Problems with Scottish Power

lazydaysandmondays

Hi everyone, thanks for your comments, I have decided that leaving SP is my only option due to various factors. Thanks again for everyone who commented.

jalexa

lazydaysandmondays wrote: »

I have phoned another 2 energy companies in order to get quotes and I think I might have to transfer to one of them,

First of all you need to confirm your current tariffs are not subject to any early termination charges. That being the case you can (if you want) tell Scottish Power to go scr*w.

Regarding the quotes I strongly recommend you use an online comparison website. If you use annual consumption of 3,300 electric and 16,500 gas, the results will be in the correct order and the % savings will be approximately correct.

Regarding the existing E7 meter, some suppliers just add the night and day units, others may require the meter replaced. Just ask what their policy is. Regarding Scottish Power, you do not need to justify what you want to do but next time consider asking an open question "how do I move to a single rate tariff", instead of "I want the meter changed". By all means ask for a quote, then decide.

lazydaysandmondays

See above message

good_advice

Hi Lazy.....
I would not be to quick to quit with Scottish Power. I too have been with them for years hassle free.
I recommend you change tariffs, look on the comparisons for the best duel fuel online, paying by DD for the cheapest.
Yes, you have to do some homework...

Then give SP a ring and request the change. You may have to pay to change tariffs as not all are free. Saying that though! I think if you change tariffs within SP there is no changing tariff charge. You will need to ask them.

You will then be able to have Duel fuel discount of £16.80 per year and Online discount of £15.75 per year.

The prompt payer package is for quarterly bill payers.

Changing the meter at your request will cost £51 and I think may be worth considering.
I would also ask SP when your meter is due for a update as we have had several in the years we have lived here.
Ask also when the smart meters are being put in your area? as you do not want to pay £51 and then find they come around swapping old meters for the new smart meters.

I would def. consider being an online SP customer, it is so easy to read your meters and submit the numbers online. I do mine weekly. Some people do the readings monthly.
I know exactly how mush I am paying out for fuel and how much is left in the account.

SP review your account every 3 months and change your DD to £ in how much fuel you are using and the ever increases in charges when they go up again!

I should think the Scottish Power rep will be along soon to say more.

Take care.

jaybeetoo

It was a few years ago, but SP removed my economy 7 meter and replaced it with a standard one for free.

They must have changed their terms & conditions.

Swipe

£51 doesn't sound too bad for a meter change. You could always phone around to find one that will do it for free and then temporarily switch to their non-tied in tariff and then switch again. Although I suspect that would cost you more than the £51 charge in the long run.

Pincher

I have a house, rented out. It had an Economy 7 meter from 1980,
but we had been on single rate since 1997, where the supplier adds the two numbers together.

They "upgraded" the meter about ten years ago, but I was not present. I assumed they upgraded to a single rate digital meter. Ten years later, I find out they replaced it with a digital E7 meter, and that every time a new tenant moves in, the new account is set up as E7!

To avoid further grief, I paid E.On about £60 to put in a single rate meter.

Scottish_Power

Hi Lazy sorry to hear you've had problems. Please drop us an e-mail to [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower[/EMAIL] and we will help. Thanks David

Tigernaut

I would reinforce this opinion as I've too have been with SP for years and have little issue.

I've recently asked about changing the meter but they tell me it would only save £10 per year and there is a charge of £54 for the exchange. I estimate a 20% night rate usage based on my online bill breakdown.

Definitly go for online tariffs, as you can post your own meter readings as often as you like and see for yourself how your account is running.

I rarely accept the review figures suggesting increases to my DD and often meet them halfway. My account almost always runs in credit but as they don't pay interest on credit balances why should I leave large sums with them. Always dispute the increase but do concede some increase if appropriate. Sometimes takes a couple of tries but eMail makes these things so much easier.

Remember the DD is an authority given by you, the customer, authorising the Company i.e. SP, to withdraw money from your bank account. If you tell not to take more than say £100pm they have to comply but suggest you keep copies of eMails confirming your instructions.

