Scottish Power & The Ombudsman

ginnie_riley

I'm at my wits end with Scottish Power and the Ombudsmen. I'm at a point now where I am so exasperated by it, it's easier just to give in, but it so so wrong on so many levels and so blatantly inaccurate . . .it seems both parties are devoid of any common sense.

I raised a complaint with the Ombudsman about SP billing. In short, there's something wrong with the quality of data they are determining my usage from - to be honest, I have not idea what's going on with their systems/technology, but something clearly is. For example when on the telephone to SP, they said our weekly usage for that particular week was a figure completely different to what was showing on our meter. There's lots of evidence to suggest there is a problem somewhere. I believe that my- end meter usage seems to be accurate but their meter readings seem to be different/inaccurate.

The ombudsmen have come back and in my view, have not fully investigated this properly and they are not getting to the route of the problem. They say that they are satisfied that bills have been calculated correctly (and no doubt they probably have been if they are using SP metre readings) and of course they will determine the same conclusion as SP, but in my mind, they are forming any outcome based on inaccurate information.

If I am totally deluded - I will quit now. Or is it possible that this can happen? (that being mixed meter readings?)

I feel totally frustrated and at the moment I owe them a lot of money. I am happy to pay what I have used but I just don't trust their figures. What should I do next? Is there anybody out there that can REALLY help me sort this out. It's exhausting :-( .
Thank you

Gerry1

Welcome to the forum !

ginnie_riley wrote: »

to be honest, I have not idea what's going on with their systems/technology

Unfortunately it has to be said that you have provided lots of heat but very little light: it's all emotion but zero facts.

ginnie_riley wrote: »

There's lots of evidence to suggest there is a problem somewhere.

You need need to provide this evidence.

What exactly is the problem? Have you always provided monthly meter readings? Have SP used different readings, or estimates? Have they got their sums wrong? Have they used the wrong tariff? Has your actual usage exceeded the estimated usage, hence your direct debit has been increased to cover your usage as well as to repay the arrears?

Without any facts it's impossible to understand your complaint. You need to supply facts, facts, FACTS to make a case.

badmemory

Are you going of figures from an IHD rather than an actual meter?

Irratus_Rusticus

I never rely on energy providers to know what they are doing. They might or they might not.

Take digital photos of your actual meters at least at switching - make sure flash doesn't hide reading - and save these somewhere - not just on the phone (email to yourself and download and backup or use the phone's usb lead) and you will have a date stamped record. Start now.

You can find the supplier's generic email contact and enter your account number and date of readings (the date & time taken will be in the file's meta data too) and attach the photos. Change the image name to your house number and postcode so they can't be confused. Hopefully you images show the serial numbers clearly for added bonus.

Beyond this future proofing against hassles over meter readings, as said your post is fact light but presumably you have records of actual meter readings such as old bills with non-estimated readings? Don't rely on readout gadgets. Work from the actual meter.

Study old bills for meter reference numbers. Are these the same on current supplier's billing? Worth always keeping a final bill from old supplier for such info.

Put your postcode in Uswitch as if seeking a comparison and check your address is listed - sometimes a meter is incorrectly linked on the national database and this is an easy way to test. Just found this problem same way and had it fixed through the supplier.

As long as you know your own meters are being billed and not a neighbour's, and you take digital date stamped photos at least when swtiching, you have evidence while they may not be able to count their own thumbs.

Not sure your 'weekly usage' is much use for arguing over billing, mind.

ginnie_riley

Thanks for the replies. I have loads of evidence presented to justify my complaint, just didn;t want to bore you with the details! But to give you some context, I've asked the neighbours what they pay and its around £90 p/m - SP has been collecting about £150 a month from me. Zoopla tells me the average is £92. Like I say, I just don't trust their data - is it possible my screen is providing me with one set of data (which I believe to be accurate) and they are assessing their numbers from a different set of data??? I'm pretty sure that is what is happening - but the Ombudsmen hasn't investigated beyond the data they have received from SP . . .they haven't investigated, deeper in any further detail(trusting the data provided by SP when I am querying it).

Gerry1

Sorry, but the harsh reality is that your so-called 'evidence' is utterly worthless, at least that which you've provided here. It's irrelevant what the neighbours pay, they might leave the heating on 24/7 with all the windows wide open. Or they might be polar bears with triple glazing and insulation deeper than a snowdrift. All that matters is your accurately metered consumption in kWh and what SP are charging you for it.

Direct Debits are no guide to actual usage, they may or may not be paying their way.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits/#whatyoupay

You haven't responded to any of the detailed points raised in this thread, you just dispute SP's evidence without providing one iota of your own. All that surprises me is that the Ombudsman hasn't dismissed you as the equivalent of a vexatious litigant.

To get anywhere you need to provide evidence of consumption based on actual meter readings (not from the portable IHD), your tariff information and any evidence that you have been overcharged or that there is good reason to believe the meter(s) are not recording correctly. Have you checked that it's really your meter(s) e.g. number on the bill matches that on the meter, and the meter stops dead if you turn everything off, and then rockets up if you turn everything on simultaneously?

Just complaining that life is unfair won't cut the mustard, you need solid factual evidence, not shedloads of emotion.

ginnie_riley

Hi - we've been taking the readings from the IHD. Can these be different to the readings generated from the meters?

ginnie_riley

Apologies for the emotion - that comes from a place of sheer desperation. I think you have totally missed my point and having had you refer to me as a 'vexatious litigant', I find your response rude, not particularly helpful and certainly not in the spirit of this forum.

EnergyRookie

ginnie_riley wrote: »

Hi - we've been taking the readings from the IHD. Can these be different to the readings generated from the meters?

No one here knows the answer to that for sure.

You have the access to the IHD amd you have access meter. How hard would it be for you to check for yourself???

Gerry1

ginnie_riley wrote: »

Apologies for the emotion - that comes from a place of sheer desperation. I think you have totally missed my point and having had you refer to me as a 'vexatious litigant', I find your response rude, not particularly helpful and certainly not in the spirit of this forum.

My response wasn't intended to be rude, it was intended to help you understand why you got short shrift from both Scottish Power and the Ombudsman and how best to proceed. Consider the following:-

'My doctor is useless. I've told him I'm ill but he still hasn't cured me.'

'The AA are hopeless. I called them yesterday from a phonebox saying I'm broken down next to a streetlight but they still haven't rescued me.'

'Minicab! How long will it take to get from Jack's school to Jill's house and how much will it cost?'

The doctor can't help if you won't describe your symptoms accurately and say exactly where it hurts. The AA can't find you if you won't give an accurate location such as a postcode, street number, grid reference or What3Words. The minicab driver won't be able to go anywhere if you won't give the pick-up and drop-off addresses.

You've been asked to provide much more factual information and evidence about your supposed problem with SP, but forumites such as myself will doubtless keep missing the point and won't be able to provide any meaningful help unless and until you do so. If you won't help us - we can't help you !

You say that you owe SP a lot of money but that's very easy to refute or confirm. Read the meters on the wall today (NOT the portable IHD, which may or may not be up to date) and subtract the opening meter readings. For electricity, multiply by the kWh rate, add the daily standing charges and don't forget VAT. Do the same for gas (check whether it's measuring cubic feet or cubic metres), converting the volume to kWh here. Then compare the total charges with the total of all your direct debit payments.

Robin9

ginnie - can we have some detail please ? Is this about meter readings or what?

A scan of a bill would be a good starting point ? Use something like imgur and make an obvious error (don't forget to bank out the detail)

Have you ACTUAL readings since this dispute has been going on ? Can you read your meter (not the IHD) today?