£80 a month debit indefinitely with scottish power...what are my options?

leelee28leelee

polymaff wrote: »

I suggest that you relaunch this as a fresh thread. You'll get more responses. You may want to reshape the question, too.

If your point is that you're finding it difficult to make ends meet, given your present circumstances, you might want to focus on getting help in those circumstances - and drop Scottish Power out of the posting.

If you think that the meter is over-reading, that is an entirely different issue - and one that SP should take up.

I think im doing this all wrong! oops!
sorry im new to this. Could u plz help with the things u suggested in your comment? Im already searching new tarrifs, but wouldnt mind help with getting peoples advice.

polymaff

leelee28leelee wrote: »

I think im doing this all wrong! oops!
sorry im new to this. Could u plz help with the things u suggested in your comment? Im already searching new tarrifs, but wouldnt mind help with getting peoples advice.

TO start a new thread, look further up this screen for:

Household & Travel > Energy > £80 a month debit indefinitely.

Click on the word Energy then on the screen that that takes you to click the blue "New Thread" button (on the left).

That'll be your new thread. Hopefully you'll get plenty of views - and responses.

leelee28leelee

Thanks for the help!!
just wanted to add that the money problems are only a problem due to rise in amount im paying for the same amount of gas i used in December! give or take a few units!
i just checked my monthly reading that i jot down and worked out the kwh. the 2 months are very similar in kwh. only in december i payed £100 and january £165, im guessing February will be higher as ive topped up £50 since the 1st.
thanks for your help tho:)

polymaff

leelee28leelee wrote: »

Thanks for the help!!
just wanted to add that the money problems are only a problem due to rise in amount im paying for the same amount of gas i used in December! give or take a few units!
i just checked my monthly reading that i jot down and worked out the kwh. the 2 months are very similar in kwh. only in december i payed £100 and january £165, im guessing February will be higher as ive topped up £50 since the 1st.
thanks for your help tho:)

Sorry that I can't help on the energy issue, but it is over 40 years since I was on a prepay contract. (Which I'm guessing that you are on from your "putting a minimum of £50 a week on" comment).

Just for reference, though, I am a Scottish Power customer and the monthly gas (CH only) costs in December and January were £140 and £160 respectively - but during that period I changed SP tariff, knocking the gas unit price down by 10% to 3.041p per kWh.

cashmonger

Robin9 wrote: »

cashmonger - have you started the switching process ?

Wow how annoying is this?! i switched tariff and looked at the email message with details of the new fee and what does it say?

'based on previous usage we have set the monthly direct debit at £80 a month'. They really do not want me to get out of paying 80 a month huh!?

The quote even went as low as £42 when I signed up. Guess Im going to have to sort it manually. Gotta wait till monday to get a meter reading to input though since I dont have access to the reader in my building.

Robin9

When you applied did you give your annual consumption in units or £ ?

Who are you switching to and what tariff ?

cashmonger

I stayed with scottishpower but just changed the tariff (did it online in a few clicks) and they didnt ask for any meter readings they calcuated based on previous, but the quote they gave was intialy 52 then went to 42 once I singed up I think due to being in credit. but alas snapped back to 80 as soon as i was moved to the new one.

CashStrapped

I am with ScottishPower and unlike most of the posts on here, have never had a problem with them!

I have internally switched on to a new and cheaper tariff 4 times since last July. I have never had a problem when doing this.

However, their DD system does like to automatically put up my DD each time I make the switch onto a new tariff. This is purely because their system resets and incorrectly tries to project what I will use.

So I now do any internal switches over the phone. I just tell the rep that I want to go onto the new tariff but keep my DD as is.

This has been done perfectly for each time without fuss. No problems at all.

So, just ring and reset it back to what it was!

sbeardon

Have you signed up to see your account online?

I religiously send meter readings online every month at around the same time, I know that sounds a bit over the top but I don't want to receive a shock bill at the end of the winter (you can send more often if you want). They then produce a bill which you can see immediately.

Occasionally they suggest a change in direct debit but up until now I have been able to override this (I am in credit). Whether it's because I am realistic about what I should pay I really don't know.

As for your post on 02-02-15, 9.42pm You are on a variable rate at the moment & the monthly payment of £52 is for a fixed rate package which will be a different tariff. It really is a lottery as to whether it is cheaper to do variable or fixed rate as no-one really know whether oil prices will go up or down. I prefer a fixed rate so I know what the tariff is.

cashmonger

Ive been doing everything online...

Anyhow I got my meter reading today and have finally reduced that sucker down to £45. So we'll see how i go with that.

Why do you have to make an immediate payment to change the bill, is it because the new DD has to start from that date? so its to reset it? I only had to pay a fiverr but wondered why and it wasnt explained online that i could see.