Scottish Power still haven't given me my warm home discount!

Frugalblonde

Afternoon one and all...forgive any etiquette mistakes...I'm a newbie.

I am beginning to think I may need to stand outside the headquarters of Scottish Power to receive the £135 discount due at end of March.

My experience has been so far...

Applied twice as customer service couldn't find first. Second app was in January.
Heard nothing by mid March and queried. Was told DWP are holding things up and SP had nothing back yet.
Rang DWP- categorically told they would never give a third party any information about my severely disabled son and this is happening a lot as a delaying tactic.
Rang SP and THOUGHT I was speaking to a customer complaints manager as I rang the dedicated phone line. No, I have since found out that you are in effect sent straight back to the customer service team and have to specifically ask for a complaint reference number. I explained that staff are misleading customers by telling them that delays are due to DWP holding up verification. Response was apologetic and staff would be trained not to fib. Reassured I would receive discount.
End of March. Nothing. Ring again. There is a problem sending out payments and we are aware that a batch of customers have not received payments. Give it 5 days and ring back if not received.
Nothing. Ring "pseudo complaint number". Then told that there has been no such hold up and I should have received the discount in time. I'm fuming:mad:
I then say, ok I made a complaint a few weeks ago about misleading customers. I want to escalate that now as it has happened twice. Er, sorry, that complaint wasn't given a reference...you were probably diverted to the customer service line manager who isn't actually a complaint manager!! What??
Can I formally make my complaint about being lied to now please? Yes, of course. Here's your reference number. We'll be back in 72 hours.......
So, over a week later (and later than the 5 days and not 72 hours they put on my messages on the online account) I'm still waiting for someone to get back to me or a penny of the discount.
Next stop the Ombudsman and compensation. I want to alert people to the fact that Scottish Power will mislead, delay and then break promises. Worse, when a customer tries to resolve the issue by using the "Want to make a complaint?" number it actually takes you back to the customer service team and not the complaints team (and there is a difference). I've just taken early retirement to care for my son...I see that claiming eligible benefits will take up a lot of that time!

I may get this discount just before I can apply for next winter's...bye for now.

Frugalblonde

Froglet

Hi there.Both my mum and myself applied ,her through her pension credit and me through my hubby being over 62 and on a limited income.


After I had input her readings online for her 3 monthly bill the warm home discount appeared as a credit on her account.Mine did not,until I input my readings at the beginning of the next month,which I now do as they kept estimating the bills early and I had to keep changing them.Then I too received the credit.


So have you input your readings lately or do you just do it every 3 months? Or do you even have an account online?
I would certainly open one if not and enter your current readings.Once they work out your balance you may well find the warm home discount has been applied.

Frugalblonde

Oooh thanks for that...shall get on to it tomorrow. I do have an online account and the bill is now due.

If it is as you say just a matter of putting the new readings on I will be a little annoyed that customer service haven't advised me to do this on my numerous chase up calls.

They can't win with me, hey?

elle_may

Put mine in every month but readings go in on the 24 and i missed it being put on bill, as it was applied on the 27 march. Have put in for this month and saw it had been applied on my mini account ,still waiting for to view bill. I will be waiting to see if they have given the £12 rebate to be given to all elect customers,even if SP are not giving the full one to fixed price customers.

Frugalblonde

:j

At last!

Spoke to Sally Williams in Complaints. She knows what she is talking about which I find a uselful asset for someone trying to resolve customer issues. From my conversation with Sally I now know...

Scottish Power employ lots of agency staff who may not have been trained to understand that there are several accounts screens that they can look through (customers can't access these or we could sort our own complaints out). The member of customer service who told me that there was a delay in payment would have discovered that the warm home discount had actually been added to my account on the 22nd March but lies there like a "ghost" transaction until a bill is produced.

Scottish Power have a major backlog of complaints. I feel sorry for the second agency lad who told me someone would be back to me in 72 hours. The auto promise online of a date of 25th April came and went too as it may also not be in a position to know that the complaints team are inundated.

So, thank you Sally for actually dealing with the problem. This year's warm home discount will be available to apply for in June. Now I know that it will hit my account in March but won't be visible for me to see until a bill is produced (as forum members have already explained) after that point.

I may also politely ask future Scottish Power staff whether they have accessed all the accounts screens before telling me fibs. Would save all of us a lot of trouble.

Thanks to all for giving me some feedback on this. :T

Frugalblonde

Froglet wrote: »

Hi there.Both my mum and myself applied ,her through her pension credit and me through my hubby being over 62 and on a limited income.


After I had input her readings online for her 3 monthly bill the warm home discount appeared as a credit on her account.Mine did not,until I input my readings at the beginning of the next month,which I now do as they kept estimating the bills early and I had to keep changing them.Then I too received the credit.


So have you input your readings lately or do you just do it every 3 months? Or do you even have an account online?
I would certainly open one if not and enter your current readings.Once they work out your balance you may well find the warm home discount has been applied.

Hi Froglet...Yes, just found out that you're correct although it's not your meter readings that generate the credit. The credit is already sitting on your account but just not visible to you as a customer until a bill is produced and so inputting your meter readings make that happen. This forum is already teaching me some money saving skills, :beer:

macman

OP, since you haven't yet made a formal complaint (which must be done in writing headed 'Complaint',) the regulator will not consider your complaint. You need to do that and then wait 8 weeks without resolution. Forget phoning or emailing them when an issue has been as long-drawn out as this.