Add your feedback on energy supplier Scottish Power

douglasrankine_2

Just to say thank you for your Complaints Resolver, resolving my complaint with Scottish power and to let you folks know of a fiddle which is being operated by the energy industry concerning meter readings. I was given £25 compensation and put on the right tariff.
Lessons. Always make sure that you take the meter readings on the day of changeover, photo and date the meter reading if you can.
There is no point in changing over if the Energy companies can't get your meter reading right. They quote an industry code which says that they can overcharge by up to 150 units, which is absolute rubbish and wouldn't stand up with the ombudsman far less a court.
Here is a copy of the complaint:
Account Reference: BDM General query on bill charges PQAB%1937
I am experiencing the following issue: I changed over from Npower to Scottish Power. When I got the date of the changeover, I tried to input the final electricity and gas meter reading. I managed to do the electricity meter reading, but was told by Scottish Power that there was an issue with the gas meter reading because they hadn't received it from Npower. I contacted Npower and was eventually given an end meter reading which was 100 units over the start reading from Spower. I asked Spower to adjust the meter reading. I raised a complaint and I was told that they couldn't because of some industry standard which allowed them to overestimate my bill by up to 150 units, as I was claiming 100 units, as this was below the industry standard, I had no claim. Also, the complaints department kept insisting that I was trying to disconnect for some reason. I tried twice to correct them but to no avail.
I know it is a small amount, but the meter was read, it was no secret, it was just awaiting Npower to come up with the final reading. Now, SP have got that reading, and should therefore re-imburse me the money they owe me, or if they have a dispute, take it up with NPower. I know it is only £3.66 but as an OAP that is a lot of money to me, and I don't see how an industry standard can apply to creating an estimate in SP.s favour, when in fact there was no estimate. Npower took a reading...it was just late in being sent out. I took a reading,but SP wouldn't allow me to enter it into the online account...because of a "technical problem". There isn't a lot of point in people changing over their power supply companies if those companies are going to give with one hand and then take away money to which they are not entitled with another.
To action this I would like you to Enter the correct reading from Npower and give me a refund of my £3.66. Allow consumers the benefit in favour of any dispute, if they cannot get it right. Tell consumers what bit of the industry standard notes they are using, because I am sure that it doesn't allow for benefits to be given to power supply companies by false pretences!.
I look forward to a response within 7 days of this correspondence.

Mack_Ela

Been with Scottish power for more about a year. After sending me a huge bill stating I owe them a huge amount which was not reflected in the previous bill, I have spent hours on the phone trying to set up an instalment payment but have encountered incompetent and time wasting customer service. Definitely leaving.

douglasrankine_2

My advice is...if you haven't had any success, try the complaints resolver. I got a phone call from the British Customer Services management team and the whole thing was fixed in minutes. If that fails, send an email to their head office with a copy to the C.E.O. and to your M.P. or newspaper etc. Once they realise that you are not working on your own and know the difference between !!!!!!!! and consumer law...you will get the right kind of attention. Look on it as a war of attrition...cost them a lot more than it costs to rectify your complaint, in terms of time, resources and money. If enough folks do it, they will sort out their systems to make them more efficiient and accommodate the new situation. I was offered £25 compensation, before I had hardly opened my mouth on the phone.

Karen_444

Started with SP and all ok. Then they estimated bills just before I gave a reading. They produced 2 bills for the same period for different amounts. The second bill had a note cancelling the estimated bill. OK I thought. Then I split the dual fuel deal with SP to 2 single fuel deals with SP by telephone to customer services. Should be okay I thought.
Take my advice - don't do this with SP. My account has not worked for 9 weeks.
They have just managed to get my electric correct today. But I can't verify the statement - even by using excel spreadsheet. There are adjustments as payments, the invoice doesn't match the entry on the statement. Until I make sense of it I don't know if they have taken the correct payments and the balance is correct.
Gas -I transferred to new tariff. The account became unavailable to me. I complained. 9 weeks later it is open but they have not transferred me on to the new tariff. There are lots of bills and adjustments and the statement makes no sense. I am unable to verify the end balance.
I wish I had not switched to Scottish Power. I will be emailing the head office again tomorrow.

