Scottish Power overcharging & incompetence problem

kellcomuk

Just to elaborate on the glaring discrepency: the actual day electricity usage with SP since we joined (10 months ago) stands at 2926. Night usage is 6318.

The advisor told me my last bill (the last 82 days only) has our day usage at 3069. Night usage at around 750. We only started switching the storage heaters off at the end of March so it's pretty obvious when we would have been using more.

It does seem they have somehow managed at some point to charge the higher use night rate in winter at the double price day rate.

Since a straight swap would result in around £113 debt, rather than £83, that would suggest it's a switcheroo that somehow kicked in a little after our night usage starting peaking when Winter set in. With no access to my online account (and they were fully aware of that) it does seem rather convenient...

kellcomuk

Hengus wrote: »

Do not cancel your DD as most suppliers' systems see this a s a breach of contract and default your supply to their standard variable tariff. I switched earlier this year and the losing supplier took a DD a week after the Final Bill was raised. They paid it back into my account a week later. Life is too short to hate energy companies. The sensible thing to do is to complain (nicely) and move on.

I was wondering as the last time I switched (unfortunately to SP) they recommended cancelling the DD with the previous supplier as soon as the switch was confirmed.

kellcomuk

Just wanted to add a question:

If my suspicion that SP have switched my day & night rates around is correct that will likely end up with a dispute with a new supplier if I switch? (figures won't match).

I assume I'd be better off making sure SP have corrected this error before proceeding?

Cardew

kellcomuk wrote: »

I assume I'd be better off making sure SP have corrected this error before proceeding?

Yes most definitely! If you attempt to move you will have non-stop problems with clearing up the SP mess.


File a formal complaint now in writing and then you can go to the Ombudsman if(when) SP fail to get it right. Fortunately the Ombudsman is well aware of SP's failings.

kellcomuk

Cardew wrote: »

Yes most definitely! If you attempt to move you will have non-stop problems with clearing up the SP mess.


File a formal complaint now in writing and then you can go to the Ombudsman if(when) SP fail to get it right. Fortunately the Ombudsman is well aware of SP's failings.

Thanks, I have just typed out a polite letter pointing out every number (all the readings, the tariff rates including VAT, standing charges up to date and the resulting totals etc) and the irrefutable math that proves they have made an error here. Have triple checked my calculations are on the mark to make sure. Mine add up, theirs don't.

I also politely asked that they actively get the technical issue preventing me access to the account corrected too. 10 months they've had to fix that...

Have marked the letter as a 'Complaint' above the address too and will send recorded delivery tomorrow.

If there's no joy with all that then off to the ombudsman I suppose.

kellcomuk

Just to update: To make sure I started my spreadsheet over from scratch, re-entered the rates and readings manually etc. Exact same results, they owe me over £100.

So to make sure I have all the bases coverered I have a phone complaint reference number on record with them from my 2nd call, I have just emailed them a copy of the letter that will be posted tomorrow morning as well...so I can only hope now they won't hang about too long sorting this out.

It is such a glaring error. Total day rate usage since joining is less than the usage for the 82 days on the last bill? That doesn't stand out?

I am rather disappointed the SP 'advisors' flat out refused to see this at all. I have had this before with EDF swapping the readings round due to the guy sent round to take them mixing them up. One phone call after receiving a sky high bill, they saw and admitted the error, and corrected it there and then.

Why no-one at SP seems capable of doing the same I have no idea.

kellcomuk

Hengus wrote: »

Do not cancel your DD as most suppliers' systems see this as a breach of contract and default your supply to their standard variable tariff. I switched earlier this year and the losing supplier took a DD a week after the Final Bill was raised. They paid it back into my account a week later. Life is too short to hate energy companies. The sensible thing to do is to complain (nicely) and move on.

Reading the bold there again it has occurred to me that SP are in fact in breach of contract?

My Tariff is based on the promise of an accessible online service so I can simply login and keep track of my bills, enter my readings, compare their tariffs easily and switch at will etc, but being perpetually locked out I have never seen a bill at all, was unable to track what SP were charging me and only now I know they have somehow managed to mess up my readings. Not amusingly, when I joined them I phoned them twice to confirm they had the day and night readings correctly applied to high and low rate tariffs. They assured me they did.

So as far as I'm concerned SP have failed to deliver the service as promised by my 'contract' with them. I have never been able to log in once to my online account. Everything I know of its standing has all had to come from phone calls or once as it is rarely available, the online 'live chat' (that again resulted in nothing being done. Given a complaint number, the promise I would be called back and nothing).

Doesn't failing to deliver the service as promised by the contract count as a breach of contract?

kellcomuk

An udpate on this matter. After heading to facebook and Twitter (as suggested by a Telegraph article) I was told I would be called on the 5th May about the matter. However no such call came until I reminded them via Twitter on the 7th about that promised call.

The advisor addressed the billing issue and asked me for the current day/night readings at that time, and would call back later that day to confirm the day rate I was giving had moved, and the night rate had not.

They called back about 6.30pm and I could indeed confirm my day rate had moved, night remained the same. They said the rates had indeed been transposed at some point (no idea when or how) but they had now corrected my bill so I would be in credit for pretty much exactly the amount I estimated.

I asked for a paper bill to be sent to me to confirm this, and they said it would. I also asked about still not being able to login to my account and they said I would be called back within a 'few' days on that matter.

Nothing since. No paper bill posted and no call back about login in and still unable to do so (so I cannot check if they have corrected the bill after all). I have sent messages to them via Twitter and tweets with updates on the lack of activity but get a stock "Sorry for the delay, we will chase this up with your advisor, thank you for your patience" etc etc.

Have asked for the advisors name and if they can at least email me the corrected bill. Awaiting an answer on those questions...

So...we are at over 3 weeks since again reporting the no access to my account problem (and they have known about this since at least July of last year!) and still nothing done at all about it.

Hopefully the bill has been corrected as promised as our tariff is ending soon so I will have to switch regardless (and with SP's customer service being this slow to sort out my account I do not wish to stay with them). I just don't want any nasty 'you owe us money' rubbish when I do it, as they will owe me well over £100 at least by then (and I will want that paid back asap too).

Cardew

In the time it has taken you to compose the posts above, you could have WRITTEN a letter headed 'COMPLAINT'; and you should have done so months ago.


Phoning is a waste of time!

kellcomuk

Cardew wrote: »

In the time it has taken you to compose the posts above, you could have WRITTEN a letter headed 'COMPLAINT'; and you should have done so months ago.

Phoning is a waste of time!

If you had read the posts I have composed you would have seen that I have written a complaint letter. It was posted May 2nd, the day after I started this thread.

I did so as formal complaints via the phone and email have been lodged several times over the last year and nothing has been done.

Unfortunately the posted formal complaint letter has served me no better at all (ignored like everything else).

Going through twitter of all things was the only thing that got them to actually do something and call me, instead of me having to call or email them.

From that they have hopefully amended the bill (but while they refuse to post it I suspect that may not be the case) and still have not fixed my online account.