Add your feedback on energy supplier Scottish Power

valeriej43

When i rang Scottish power yesterday [08000270072] got through straight away,i was told no exit fee,i am currently looking for another provider
What i can't understand is i was £199 in credit, now all of a sudden i am £29 in debt
I have used extra heating because it has been colder than usual earlier than usual, but not to that extent,i live on my own, so only 1 bedroom used, and don't use a lot of eletricity,

Surely if i was £199 in credit i can't be in debit now,,as that credit would go towards my latest bill.
I have never had my DD changed from month to month, always,as said before paid extra monthly which evens itself out,which i did suggest at the beginning and was told to see how bills went

Not happy with SP anyway

valeriej43

PhilBB, just read the link you put up, and re smart meters with Scottish Power,the person i spoke to yesterday said they don't have smart meters in my area,which is strange,as other providers have them, not that i particularly want one but just in case i decided i did,he said not in my area yet

PhilBB

valeriej43

An update on my view of smart meters. I moved from SP to Bulb. I signed up for Smart meters when offered being convinced by what Bulb were saying and I thought if anyone can get this right Bulb would. I couldn't fault the installation by Siemens. The meters were the new SMETS2 which allow you to switch supplier. Unfortunately as an early adopter it took 4 months to get them working; I think Bulb must be one of the earliest to install SMETS2 meters. They work like a dream now sending readings at the end of the month and me getting a bill a few days later. I think some suppliers may still be holding off fitting their first SMETS2 meters. I wouldn't rush into getting meters, the longer you wait the more likely your supplier will have ironed out any teething problems. Just because on supplier is installing in your area doesn't mean yours will be. We have a 'competitive' fragmented energy market. Each supplier will be using a different firm to do the installations.

valeriej43

PhilBB, i don't want one, but an earlier poster said SP were insisting he/she had a smart meter,
I am going to have a look again at comparison sites tomorrow, then ring and make sure i am not going to have a different amount to pay every month
I like to know what i am paying out, as i am on a pension i like to work out what i am paying ut each month, as i don't want to get behind with anything

RebTech

valeriej43 wrote: »

PhilBB, i don't want one, but an earlier poster said SP were insisting he/she had a smart meter,
I am going to have a look again at comparison sites tomorrow, then ring and make sure i am not going to have a different amount to pay every month
I like to know what i am paying out, as i am on a pension i like to work out what i am paying ut each month, as i don't want to get behind with anything

I've been with SP for several years, and I help out an elderly relative who's been with them almost as long. You won't be charged a different amount every month. You seem to have missed my post above where I explain that you can't believe what you're told on the site after you put in a reading, you have to wait until the bill is ready and see what that says. The website, like much else about SP, is rubbish, but the bills are fine (unless there's some other issue of course).

mac.d

valeriej43 wrote: »

When i rang Scottish power yesterday [08000270072] got through straight away,i was told no exit fee,i am currently looking for another provider
What i can't understand is i was £199 in credit, now all of a sudden i am £29 in debt
I have used extra heating because it has been colder than usual earlier than usual, but not to that extent,i live on my own, so only 1 bedroom used, and don't use a lot of eletricity,

Surely if i was £199 in credit i can't be in debit now,,as that credit would go towards my latest bill.
I have never had my DD changed from month to month, always,as said before paid extra monthly which evens itself out,which i did suggest at the beginning and was told to see how bills went

If you've only been with them since June, there's no way you've built up £200 credit. As others have said, wait until you get a new bill from them now that you've submitted meter readings. The figures that were showing you so much in credit are probably also based on estimates (you did say this is the first time you've submitted readings since doing so when you first moved in).

However, if you think yourself that the £70 DD is not enough, don't be surprised if your DD does go up. You should be able to get them to reduce it from the £119 if that's too much.

It's definitely worth giving them regular monthly readings even if they don't give you an updated bill each time, and certainly keep a note of them yourself, so you have an idea how much your are using.