hybernia

Karen_444 wrote: »

Started with SP and all ok. Then they estimated bills just before I gave a reading. They produced 2 bills for the same period for different amounts. The second bill had a note cancelling the estimated bill. OK I thought. Then I split the dual fuel deal with SP to 2 single fuel deals with SP by telephone to customer services. Should be okay I thought.
Take my advice - don't do this with SP. My account has not worked for 9 weeks.
They have just managed to get my electric correct today. But I can't verify the statement - even by using excel spreadsheet. There are adjustments as payments, the invoice doesn't match the entry on the statement. Until I make sense of it I don't know if they have taken the correct payments and the balance is correct.
Gas -I transferred to new tariff. The account became unavailable to me. I complained. 9 weeks later it is open but they have not transferred me on to the new tariff. There are lots of bills and adjustments and the statement makes no sense. I am unable to verify the end balance.
I wish I had not switched to Scottish Power. I will be emailing the head office again tomorrow.

You're going to waste a lot of your time on head office emailing. I am not sure exactly where Customer Service email handlers are located but in my family's experience it certainly wasn't in Scotland or anywhere else in the UK. ScottishPower is, of course, SpanishPower, because it is Spanish owned, so perhaps that explained why one email my family received from SP was in Spanish.

SP have a complaints system which you need to use. There's no guarantee your complaint will be properly investigated because the company is a shambolic mess that remains indifferent to what customers it still has but at least sending in a written formal complaint now puts you on track for an Ombudsman (Energy) investigation.

vnfunz

Just had aonther text from SP saying that they are cheaper than British Gas and Eon in my area so why not switch back!!! You would have though they'd tried these tactics BEFORE I left!

AdamAtTVCY

In the process of dual fuel switching via the cheap energy club and Scottish Power have somehow managed to mess things up and not transfer over the gas side of the account. They've set the direct debit up to include gas. No doubt this will mean I won't receive my switching bonus too.

I've complained and am waiting to hear back but so far I'm not very impressed. If I get charged by them and my old supplier there'll be even more of a complaint.

Scotlands_Lite

A new page, but the same old SP :(:(!!!!


I'm now over 2 years into my problems with them, and what I had thought was sorted six months ago I'm now being told is still actually wrong courtesy of their billing system from hell (despite my best efforts to spoon-feed them all the accurate data they could ever need, what do I get...INACCURATE READINGS, INACCURATE BALANCES, INACCURATE BILLS).


The sooner OFGEM yanks these cowboys licence from under them (I can hope can't I?) THE BETTER. For those happy souls thinking of switching to SP...


...THINK AGAIN - AVOID SCOTTISH POWER LIKE THE PLAGUE

jeallen01

FWIW, I never had too much trouble with SP in 5+ years, or with my recent Collective Switch to BG (about which I am still of an open mind). OTOH I think they all screw up (some more than others) fairly regularly and we need to really keep our eyes on them.


The colloquial version of Caveat Emptor applies = You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Flak awaited

backfoot

jeallen01 wrote: »

The colloquial version of Caveat Emptor applies = You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Flak awaited

Energy purchases are nothing to do with Caveat Emptor. The Energy Suppliers have legal and Regulatory Obligations which bind them to perform to certain Standards. Caveat Emptor concerns the principle that the seller of a product cannot be held responsible for its quality and that the purchaser assumes the risks of the purchase.

Choosing a Supplier may be based on price or previous performance or a combination of these and other factors.

Scottish Power are currently one of the worst performers as evidenced by their own statistics, hefty fines from OFGEM and ongoing problems with their new IT system. Of course, many customers are thankfully unaffected but I would be more swayed to currently stay away than join in spite of your supporting information.