Scottish Power

raket

Have been a customer with SP online for 18m now. Just had a series of emails/letters requesting re-assessment. On making the telephone call, it appears they have left annual re-assessment of accounts to customers but (by their own admission) failed to make this clear on their website. So I've now found myself in the position of owing them an additonal £250 and can either pay this in a lump sum or by 1/12 monthly amount. My instinct is to apply myself to finding a better/cheaper supplier (via MSE method - though last time I looked they were the cheapest for me) but was advised by SP that I will have to pay this account in full before I transfer to another supplier. Anyone know if there is a way around this as I would prefer to transfer and to repay over 12 months. I will negotiate this with them anyway but if anyone has any experience advice on this I would appreciate it. Also to warn other SP customers over 1 yr who have not had a re-assessment made.

NigeWick

I believe that you will have to pay them off before you can swap suppliers. I would suggest taking a look at the various comparison sites to see which looks best for your requirements. Then, manually check the figures of your best selection. If you find a cheaper prospect than your current supplier, pay them off in a lump and go for it.

Nigel.

BexTech

From OFGEM website.

Ofgem has changed the rules to allow customers to change supplier even if they are up to £100 in debt.

isayoldchap

raket wrote:

Have been a customer with SP online for 18m now. Just had a series of emails/letters requesting re-assessment. On making the telephone call, it appears they have left annual re-assessment of accounts to customers but (by their own admission) failed to make this clear on their website. So I've now found myself in the position of owing them an additonal £250 and can either pay this in a lump sum or by 1/12 monthly amount. My instinct is to apply myself to finding a better/cheaper supplier (via MSE method - though last time I looked they were the cheapest for me) but was advised by SP that I will have to pay this account in full before I transfer to another supplier. Anyone know if there is a way around this as I would prefer to transfer and to repay over 12 months. I will negotiate this with them anyway but if anyone has any experience advice on this I would appreciate it. Also to warn other SP customers over 1 yr who have not had a re-assessment made.

Hi Raket
Welcome to MSE.Firstly the link above for ''energyhelpline is your first point of call.This will give excellent information for all of the tariffs out there.It will also advise you of an earlier tariff you maybe on.Please use these links from
MSE which also will help fund the site(more info at the bottom of this page).
I too have been a customer of Scottish Power since I signed up on a online
dual fuel deal until Dec 2006.Firstly I am not going to knock them at all as I have had a very good experience with them.As you say you :beer: ''they were the cheapest last time you looked''.I realise this may have been a surprise to you when they asked for £250 after assessing your account.This also can work the other way and they could return cash to you if your in credit.This
is usually done around Christmas time.I would do the sensible thing and pay over 12 months.I guess this will be intrest free which allows you to earn intrest(of at least 5% in a current account,if you shop around,without having to part with the money soon.You also will have to go through the mill of having to change supplier,when yours it would appear is offering a very good deal.Remember that if you were put on a certain package then Scottish
Power will reward you with a £36 bonus payment if you stick it out to expiry.
I see that so far you are in a win win situation.If you are having any further problems I have a direct email address of a team leader who recently done a
wonderful job in sorting out a dircet debit for me.If you despatch a private email to me via MSE I can pass that to you.(assuming of course you are on an internet package as this person works on the internet side of things.There
is also a free phone number I have if you need that too.

Also need to add that you could receive £10-£20 cashback if you join via the
energyhelpline website.

raket

Thanks for your answers. Have calmed down a little bit so will need to systematically do the review of supplier now the red haze has settled! Thanks BexTech for the Ofgem info - could prove useful if I do want to change to another supplier. Currently have swallowed the bitter pill and doubled my monthly payments to them.

I assume from the lack of response to my comments regarding the low profile online annual reassessment, that this hasn't hit many other customers yet? It was clearly something they were acknowledged in our conversation that they were now aware of and certainly were prepared for my response to this.

Anyway... thanks again for your responses.

