Dumb Scottish Power

bri160356

Anthorn wrote: »

Confusing: You say new dumb meters were fitted, then you post a web chat about smart meters and don't mention anything about submitting meter readings. Have you actually submitted meter readings?

@D_M_E they don't manage with the smart things, they ignore them and still require meter readings to be submitted.

Why do I stay with Scottish Power? I can change to another of their fixed tariffs without incurring a fee which means I can always be on their cheapest tariff and their prices are not really all that bad anyway.

Perhaps SP’s prices are not too bad for your particular circumstance but for me their cheapest quote for a fixed tariff is absolutely extortionate.

The fact that you can move to another SP tariff without incurring fees is perhaps not a prudent reason for allowing SP unfettered access to your wallet.

My present tariff with Avro Energy (which ends very soon) costs me £1155/year based on my actual annual usage figures. I’s a 12 month fixed tariff with ZERO exit fees.

I recently opted to switch to Yorkshire Energy and from 5.9.18 I will be on a new 12 month fixed tariff with ZERO exit fees. This new tariff charge, based on my actual annual usage figures' will cost me £1317/year.

The cheapest ScottishPower tariff ‘Online Fix and Save September 2019 with £60 exit fee’ would cost me £1693/year;...so ScottishPower would require me to hand over £367/year more than my forthcoming deal with Yorkshire Energy for the same amount of gas and leccy.

I know many would argue that Big6 suppliers like ScottishPower offer better customer service than the minnow energy suppliers but that has not been my experience.

I was a ScottishPower customer for decades but in the 12/18 months or so up until the time I bailed out in early 2016 they were an absolutely appalling company. :mad:

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Anthorn wrote: »

Confusing: You say new dumb meters were fitted, then you post a web chat about smart meters and don't mention anything about submitting meter readings. Have you actually submitted meter readings?

It's a pun! They have yet to be Smart enough to do more than provide a display which I pay for!


Now in week two and the complaint remains unanswered!

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

So I update my meter readings again. This time the dumb meters read through the website and the data is wrong, under read by 100 units of Electricity and 70 units of gas! Updated with readings and guess what.


We are reducing your Direct debit to £30! (kept it at a more realistic £70)


Sort it out Scottish Power!


Now if I was not savvy, that again would put me into fuel debt later this winter!

matelodave

As BBofP says, he could easily get into dire straits if he wasn't on the ball with his own records.

There are many others out there who dont have a clue and expect their energy companies to do a decent job of maintaining their accounts and hoping that they don't get stuffed by incompetence.

However that's often not the case. Although many consumers dont try to help themselves it can become an uphill and almost impossible task when trying to deal with some energy companies. Especailly when the problem has been caused by the company in the first place.

It really shouldn't be as difficult as they make it.

Anthorn

matelodave wrote: »

As BBofP says, he could easily get into dire straits if he wasn't on the ball with his own records.

There are many others out there who dont have a clue and expect their energy companies to do a decent job of maintaining their accounts and hoping that they don't get stuffed by incompetence.

However that's often not the case. Although many consumers dont try to help themselves it can become an uphill and almost impossible task when trying to deal with some energy companies. Especailly when the problem has been caused by the company in the first place.

It really shouldn't be as difficult as they make it.

What we must consider is that sometimes it's not the fault of the energy supplier itself but the fault of the company that services have been farmed out to. Whether that is the fault of the energy company for farming out to that company is debatable.

For example in the case of Scottish Power's smart metering Elster meters are installed which are connected to Elster's infrastrure and it's from that infrastructure that smart meter readings are passed on the Scottish Power. However Scottish Power's smart metering isn't all that smart. For a start daily readings have to be specified by the customer because half-hourly reading also an option don't work. Secondly although smart readings are obtained as noted in the readings section of the online interface those readings still have to be submitted to get a bill and Scottish Power treats this smart readings so submitted as actual customer submitted readings. Lastly, if a bill is not produced Warm Home Discount is not forthcoming until a bill is produced by Scottish Power itself.

Really, it's all good provided a customer knows how the wacky system works. But if they don't know they are left virtually banging their heads against Scottish Power's wall because all they will get from SP's support is something like, "Oh yes we know there are problems but we are working on it and it will be fixed soon".

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

It is good that I know what I am doing, but others would not and jump at the opportunity to take another dip for their DD and then end up in fuel poverty.


I posted this as Dumb Scottish Power, because most people would see the introduction of smart meters meaning they would then get accurate bills and a sensible DD level. This has not been the case for me, where I have waited for SP to correct their mistake. They did not, so I am fortunate to correct it myself. I submitted new readings, which were out of date on their website from my dumb meters, only for SP again to suggest another dip for my DD.


They said in their latest missive that they do not hold a record of my usage and the dumb meter will build this up over time! I have been a customer of SP for thirty years (MANWEB) and in my house for the last 16 years. seems their system does not acknowledge this.


Still, I ponder what will happen when I get back from Boston in December and see the DD then!


Edit.


Anthorn. I deal with SP. If they have a chain of other providers, that is their problem not mine.

poppellerant

I honestly wouldn't trust Scottish Power to run a bath after my own dealings with them several years ago. I hope you get sorted soon.

Anthorn

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

Anthorn. I deal with SP. If they have a chain of other providers, that is their problem not mine.

You problem is that you don't know how the process of installing smart meters and reading them works and my attempts to educate you fail because you don't reasonably want to know.

As far as I know I don't know of any energy supplier which makes their own smart meters, installs them and communicates smart meter readings to them. All of them without exception use external, third-party services to do that. In the case of Scottish Power that external, third-party service is Elster. We can underline that by noting quite correctly that the new DCC in their effort to rope in SMETS1 meters are communicating with smart meter manufacturers and not energy suppliers.

I really don't understand why you think that Scottish Power should uniquely produce their own smart meter technology.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Just sent my dumb meter readings again to Scottish Power. Again they were out by over a 100 units on Gas and Electricity.

Don't bother with the dumb meters, they do not offer any benefit apart from not getting the torch out in the under stair cupbored!

As for the DD, getting close to reality now at £66! (I pay £70!)