Scottish Power - Meaningless Online System

Cardew

Just to give an idea of the chaos on my bills in 2015:

• I had a bill on 03 Feb
• Another bill on 09 Mar
• A bill on 11 August covering period 27 – 28 Feb 2015(yes 1 day)
• A bill on 12 August covering period 28 Feb to 11 Aug(with 6 sets of meter readings for electricity –estimated/actual/customer reads)
• A bill on 18 Sep covering 27 Feb – 18 Sep(with 12 sets of meter readings for electricity)

backfoot

My account record shows the following on the first page:

07-Nov-2015 £ 70.45 (Actual) £ 76.83 in Credit

05-Nov-2015 £ 52.42 (Actual) £ 147.28 in Credit Bill Pending

05-Nov-2015 £ 334.16 (Actual) £ 199.70 in Credit Bill Pending

05-Nov-2015 £ 163.44 (Actual) £ 533.86 in Credit Bill Pending

05-Nov-2015 £ 436.76 (Actual) £ 697.30 in Credit Bill Pending

05-Nov-2015 £ 98.83 (Actual) £ 1134.06 in Credit Bill Pending

05-Nov-2015 £ 3124.83 (Actual) £ 1232.89 in Credit Bill Pending

02-Nov-2015 £ 144.48 (Credit) £ 4357.72 in Credit

27-Oct-2015 £0.00 £ 4213.24 in Credit

27-Oct-2015 £0.00 £ 4213.24 in Credit

The other history is similar and no previous bills are displayed!

redux

backfoot wrote: »

Thanks redux,

I also changed tariff around a month ago and your description matches the problem I have.

The CS rep and complaint handler didn't know how it had occurred and had no knowledge other than to suggest lack of submitted meter readings. When I pointed out the records show regular monthly readings this scuppered the fob off.

These sort of issues are not specific to a single account or customer. The system was working until recently so SP have done something themselves and they should explain what it is and when it will be corrected.

Still no sign of a response sadly.

I phoned up a few minutes after my post above.

I asked if he could see a better set of bills than I could. He started to say so, but then mentioned £900 balance in Jan 14. That is another version than I can see, as mine only goes back to Spt 14.

I asked why he thought it was happening, and he started to guess it was caused by estimated bills. I pointed out there were only 2 estimated bills in two and a half years, and updated by my meter readings only a few days later.

So I asked for a set of correct paper bills to be posted to me. He can't do that as it's an online account. No it's not an online account at the moment, I said, as it's completely b'x'ed up.

Transferred to complaints after a few minute wait, I made some points again, including I think it looks like some students have been practising programming on the live accounts instead of on old archives not connected, and was promised a set of paper bills pending the online being sorted out.

I also emphasised that this is not happening to only my account, as I'd read an internet forum where someone raised the subject and several people started describing the same thing.

Through all this though, I do suspect that the account balance may well be actually correct, so it's just about the gash presentation style.

backfoot

Excellent feedback redux.

They are apparently going to send me paper bills as well and like you the estimated readings excuse didn't wash, as I submit regular reads.

They clearly know that there is a system problem but are telling the customer facing staff to tell porkies. That is most annoying.

It may or may not be the case that the balance is correct, but without a billing record, there is absolutely no way of verifying it.

SP also know that this forum is discussing the issue and although they have acknowledged my complaint to their social media contact, they have so far avoided making a comment.

davidgmmafan

I've not had this same issue but I was considering changing tariff (this has it's own issues though).


Apart from the one I've spotted most recently the only issue I had with the online account is it never corrected estimated usage other than adjusting the next bill. If for example the estimate was 500 kwh's too low and I gave a reading the next day there would be a bill showing as though I had used the extra kwh's in one day. I pointed out to them that this isn't how estimates work, that you would usually go back and re-apportion the estimates, otherwise the chart they had for my usage was pretty much useless.


In any event now it is apparent there is a cheaper tariff. Or at least their might be. Trouble is on their bill I see the rates for my current tariff and when I do a comparison with the info they already have it shows a saving but there is no like for like way to display the data side by side.


When I worked it out manually I came out with figures that suggested that the new tariff is slightly more expensive.


This is because I was using the price including VAT, but all the info I had came from their website. Doing other online comparisons was also pretty useless as a lot of them just seem to ask for the company you are with then promise a massive saving (assuming you are on standard clearly).


Also re computer system not fit for purpose I gather to Co-op is also having problems. So that's EDF, British Gas, NPower, Co-op and Scottish Power who have all had problems when going onto a new billing system. Can they really all be that inept?

backfoot

Here is my update.

I had been promised a call from my dedicated complaint handler yesterday. It didn't happen.