Good Luck and stay warm

good_advice wrote: »

Hi Lazy.....
I would not be to quick to quit with Scottish Power. I too have been with them for years hassle free.
I recommend you change tariffs, look on the comparisons for the best duel fuel online, paying by DD for the cheapest.
Yes, you have to do some homework...

Then give SP a ring and request the change. You may have to pay to change tariffs as not all are free. Saying that though! I think if you change tariffs within SP there is no changing tariff charge. You will need to ask them.

You will then be able to have Duel fuel discount of £16.80 per year and Online discount of £15.75 per year.

The prompt payer package is for quarterly bill payers.

Changing the meter at your request will cost £51 and I think may be worth considering.
I would also ask SP when your meter is due for a update as we have had several in the years we have lived here.
Ask also when the smart meters are being put in your area? as you do not want to pay £51 and then find they come around swapping old meters for the new smart meters.

I would def. consider being an online SP customer, it is so easy to read your meters and submit the numbers online. I do mine weekly. Some people do the readings monthly.
I know exactly how mush I am paying out for fuel and how much is left in the account.

SP review your account every 3 months and change your DD to £ in how much fuel you are using and the ever increases in charges when they go up again!

I should think the Scottish Power rep will be along soon to say more.

Take care.

Wywth

Just reposting the OP's original post as the answers given may help others who find themselves in a similar situation

lazydaysandmondays wrote: »

Hi everyone, I am hoping someone can help me out with the following issues I am having with SP.

1. I got Gas Central Heating installed a couple of months ago, I phoned them up shortly after the installation was complete to set up a dual fuel account with them, and to set up a Direct Debit for the bill. I also asked for advice on the best products available etc. They said sure, no problem, but give us a few weeks to get the gas account sorted. Five weeks later they sent a bill for £95 - basic gas account, no Direct Debit.

I phoned to sort out the account, they said they were estimating the gas usage at £50 p/m and they were INCREASING the electricity DD from £79 to £84. So my monthly bill was going up from £79 to £134. I asked them to take into consideration that the gas was now covering things the electricity used to i.e. Heating, Hot Water, Cooking but they wouldn't budge - at all, saying that they could only base the electricity bill on previous consumption. Is this standard practice?

2. I am on an economy 7 tariff (storage heaters), which has been great until I got the gas installed, I asked to change the meter to a standard one-rate meter. I was asked why, I told them I was being charged extra for daytime units (the first 900 kwh per year is around 10p per kwh more expensive - I've found this out since the phone call). I was advised that it would cost £51 to get the meter changed and it was implied that I wouldn't see this money back in the form of reduced electricity bills for many many years and that I really shouldn't bother - Is this sound advice?

3. Does everyone get the prompt payer discount or just certain packages, I think it is about £15.00 p/a - not much but I'd still prefer to receive it. I have been paying by Direct Debit for 7 years now and I haven't received it in the last year anyway, I will check previous bills when I get a chance to look them out.

If you got this far thanks and any comments will be welcomed. I have phoned another 2 energy companies in order to get quotes and I think I might have to transfer to one of them, although I could do without the hassle right now. I think the biggest issue is the customer service I have received while speaking to various members of staff has been poor and verging on rude. They seem to have the attitude that they don't care if I remain a customer or not - and as I have been with SP for 7 years and I have always paid my bills on time, it has left me feeling really disappointed.

Thanks again.

Wywth

lazydaysandmondays wrote: »

See above message

Original content of post#3 here ... so that readers can attempt to understand this thread

lazydaysandmondays wrote: »

Thanks Jalexa, I will take your advice and go on the comparison sites (I forgot about those), I have always been a bit intimidated by electricity bills for some strange reason but I have had a bit of a crash-course in the last few days.

SP said they would have to change the meter to come off economy 7, (I previously assumed that they could use the same meter, I will have to do some research on this.)

When I signed up to my current product they stated (verbally) that I wouldn't have to pay any money if I changed supplier/product BUT they sent me updated Terms and Conditions in July this year saying it would cost £30 to do so. My heads starting to spin with it all - this is what happens when you don't take any interest in your bill. Thanks again for your reply I appreciate it.