Total mess up.

Merv987

I'very been with Scottish power for years, they've always been cheapest for me, but about 2 years ago they messed up my account, and couldn't seem to get it sorted no matter how many times I phoned, so I had enough and switched to someone else. I got my final bill and they paid my about £500, a lot more than I thought, but possible because they'd put my monthly dd up by so much and I hadn'the been able to check online to keep an eye on it. Anyway I phoned them to check if that was right and she checked and said yes all paid I also gave her my readings, and the gas man had been round the day before to take the readings too. So I said can you check again and see if there are any other hidden accounts at my postcode, so she checked and said yes, you owe £2.20ish. So I paid that and thought happy days.
Now a month later they'very sent me my final bill for £550. Is there anything I can do, anyone I can complain to?

System

Merv987 wrote: »

I'very been with Scottish power for years, they've always been cheapest for me, but about 2 years ago they messed up my account, and couldn't seem to get it sorted no matter how many times I phoned, so I had enough and switched to someone else. I got my final bill and they paid my about £500, a lot more than I thought, but possible because they'd put my monthly dd up by so much and I hadn'the been able to check online to keep an eye on it. Anyway I phoned them to check if that was right and she checked and said yes all paid I also gave her my readings, and the gas man had been round the day before to take the readings too. So I said can you check again and see if there are any other hidden accounts at my postcode, so she checked and said yes, you owe £2.20ish. So I paid that and thought happy days.
Now a month later they'very sent me my final bill for £550. Is there anything I can do, anyone I can complain to?

Hi - before doing anything to need to check your bills. Monthly DD payments are only credits to your account: they may or may not cover your actual usage. A large debit balance can build up if you have not been giving the supplier frequent meter readings. DD increases based on estimated readings are invariably incorrect - it is just the supplier's best guess based on previous annual usage.

In sum, I fear that you are faced with a catch up bill which the supplier has every right to put forward for payment.

Merv987

Because they messed up the account I couldn't see my usage, I kept putting in my meter readings but they never showed up, and now the website just says the account is closed.
What i'm cross about is that I asked them to check it, and recheck it, and they still got it so wrong.

dogshome

.From your post it seems that a £500 credit was re-paid to you when you Switched to another supplier, but now this has morphed into a £550 debt which built up over two years when you could not access online bills due to SP's errors

YES - You can Complain
Before you go to the Ombudsman, you must first go through SP's complaint process, you do this by WRITING a letter headed Complaint
Set out the timeline and detail of this saga, demanding that SP post hard copies to you of all the bills issued over this 2 year period, and finish off by advising SP that as they had locked you out of your online account for 2 years and sent you no bills, you are entitled to Claim "Back-Billing" relief for at least the first year of the 2 year period

footyguy

Merv987 wrote: »

Because they messed up the account I couldn't see my usage, I kept putting in my meter readings but they never showed up, and now the website just says the account is closed.
What i'm cross about is that I asked them to check it, and recheck it, and they still got it so wrong.

Did you tell them at the time that they got it wrong?

Merv987

Thanks, can i do that in an email?


YES - You can Complain
Before you go to the Ombudsman, you must first go through SP's complaint process, you do this by WRITING a letter headed Complaint
Set out the timeline and detail of this saga, demanding that SP post hard copies to you of all the bills issued over this 2 year period, and finish off by advising SP that as they had locked you out of your online account for 2 years and sent you no bills, you are entitled to Claim "Back-Billing" relief for at least the first year of the 2 year period

backfoot

I have every sympathy with you because Scottish Power also messed up my account. See this thread if it is any relevance.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5357927

It is difficult to comment because the info supplied is rather sketchy.

If I understand it, your Direct Debits varied from a period around two years ago. At some stage, thereafter, you could not gain access to the online system. It would help to have some details of dates and the variance in the DD payments.

The latter of course, while frustrating, is only a partial problem now provided you can verify your payments made. Check your bank statements and confirm they match the amount credited by Scottish Power on your statements.

As advised, ask for hard copy bills going back for the period in dispute. Go through these and check the continuity of meter readings. In my case, there were discrepancies.If you have any records of meter readings you submitted check them on the statements.

It is possible, that the refund of £500 was premature and in error by SP and the final 'final' bill is recovering that leaving a more realistic amount of a net £50.

If you are making a complaint, it isn't really enough to just say the things messed up (which it clearly is) but to try and explain or get them to explain why they refunded £500 only a month before seeking to recover £550.

Good luck. They truly are in turmoil.:)