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MSE News: Scottish Power sets UK record for energy provider complaints, charity says
Comments
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This doesn't surprise me at all.
Have recently opened my account with them, was set on the standard tariff at first selected online to change to the fixed tariff and set up payment via direct debit, for some reason that didn't process.
I messaged them (twice) was told would be changed the the tariff but would need to phone to set up direct debit again. Showed yesterday as fixed tariff when i logged in online so called last night to set up dd, did so and the agent confirmed yeah shows as the fixed tariff.
and what a surprise, this morning shows as on the standard online tariff again, so phoned agent this morning, who seemed to have difficulty getting it set up (but claims in the end the dd is set up and fixed tariff will start from tomorrow) will see if that works, have my doubts.
unlike before the "amend direct debit" does now show on the online account but seems to have a a different date to what i asked for (todays date instead of first of the month) and a nil amount and doesn't allow any amendments. Hopefully thats just because they are still setting it up!
I will given them this chance at sorting out and if not, will start looking at moving elsewhere.MFW#105 - 2015 Overpaid £8095 / 2016 Overpaid £6983.24 / 2017 Overpaid £3583.12 / 2018 Overpaid £2583.12 / 2019 Overpaid £2583.12 / 2020 Overpaid £2583.12/ 2021 overpaid £1506.82 /2022 Overpaid £2975.28 / 2023 Overpaid £2677.30 / 2024 Overpaid £2173.61 Total OP since mortgage started in 2015 = £36,574.79 2025 MFW target £1700, payments to date at February 2025 - £1000.0 -
Been with them since 9th April, wish i never went with them,
pay quarterly but have not received a bill, gave meter readings on phone and online, first one in July that they asked for, no bills, been told over the phone it will take another 4-6 weeks.
Today 27/08/2015 got my first electric bill
guess what , its wrong
Bill was for £26.83 for 5 months .
rang them up, saying it was not accurate and the meter readings i gave on the 9th April is different from what i gave so i be paying for electric i haven't use by using that reading.
The whole bill just has standing charge, no actual usage.
Told it will take another 4-6 weeks to fix the problem
bloody night mare0 -
I thought Lloyds Bank held the record for staggering incompetence
I think the mantle is passed to Scottish power.0 -
- was looking at changing to the below E.on
- e.on
- Unit rate 12.967p per kWh
- Economy 7 unit rate 5.229p per kWh
- Standing charge 26.019p per day
- below is what i am on with Scottish power 'does it work out dearer with e.on' i knowthe unit rate is cheaper, but the standing charge is higher, so would i be paying more in the long run?.
- i looked at another and it was 30p standing charge, so surly if the unit rate is cheaper but they are getting the money back by charging more in standing charges?
- or am i wrong?
Standing charge 20.55p per day
Day 13.999p per kWh Unit rate
Unit rate - Night 7.200p per kWh0 -
So I am a single mum with an eight-year-old daughter. We don't use much energy, live in a small house and are hardly ever home. Scottish Power allowed to " pool " in my account well over seven hundred pounds - even though I had ticked a box on my account to say that if the amount there exceeded £75 it should be automatically refunded.
An SP meter reader came out in July, which was when I first asked that they should refund the then £440 pounds in my SP account back to my bank account. They preferred to hang on to my money and let it generate interest for them - and then give me a very insincere 'sorry' that my request was overlooked - but proceeded to explain that they couldn't rectify their oversight until I had given them an up-to-date reading of meters. So all seven hundred pounds still sitting there, earning interest for them, until I'm prepared to sit another 40 minutes by the phone to give them the readings.
I called and spoke to Ben. Ben only wanted to talk to me about changing me onto a more expensive tarriff. He didn't listen when I asked about refunding me. He didn't listen when I asked Why the direct debit had been set at £158 pcm when our usage is so far less? - which is why the money kept pooling.
I asked to speak to a manager; Ben refused and put me through to a co-worker called Julie who specializes in being tart, fatuous and patronizing. She also refused to put me through to a manager. I was exasperated and explained that I'd be closing my account as Scottish Power are entirely dishonest. She said fine, but you'll be waiting for your money for a month in that case - as your next provider would apply on your behalf.
