Scottish Power driving me mad!

aisdil89

Hello,

Just looking for a bit of advice from someone that may have been in a similar situation.

My mum switched to SP in Jan 15. They were due to come out and fit a prepayment meter. She feels better with this because she doesn't get much money and control it this way.

Between Jan15 and Oct15 SP failed to show up to fit the meter 10 TIMES!!

She was still recieving paper bills and was told to not pay them as it would come off her meter, which was never installed, because she gave up and switched in Oct.

Now, SP give out £20 compensation every time they don't turn up to install a meter. Mum recieved two chequeswith the promise that more would be sent out. She never recieved these.

SP are now chasing payment of £136 for energy used during Jan and Oct.

I have told them that technically they still owe her £160 and therefore it could just be taken off that and the rest sent to her.

They agreed to look into this and see if it was possible.

After about 6 weeks they have come back and said they have no record of these meter fittings that were supposed to go ahead and offered to take £50 off the bill and set up a payment plan.

My mum very cleverly has all the dates written down and she called them every day they didn't turn up. She has asked them to call me on Thursday and I plan on telling them that it is completely unacceptable and to find these calls she made.

I was just wondering if anyone else could chip in and help me win this fight because it really is a joke and my mum is making herself I'll worrying about how to pay.

Thanks in advance!

[Deleted User]

The only thing that I can suggest is that your mother abandons the idea to go on a prepayment meter. They cost approx 25% more to run than a typical one year fixed deal, they are about the highest tariffs and they are inconvenient . Your mum is on a low income and she should be the last one to be wanting to pay top price for anything let alone the highest household expense.
If you say your mum is owed 8 times £20 for meter fitters not turning up then I reckon she will be the world record holder for this compensation claim, almost as if she is deliberately not answering the door on purpose and I don t blame any supplier for withholding any more claims. I think you should get a payment plan in place for the money she owes (£160) then when it s paid off look to find the cheapest one year fixed deal for her gas/electric, hopefully getting £30 cashback at the same time. Prices are lower now and seemingly getting lower every month and she needs to be taking charge of her spending starting at getting her energy at the lowest price, not the highest. If she does stick with the idea of prepay meters then go on a comp site and get lowest price for them , I think that was Robin Hood Energy last time I looked.

AndyJ52

Why not try to track down the Scottish Power rep here on the forum and see if he/she can help?
Good Luck!

AndyJ52

Just found this link .......sadly, not sure that it'll help though. This guy's last activity on the site was back in Nov 2015!!
The other contact details on his profile might be a way forward though??

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.php?u=773243

matelodave

You don't need a prepayment meter - you put what you owe into a tin, jam jar or some other receptacle until the bill comes in. It's not hard to do a couple of simple sums to work out how much it will cost. Put a label next to the meter showing how much, 5, 10, 15, 20 or whatever units will cost so she can look at the meter and put the appropriate amount in.

It would save her lots of money and she'd have a better idea of how much she is using. If sh can put all the effort into getting a card or token topped up every week or so then it should be a doddle to check the meter and put the money in a jar. Just make sure she doesn't dip into it.

System

We shouldn't really comment on how people choose to manage their money. The OP has, in my view, been very patient if an appointment has been missed 10 times and she deserves some form of apology and compensation. My advice would be to write down all the information in a Letter of Complaint. Telephone complaints tend not to get the attention that they deserve.

backfoot

Avoid the prepayment meter like the plague. They are only suitable for collection of arrears in certain cases. They are charged at a complete rip off rate and your mother will be far better off paying monthly by Direct Debit.

Regarding the missed appointments, please phone them in the presence of your mother and ask to speak to a dedicated complaint handler.

Take them through the details you have explained in your post.