You also need to know what your average annual use is when you look at the comparison sites, most will give you fixed DD unless you deliberately look for variable DD, but if you don't put the correct annual usage figures in, or use much more energy than you thought you would, then the DD will go up to cover the cost.

valeriej43

I had actually rung them to ask if i could add another £15 to my monthly DD to cover for bad weather, as previously i with other suppliers i paid the extra amount all through the year so it covered my winter bill
I did think it strange it said £199 credit ,unless it means that is what i have paid up to now
My tariff is a fixed one

I might have another word with them
Thanks for all input

Irratus_Rusticus

Hi Valeriej43.

Speaking as a pensioner too, I try never to rely on what energy suppliers tell me. Nothing beats doing your own maths and taking your own readings.

I'm leaving SP for two reasons: on principle I resent the way their billing misleads me by claiming my "actual usage in the last 12 months" is far higher than I know it to be. If they said "estimate" I might tolerate them. Their little graphics on the bill also inflate my daily average usage claiming to 'give me more control' and when I search their online account for a simple record of my actual kilowats billed, I'm offered graphs to hover over. Downloading these give no numbers -you have to study the graph's X and Y axis and life is too short to do that.

To know my actual usage I have to study each bill for the kWhs calculation and add up the numbers - how hard would it be to offer a genuine cumulative figure somewhere? I don't agree suppliers can just 'make up' previous usage given they set my payments based on this not actual figure.

That's why I record my own readings and run the calculations, simple enough with a spreadsheet.

My second reason for switching is I don't want a 'smart' meter and Octopus Energy offered me a good online fixed deal without needing one. Getting harder to find these days.

The 'big credit' showing on your online account would be because the next bill had yet to be calculated I'm guessing. They were simply adding up your monthly payments since the last bill, pending the next reading. You can submit readings at any time and this will recalculate your balance even if no bill is due yet.

All suggests you need to do a bit of homework yourself. If you don't like using spreadsheets, keep a little book and list the date of your bill and the meter reading and the kilowatt hours on the bill. Keep a list for each meter. Do your own readings now and then as well if you are just relying on the supplier to take them.

You could go further and run your own kWhs calculation:

Electricity: Subtract current and last meter reading = kilowatt hours used

Gas = Subtract current and last reading and do a simple 'nuff formula...

Units x 11.164 = kilowatts hours used

Or in full...

Units x 39.3* x 1.02264 and divide the result by 3.6 = kilowatt hours.

*Your bill should tell you if the 39.3 should be a decimal or two different.

Armed with your own kWhs, look at your tariff details and multiply the number of days by the standing charge. Multiply the tariff by the kWhs.

Now add 5% for VAT.

Meanwhile, folk who end up being retro billed huge amounts - assuming they have submitted readings and it wasn't all estimated the first time - could help themselves by taking digital photos of their meters at least when they switch. Make sure the reading is clear and then email to your new supplier with your address, as well as by whatever usual method you submit readings.

The photo's meta data records the date taken and the supplier should have the wits to be able to read the file properties details - or tell them how to do this: save the email attachment somewhere so that they can access file properties.

If folk took photos at least at the start and end of contract and stored them safe they would have a date stamped reading that, if they took a decent photo, would also have their meter serial numbers.

I'd like to see a supplier rewrite history then. :cool:

valeriej43

Irratus Rusticus ,Thank you,all sorted now with someone who knew what they were, talking about there IS an exit fee, not NO exit fee as the person yesterday told me, but sorted now and got my DD dropped £30 from what i was told it would be, but ongoing through summer and winter as i wanted in the first place . but no mention of smart meters,which i don't want

I do take photo's by the way when i change supplier,also what my final reading is


I will submit a reading now every month, so that should help, and i can stop worrying what my next DD will be

Jeremy_Boden

I've only ever transferred from Scottish Power to Scottish Power.
The transfers take place quickly.
Their phone is always clogged up.
I sort out the Direct Debit problem by reducing it in Summer & increasing it in Winter.
No problems so far...