Can this be legal? She kept referring to 'their procedures' like they trump the Sale of goods and services Act. I can't be bothered with them, they are Muggers; their energy provision is daylight roberry, and their Customer Service is appalling.0 -
So I am a single mum with an eight-year-old daughter. We don't use much energy, live in a small house and are hardly ever home. Scottish Power allowed to " pool " in my account well over seven hundred pounds - even though I had ticked a box on my account to say that if the amount there exceeded £75 it should be automatically refunded.
An SP meter reader came out in July, which was when I first asked that they should refund the then £440 pounds in my SP account back to my bank account. They preferred to hang on to my money and let it generate interest for them - and then give me a very insincere 'sorry' that my request was overlooked - but proceeded to explain that they couldn't rectify their oversight until I had given them an up-to-date reading of meters. So all seven hundred pounds still sitting there, earning interest for them, until I'm prepared to sit another 40 minutes by the phone to give them the readings.
I called and spoke to Ben. Ben only wanted to talk to me about changing me onto a more expensive tarriff. He didn't listen when I asked about refunding me. He didn't listen when I asked Why the direct debit had been set at £158 pcm when our usage is so far less? - which is why the money kept pooling.
I asked to speak to a manager; Ben refused and put me through to a co-worker called Julie who specializes in being tart, fatuous and patronizing. She also refused to put me through to a manager. I was exasperated and explained that I'd be closing my account as Scottish Power are entirely dishonest. She said fine, but you'll be waiting for your money for a month in that case - as your next provider would apply on your behalf.
Can this be legal? She kept referring to 'their procedures' like they trump the Sale of goods and services Act. I can't be bothered with them, they are Muggers; their energy provision is daylight roberry, and their Customer Service is appalling.
I've come to the end of a fixed term so I've decided just to cancel the direct debit and let my usage eat into the credit. I think I've enough credit to last 12 months. I know I'll be billed on the standard tariff but I've no confidence in their ability to refund me and I don't want the frustration of talking to them.
They do not appear to have noticed what I've done.
Eventually I'll move to Ovo.0 -
I moved in to new premises in Feb 2014. Scottish Power being the developers provider. Meter readings were provided. Multiple unanswered calls later (One call 56 mins and then answered and cut off) and several letters. I gave up and took a chance. My meters were read twice but having spoke to one of the readers he didn't know who he was reading for. I tried to change provider with no success. 22nd September 2015, yes 2015, my first bill arrives for £3,898. Apparently my house is the size of Buckingham Palace. 4 calls later and several different operators I provide meter readings and directly pay my new bill a third of the original bill. BUT they had in-putted the meter readings incorrectly and showed me in the address before it was finally built. So in the last three weeks I have had seven different bills. One says with the altered correct meter readings they owe me £400 (Not refunded). Two say I owe them £2000. Today's bill states that it is being treated as an escalated debt collection. Phone calls and e-mails commence again. The moral of the tale is that Scottish Power is still useless and their new 700 operators well maybe they just do one day each over the year.
Good luck if you go with them !!!!0 -
I see a number have commented that their switch went OK. I don't think that's the time to celebrate. Clearly SP must be doing something right somewhere, but follows on may be far worse than you can imagination.
In all the time I was with Scottish Power they didn't produce a single correct invoice. They would then "re-imagine" them, issuing replacements which were also wrong. They might have well printed random numbers. Six weeks after leaving, they still haven't managed a set of invoices that are correct. How hard can it be? With meter readings on entry and exit, it's not rocket science. Any attempt to speak to their staff lead nowhere.
It got so bad that I emailed the CEO as I was concerned there might be a glitch in the system and wholesale undercharges were occurring. (funny, but eventually you'll have to pay) I got back a terse note saying that although there were issues, everything was fine, and please don't contact me like this again. That told me! Yet six months later, nothing had changed.
A working billing system would seem to be a prerequisite for being in the industry. Ignoring all the other trivia, Scottish Power don't even reach "adequate" in most areas of their business and given the attitudes that seem to prevail at all levels, this won't be changing anytime soon. The fines imposed by the regulator mean nothing to them, and this brings the regulator's role into question.
The fact they've been able to operate like this suggests most of their customers haven't looked at their bills and are blindly just paying their direct debits.
And they aren't even cheap!0
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