Scottish Power want £2800 I dont owe them. What to do?

usercarbon

Since Scottish Power took over my electricity account from extra energy in November 2018 they can't get the bill right.
The property has two meters and briefly the standard and the low rate are round the wrong way on one of them.. Months and 13 emails with photos of the meters later they haven't sorted it out. I've invited them to come and check the meters themselves but no response. Now the debt department is coming at me like a juggernaut and whatever I say to them nothing will stop them.  They are threatening to get a warrant to change the meters for prepayment meters which means the physical evidence of the error will be removed.  What should I do?  

MWT

Even with getting the readings the wrong way around that is a lot of money, have you been paying them at all during the problems with the billing?

usercarbon

Yes, they didn't set up the account for about 6 months, then set up a direct debit which I have paid until last month when they put it up to £800. So I asked them to set it back to £200 until the problem was resolved but they said that was not possible, apparently the operative didn't have the authority, so I cancelled it and have been paying them £200 a month using their phone system.

MWT

Were the reading wrong while you were with Extra Energy as well, or did the confusion start after the transfer?

usercarbon

Its been like it for years, every time I change supplier I get the same problem

dogshome

It seems that the debt built up, partly because SP failed to produce a bill for 6 months.

The rule is that when debt occurs, the supplier should arrange for it to be paid back in installments over time, and those payments should be at a level the the debtor can afford

WRITE a letter headed Complaint to SP, setting out the history and communications of Night/Day meter problem, and that they have not negotiated the repayment plan with you

SP have to acknowledge it's receipt and issue a Complaint number, and until the matter is settled call off the dogs 

usercarbon

MWT said:

Even with getting the readings the wrong way around that is a lot of money, have you been paying them at all during the problems with the billing?

Yes, thanks for this it's made me re-check the bills. In January they re-calculated the account from when they took over and have not included the payments I made by direct debit. Also the house has night storage heaters (hence the two meters) so night and day the wrong way round gives a £200 overcharge a month during the winter. With those two its about 90% of the debt. 

usercarbon

dogshome said:

It seems that the debt built up, partly because SP failed to produce a bill for 6 months.

The rule is that when debt occurs, the supplier should arrange for it to be paid back in installments over time, and those payments should be at a level the the debtor can afford

WRITE a letter headed Complaint to SP, setting out the history and communications of Night/Day meter problem, and that they have not negotiated the repayment plan with you

SP have to acknowledge it's receipt and issue a Complaint number, and until the matter is settled call off the dogs 

Thanks, I'll do that today and let you know how I get on.

Talldave

If it's any help, I find it's worth listing errors as a numbered list, as all further correspondence can refer back to that list. E.g. "Do you accept point 5 in my letter of <date> that DD payment for £nn has not been taken into account".

I would also create a bill with the figures the correct way around - there's then a very clear vision of what the acceptable outcome is for you (and you've made their life easy).

Vegastare

usercarbon said:

dogshome said:

It seems that the debt built up, partly because SP failed to produce a bill for 6 months.

The rule is that when debt occurs, the supplier should arrange for it to be paid back in installments over time, and those payments should be at a level the the debtor can afford

WRITE a letter headed Complaint to SP, setting out the history and communications of Night/Day meter problem, and that they have not negotiated the repayment plan with you

SP have to acknowledge it's receipt and issue a Complaint number, and until the matter is settled call off the dogs 

Thanks, I'll do that today and let you know how I get on.

I agree with the above and Dogshome....but do add that you request that one of there representatives call to your home to view your concerns, so this ongoing matter can be settled.

Gerry1

Switch on the tumble dryer,  kettle etc at lunchtime and use your mobile phone to make a video of the night register clocking up.  Hold a DAB radio next to the meter with its display showing time and date, ideally with it playing the pips at the start of The World At one or whatever.  Then you'll have pretty solid evidence should the meter be replaced, and they can't argue that it's been Photoshopped.