ScottishPower Direct Debit

DammitJanet_2

So, received an annual statement from them last week based on actual readings (gas and electricity). Very pleased to see my account was in credit, not by much, but some.

Then today get a letter from them saying my monthly payment would go up by £50! Felt sick to be honest, then annoyed.

Called them expecting hassle, but no - I was just told the increase would be cancelled and my monthly payments would stay the same.

WHY DO THEY DO IT!! :mad:

DUTR

The bill is very different to the actual DD.
My DD is £85 at the last meter read they wanted to up it to £103 (to cover the winter bill which it wouldn't) , I called them and they agreed to leave the DD the same amount, now that I have recieved the bill, I just paid the shortfall off my DC, looking online the 'system' shows that they want £117 per month. they based that on £1400 of energy usage, got a years worth of bills now and have spent under £1000 thats for 23300kwh gas and 2680 electric.
Why do they do it? So that your account does not go into debit.

ccbrowning

Why don't they just bill people for the amount used each month?

DUTR

ccbrowning wrote: »

Why don't they just bill people for the amount used each month?

It's not a tariff they offer, BG do that, but for me switching from BG/npower to SP, my bills are the same as the gas alone, so I saved the electric costs if that makes sense..
Although with SP you can add interim payments on the account during the billing cycle if you wish.

DammitJanet_2

DUTR wrote: »

The bill is very different to the actual DD.
My DD is £85 at the last meter read they wanted to up it to £103 (to cover the winter bill which it wouldn't) , I called them and they agreed to leave the DD the same amount, now that I have recieved the bill, I just paid the shortfall off my DC, looking online the 'system' shows that they want £117 per month. they based that on £1400 of energy usage, got a years worth of bills now and have spent under £1000 thats for 23300kwh gas and 2680 electric.
Why do they do it? So that your account does not go into debit.

I could understand if my account was in a debit state, but it wasn't, I was in credit.

foreversummer

David the SP rep who answered in my thread in December states that it is not SP's policy to keep customer's bills in credit all year.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4351461

Something does not add up here. They are quite happy to put the DD down again if you ask, but why put it us in the first place. What about all those people who do not ask for it to put down. They must be holding huge amounts of customers money at anyone time quite unfairly in my view.

Foreversummer

[Deleted User]

they do it as most people will accept it
in oct sse wanted to inc my elec only dd from £34 to £49 i flatly refused,in dec they tele me and said they wanted to reduce my dd to £17 a month,again i refused as i knew that was too little so they agreed on £25 a month
and guess what i read the meter weekly ang im using £25(ish)per month