I wrote asking why not and recapped my complaint:

1. Why had my billing history disappeared?
2. If it is not reinstated, where was the promised manual copy of my previous bills.

I have received a further response:

'Thank you for your email dated 25 November 2015 Upon review of your account I can see that a complaint was logged on 10 November 2015 under reference number xxxxxx Please accept my unreserved apologies that your complaint remains outstanding. It is taking longer than anticipated to resolve. I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that the resolution of your complaint remains our key priority and we are working hard to resolve matters for you.
Please be assured that your dedicated Case Advisor will be notified of your email received today in order for them to arrange contact with you.
If we do not have a resolution within the next 28 days we will still make contact with you to reassure you that we are working hard to resolve all issues to your satisfaction.'

Meaningless waffle and no substantive response to a routine request to see what my bills are.

Hopeless.

CashStrapped

I must be one of the lucky ones when it comes to Scottish Power. I switched to them in July 2014 and have never had an issue at all. I also give them a new meter reading every month once my DD has left the account.

Maybe I just joined and went straight onto the new computer system rather than being transferred from an old account. This seems to be where much of the issues have arisen. Or maybe I have just been lucky.

I have also managed to internally switch onto a newer, cheaper and longer tariff nearly every month without causing issues. Their latest tariff is the cheapest one (for me) to date.

For those who log and monitor their usage data, I would recommend downloading a copy as an Excel worksheet via your Scottish Power account. That way, if the data gets corrupted/lost you will have your own copy to hand.

On a separate note; I just went through the laborious task of inputting all my bills back to 1990! Although I did not keep regular readings back then I was just about able to find readings which were one year apart right up to the current date.

With a bit of energy saving, my bills are lower now than they were 10 years ago. Which is good going when you consider I have the same heating system.....although we have had mild winters recently.

Cardew

backfoot wrote: »

I have received a further response:

'Thank you for your email dated 25 November 2015 Upon review of your account I can see that a complaint was logged on 10 November 2015 under reference number xxxxxx Please accept my unreserved apologies that your complaint remains outstanding. It is taking longer than anticipated to resolve. I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that the resolution of your complaint remains our key priority and we are working hard to resolve matters for you.
Please be assured that your dedicated Case Advisor will be notified of your email received today in order for them to arrange contact with you.
If we do not have a resolution within the next 28 days we will still make contact with you to reassure you that we are working hard to resolve all issues to your satisfaction.'

Meaningless waffle and no substantive response to a routine request to see what my bills are.

Hopeless.

I have had several letters with identical wording after 'Reference No xxxxx'.


'It is taking longer than anticipated to resolve.' = 'We haven't even looked at your case yet'

backfoot

CashStrapped wrote: »

I must be one of the lucky ones when it comes to Scottish Power. I switched to them in July 2014 and have never had an issue at all. I also give them a new meter reading every month once my DD has left the account.

Maybe I just joined and went straight onto the new computer system rather than being transferred from an old account. This seems to be where much of the issues have arisen. Or maybe I have just been lucky.

I have also managed to internally switch onto a newer, cheaper and longer tariff nearly every month without causing issues. Their latest tariff is the cheapest one (for me) to date.

For those who log and monitor their usage data, I would recommend downloading a copy as an Excel worksheet via your Scottish Power account. That way, if the data gets corrupted/lost you will have your own copy to hand.

On a separate note; I just went through the laborious task of inputting all my bills back to 1990! Although I did not keep regular readings back then I was just about able to find readings which were one year apart right up to the current date.

With a bit of energy saving, my bills are lower now than they were 10 years ago. Which is good going when you consider I have the same heating system.....although we have had mild winters recently.

Thanks for your feedback.

You have described exactly what should happen for all customers as a routine. Unfortunately, I am reporting on something major and fundamental which has gone wrong.

Not being able to show a customer a bill, either current or historical, is the most basic of requirements.

Scottish Power were prevented by the Regulator from acquiring new customers for some period of time.and if they cannot respond to a simple request, then they clearly are not suitable to operating in this market.

It's not like they haven't got the resources, finance or experience to send out a bill !

Fletch7

CashStrapped wrote: »

I must be one of the lucky ones when it comes to Scottish Power. I switched to them in July 2014 and have never had an issue at all. I also give them a new meter reading every month once my DD has left the account.

Just don't move house. My experience was the same as yours, I submitted monthly readings and got a monthly bill no problem then I moved and my online account completely stopped working (this was october 2014) Waiting times were over 1hr for the call centre to submit meter readings so I switched to a different provider. The switch away happened no problems but it took a further 4 months and countless hours on hold to the call centre for my account to be closed and my credit refunded - and that was only after I complained directly to the customer services director.

Horrendous customer service, I wouldn't use SP ever again even if they offered me power for free.