Scottish Power - Please Help!

Claris

Dear Fellow Forum Users,

I would really like to ask you for help.
I am an international student, currently living in Stirling, and I have been struggling with the Scottish Power issuing the wrong bills to me since September 2014. I have talked to their customer service via phone and also exchanged emails with them, but nothing really have changed, but I think even got worse.

I would be very grateful if someone could advice me on two things.

1. I have paid to the company so far £377.75, but I think there is something wrong with this amount, as it does not match my energy usage.

My meter readings are the following:
14/09/14 (when I first arrived to the flat): the readings were:
52219; 35418.

14/05/15 (current meter readings):
52733; 37149.

My tariff is "Electricity only; Help Beat Cancer"

So, my calculations for the first tariff for the period 14/09/14 - 14/05/15:
52733-52219= 514kWh
514kWh x 13.747p = £70.65
242 days x 26.090p = £63.13

Calculations for the second meter reading:
37149-35418 = 1731kWh
1731kWh x 8.483p = £146.84

Total: £70.65+£63.13+£146.84= 280.62
VAT 5% = 280.62+5%= £294.65

So, according to my calculations, which did not include a small discount that I get, I have spent £294.65 since September 14, 2014 up until now. But I paid £377.75 to them!

So, my question is: Have I missed some sort of a hidden tax and the company is right or someone is trying to rip me off?

2. My last question is about the Direct Debit.
On my arrival I had tried to set up the DD approx. 3 times and the first two times I was told that it was impossible to set it up for my address and the last time the customer service person did something wrong and it was not set up properly. In November I just gave up dealing with this matter and thought that I can be on the monthly cash payment, even though it is more expensive.

However, suddenly I found out that in April and May they took payments off my account through the DD, charging me £60 in April and the same amount now in May! However, I did not authorize this, as I thought that they could not set up the Direct Debit for my account in the first place!

I am really sorry for such a long post, but I just wonder if someone could tell me, if the company did not overcharge me and if they had the right to suddenly start taking money via DD without informing me first.

If it turns out that they are overcharging me, whom would you advice me to contact, because I just cannot deal with their customer service anymore. They all are lovely and polite, but they just do not seem to do anything... Like I called them 3 times to inform about the actual readings, but now I found out that they are still charging the estimated readings...

Thank you in advance!

Claris

Cardew

Firstly Scottish Power's(SP) account system has gone into melt down since the installation of a new computer system, so you are one of many customers(including myself) who are suffering from their incompetence.

With the Direct Debit(DD) situation it is fairly easy to rectify. When you agree a Direct Debit mandate you authorise SP to initially take the sum agreed between you and SP, and then SP can alter the DD as they see fit. The only stipulation is they must inform you in writing well in advance that they are changing the amount of the DD.

The DD system is backed by a guarantee with your bank. So if you have not been informed of the DD increase you tell your bank and they will immediately refund to you any monies you dispute. The bank do not seek any explanation from you or SP - the money is simply refunded.

With regard to the 2 x £60 DD taken from your bank, I suspect that the DD was set up last year and lay dormant in the computer and suddenly surfaced - it is SP's infamous computer after all. Anyway a call to your bank will get the money returned if that is what you want.

The discrepancy between what you have paid and used appears down to SP using estimated meter readings instead of the actual readings you gave them. Although this is yet another error by SP it is not overcharging as such, the monies you have paid will(should!) be credited to your account.

As for advice. Well firstly there is no point in phoning SP it is a waste of time. You should write(and email) SP with both headed 'COMPLAINT'. That will give you a complaint reference and they will have 8 weeks to sort matters out to your satisfaction. If not you can take your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

You should eventually get a small sum in compensation for the time you have taken.

Good Luck

Claris

Dear Cardew,

Thank you so much for explaining everything in great detail! I really appreciate!

I am going to follow your advice and email them with the subject "complaint" about the whole thing.
Hopefully they will do something about it.

I will ask them first to amend my details on their system, so that the DD sum they took will be taken into account for the next bill. If it does not work, I will then ask the bank to cancel the DD with them and refund me the money.

AnnaLMLH

im in the same sinking scottish power boat!

niro_111

I am in the same boat to,

footyguy

Have any of yous affected followed the suppliers compliant procedure?

Claris - in regards to any direct debit, have you considered the Direct Debit Guarantee?

Cardew

footyguy wrote: »

Claris - in regards to any direct debit, have you considered the Direct Debit Guarantee?

See posts#2 and #3

DigiGuru_2

See my post on the Scottish Power news article here:
MSE News: Scottish Power sets UK record for energy provider complaints, charity says

If you go through the correct process, you will be compensated for the loss of your time and the stress,

footyguy

Cardew wrote: »

See posts#2 and #3

post#3 suggests to me the OP is either unclear of how the DD guarantee works, or is not intending to use it.

OP- if you need further clarification, come back.

Claris

footyguy wrote: »

post#3 suggests to me the OP is either unclear of how the DD guarantee works, or is not intending to use it.

OP- if you need further clarification, come back.

Hello!

Thank you very much for your reply!

To be honest, I do not really know how the DD guarantee works. What I understood from Cardew is that the bank has to return all the money that were taken from me by the Scottish Power if I ask them. Is this what it means by the DD guarantee?

Claris

DigiGuru wrote: »

See my post on the Scottish Power news article here:

If you go through the correct process, you will be compensated for the loss of your time and the stress,

Thank you, DigiGuru!

I am going to write my complaint today, so your link comes really in handy.