am a happy bunny now. the Scottish Power angel has already called my friend and it may be sorted out this very afternoon.
Thanks Marie
Thanks MSE
Thanks Folks

Scottish_Power

Hi t0rt0ise,

I will answer the question regarding the meter location, the meter as you know needs to be located at the cable head and this is decided when the property is built, this is not decided by any supplier. The supplier can on the customers behalf approach the Meter Operator in your area and ask the question if they will move it for you.

Some Meter Operators will do this type of work for free as long as it does not exceed three foot, these terms are decided by the meter operator and cannot be influenced by any supplier.

I will say that if this cabling has to be moved any great distance this can be quiet expensive involving surveys etc.

jalexa

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

the meter as you know needs to be located at the cable head and this is decided when the property is built, this is not decided by any supplier.

My understanding is that regulations on location suitability (or unsuitability) do not have retrospective effect. If the then network operator considered the location satisfactory then it is still "satisfactory" assuming householders have not undertaken building operations which have detrimentally impacted on meter access.

Did I get that right and also that your directly employed meter readers are subject to health and safety considerations which "discourage" "stretching beyond the top of a step ladder"?

backfoot

Froglet wrote: »

Well,i am going to defend Scottish Power now.I have not had any problems with them in must be nearly 4 years now,always been very helpful on the phone and i input my readings when they ask,every quarter.The DD has only been changed yearly if necessary.

The rep from SP has asked 3 times for the OP to email them details of their account so they can help.Has this happened yet?If not they can hardly keep complaining that nothing is being done.You can also request a call back from them so that it costs nothing to ring them.

AndysDad wrote: »

I'm another satisfied SP customer of several years.I give them my readings every 3 months and never had any problems.Their system couldn't be any simpler if you follow the instructions.The fact that your meter is above the top rung of the ladder is not SP's problem its yours and whoever you go with it will be a problem if you can't give them current readings.

It's totally fantastic that we have two satisfied customers of SP who have received a service which should be the norm. Customers use the forum to seek help and advice and occasionally rant where the normal expectation has not been met. I just wonder how hearing it has all gone well for you, will help or assist the OP. Thanks anyway :T

Unfortunately the explanations given by the SP don't quite match up as simple and straightforward for customers like the OP and myself.

Without wishing to divert the thread, the annual review target date has changed on my account, and the mid term review that was done underestimated the gas consumption by approx.10,000 Kwh. (yes 10,000 Kwh :eek: ). Even after raising this on the phone with an Advisor,the 'annual estimate' functionality on the SP website still shows an error of the same magnitude.( I downloaded the report last night). By adding the full year consumption from the billing records on the system, the true figure can be easily found. The Direct Debit amounts are being set on the former flawed figure rather than the correct figure.

The OP has phoned in several times to have his DD values reset. I suspect like me,there is some error on his account which is generating variable DD's, following his quarterly readings.

The OP also asked a very astute question about the difference between the quarterly reviews and the annual review. The Reps latest response now actually reveals a moving and rolling 12 month basis, which is not documented by the Ofgem Factsheet or SP's website.Why?

Indeed, an annual review following a rolling 12 month figure would be superfluous and unnecessary. The original anniversary date would then also become irrelevant.

Looking at my own account, I doubt the veracity of the explanation I was given in writing or by the Call Centre Advisor. I also can't understand why the OP's DD's are changing so significantly, if it was prepared on a 12 month rolling basis.

I think the SP approach is highly confusing and intervenes far too much resulting in variable DD's rather than fixed regular amounts which customers expect.