Scottish Power Bill

tobykim

My son has had a bill from scottish power for gas, he telephoned them yesterday as he is on a card meter and they told him that the amount due is correct and it was from an underpayment fair enough, however they have told him that they no longer supply him with gas and that they can't tell him who does as it's confidential, they also said that they would get their money by reducing the amount of gas he gets everytime he tops up his meter, how can they if they are no longer his supplier, seems very weird to me. He's not changed his supplier and was under the impression that scottish power was still his gas supplier and have been for the last 5 years

Pixie28

To find out who supplies the Gas to your son's property, you can contact the customer supply line on 0870 608 1524. You are correct in saying that Scottish Power cannot continue to recover any outstanding debt through your son's Gas meter if they no longer supply him, however if he has not received a new gas card from his current supplier, it is very likely that the meter is still collecting for the debt, though all payments may be being redirected to his new supplier.

tobykim

Thanks for that I'll have to tell him to look into in further as far as he's concerned he hasn't changed supplier so doesn't know how it's come about so of course is still using the scottish power card

Terrylw1

Hi,

Ofgem ruled against transferring debts via a change of supply in electricity so I would expect it's the same on gas and that they would have blocked him.

Complete rubbish about not being able to tell him who the Supplier is. They cannot query who his Supplier is if they don't hold a record of the Supplier that registered him after them.

They also cannot by law make a deduction to the meter as they are not the registered Supplier.

Do not pay anything on any old card until you sort it out as this information is somewhat dodgy! Make sure you use the new Suppliers card. You would pay the old Supplier by other means now, so a cheque would be required or BGC.

I would question an underpayment. PP meters are just that, you put cash in - you get power. So, you can't go into debt on them just like that. With it being a change of supply you probably find that he owes a little bit because of how the handover readings have been estimated.

Pixie28

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Complete rubbish about not being able to tell him who the Supplier is. They cannot query who his Supplier is if they don't hold a record of the Supplier that registered him after them.

Call centre agents are able to advise customers of their new supplier for electricity by checking with MPAS, however when it comes to Gas, the information is not readily available. Scottish Power can contact National Grid to confirm that they are the current supplier, however National Grid will not advise them which company is if it is not them. The customer will have to contact NGM themselves to obtain that information.

I would question an underpayment. PP meters are just that, you put cash in - you get power. So, you can't go into debt on them just like that.

As with Electricity meters, when a shipper increases its prices, the Gas meters must be updated to ensure the consumer is paying at the correct rate. Though quite rare, it is possible for a Gas meters to fail in updating after a price increase, and therefore possible to go into debt with them. Saying that, I would definitely ask for further explanation with regards to the underpayment.

Terrylw1

Pixie28 wrote: »

Call centre agents are able to advise customers of their new supplier for electricity by checking with MPAS, however when it comes to Gas, the information is not readily available. Scottish Power can contact National Grid to confirm that they are the current supplier, however National Grid will not advise them which company is if it is not them. The customer will have to contact NGM themselves to obtain that information.

It's the same with electricity. Supply staff are only allowed to make enquiries against their own supply period. If they have been the Supplier before, they can check e.g. MPAS Online, but in the case of a customer who has left...they need to contact MPAS themselves. Supply staff in electricity would check more commonly via the registration request and subsequent loss held in their systems. Electricity staff frequently check with MPAS by not stating they are from a Supplier, MPAS don't check any further than that as they cannot.

Does the old Supplier not get a notification of the new Suppler registration request in gas? Not being up on gas reg, you know more than i do.

Pixie28

I do agree Terry....though I think MPAS online is abused somewhat as it is so easily accessed...The enquirer must either have the current shippers or the current occupiers permission to access supply information regarding their property.

Perhaps the sales teams would be able to advise someone who their supplier is by checking who they lost the registration too...I am not 100% sure to be honest. I do know that it is not something the general customer service contact centres have access too, which is who I imagine the OP's son had contacted.

tobykim

It sounds like a minefield but thanks for you replies I'll pass them on to him, as I say he has lived in the house for over 5 years and to his knowledge has not changed supplier he's been with Scottish Power since he moved in so how this has come about he doesn't know