Steve.W_2

I have had a Scottish power dual fuel online account now for about 18 months & have been fairly satisfied, but last week in my local Morrissons I was approached by a persistent N Power salesman who insisted that after SP's recent price hikes they (NP) were now cheaper for the Norweb area.
I have attempted to check this out on the Energy Helpline website but am not sure which is the correct option to select for my current supplier. I presumed I am an ONLINE PRE JAN 2005 user & this then does show a considerable saving against the other SP online options. Am I using the correct tariff as I am not aware that I was on any kind of capped or fixed rate deal?

isayoldchap

Steve.W wrote:

I have had a Scottish power dual fuel online account now for about 18 months & have been fairly satisfied, but last week in my local Morrissons I was approached by a persistent N Power salesman who insisted that after SP's recent price hikes they (NP) were now cheaper for the Norweb area.
I have attempted to check this out on the Energy Helpline website but am not sure which is the correct option to select for my current supplier. I presumed I am an ONLINE PRE JAN 2005 user & this then does show a considerable saving against the other SP online options. Am I using the correct tariff as I am not aware that I was on any kind of capped or fixed rate deal?

Stevie Stevie Stevie.First phone Sp on this free phone number 08000270055.This is the special internet line.(yes I know it's different than the website)Ask them what tariff you are on.Most importantly you should
also be receiving a £36 bonus at the end of your deal if you stay.Look, these
are the best tariffs around.Prices have gone up since you took this deal.Hopefully you are on the monthly direct debit deal.One thing to remember is make sure that if you open another bank account do not cancel your previous direct debit (assuming you have one)until the new bank actually start taking payments.This is because SP computer will switch your deal automatically to the higher tariff and you will be a little cheesed off.One
last thing is to print off the results from energyhelpline (two copies) one for behind your front door and the other in your wallet.9keep up to date)If you then bump into thesame salesman from Np let him have his say and sock him the evidence.As forthe door salesman,tell him your not feeling that keen to loose approx £100+just yet.In anycase please give them MSE details.The thank you button is below. :j :beer:

Steve.W_2

Thanks for the info,
I am paying by monthly direct debit, the £36 bonus is a new one to me, perhaps you could explain what this is so that I can enquire about this when I telephone.

quickquid

Yes, I would also love to know about the £36 bonus I get if I stay with them until the deal ends in December 2006

isayoldchap

quickquid wrote:

Yes, I would also love to know about the £36 bonus I get if I stay with them until the deal ends in December 2006

Firstly, you have got to be good looking and at least 1.8m high (oh no spots)to get this.Only kidding.You have got to be Scottish.No No!
When you joined (and that's important),your capped tariff would have put you on a rate approx £12 higher than the then standard charges.These relate
to direct debit dual online tariff.So £12 x 3years =£36.This would be then returned to you if you stay with them until the three years are up.Not all capped tariffs will give you the bonus though.Ring the freephone number and SP will tell you if you will get the bonus.Remember your rates have not increased and you are on the best rate.WWW.ENERGYHELPLINE.CO.UK will confirm this.Please use the MSE link above.Don't be easily fooled into switching as the sales talk does notrelate to the facts.Get your tariff and print off as explained in my earlier post.
Oh and thanks for saying thanks and using the thanks button.THANKS :T

Capyboppy

I have been panicking recently and have wondered how on earth Scottish Power came to their original figures. Around last August I switched to their duel fuel capped for three years tariff. I have had several problems with them, as despite the "door to door" fella putting all this in writing, my contract when it arrived was not the same. At the time the fella said he had worked everything out and my new charges would be £7-8 pounds less than my other providers. I opted to be cautious and asked for it to be just £5 less to allow for a bad winter or whatever. After a few months I had a letter that sent me into shock saying my payments would be going up by £25 a month. When I had recovered enough to ring them, they said that it was based on the winter payments, and in the summer it would swing the other way and I would have money returned. I told them I was under the impression that the budget scheme worked pretty much the same for all companies, i.e. monthly payment, which is adjusted at the anniversary date up or down. They tried to insist I would be behind to which I replied, " Well don't you just adjust the payments up after the anniversary date." He seemed reluctant to do this and it was only after a lot of insistence on my part to keep paying the same amount he eventually agreed. I actually even said I didn't mind paying a couple of pounds more than I was, but he said it wouldn't make much difference. Now after having the third quarterly bill after joining, I can see that even after the next quarter I will be owing approximately £100-130. As I am not aware of using anymore than usual I can't understand why the original workings out of the rep was so way out. I trusted his calculations, and as stated above, opted to pay a little more each month than his figure. Financially I can't afford to be owing this money at the end of the anniversary year, nor have a large hike by about ten pounds a month to clear it. I feel I have been misled by SP and wished I had a least kept paying what I was with the old companies. The situation doesn't help by the fact of the poor customer service I have had on each occasion.
Any advice would be appreciated.