Any ex-Tonik users still struggling with Scottish Power?

childminder87

I had my electricity supplied by Tonik last year. In October they went into administration- I had no notice of this, no correspondence from Tonik, just an email from the Ombudsman saying they were transferring all accounts over to a provider of their choosing. As I had around £150 credit in my account (built up ready for winter) I was relieved to hear that all balances would be transferred over so no money lost. A few weeks later I received a further email from the Ombudsman stating Scottish Power would be my new provider. Scottish Power then got in touch asking us to bear with them as they would be moving over service and then getting final bills from Tonik and crediting accounts. By January I had heard nothing else so I phoned Scottish Power who told me to continue paying my direct debit, and advised me not to change the amount (I explained I was struggling financially as essentially I was paying twice for winter fuel). They said to not increase the amount as they were now beginning the account crediting stage and estimated it would take around 3 weeks to process all accounts. 
It is June next week and I have not received my credit. Whenever I have called or emailed or spoken to online chat they have either told me to contact Tonik for my final bill to pass onto them (providing me with a link for a website that clearly no longer exists- they seem to be oblivious to this even when I've been "passed to the department dealing with Tonik customers") or told that it's been escalated and someone will contact me within ten days. Which they don't. I daren't move provider in case that bleeps up the admin and complicates it all even more. They can't seem to tell me if I have under/over paid despite me stating several times I don't want to end up with a huge bill. I've given multiple meter reads. 
I've opened a case on resolver now and just keep getting responses off them asking me to call the freephone customer service number. None of the call centres or staff responding seem to have a grasp of English and none of them seem to make any case notes and keep repeating the same nonsense. 
I have M.E. and found it such a horribly draining experience and yet there must be many Tonik customers who have been transferred over so I can't understand why any of the Scottish Power staff don't seem to have a clue what is going on or that no one received a final bill, or that the company no longer exists. How can the Ombudsman dump us on a provider that doesn't even seem aware of it? Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can go from here because I don't think I have the emotional capacity for another 87 emails/calls. Thanks in advance for any replies. 

Gerry1

The Ombudsman didn't choose Scottish Power, that was Ofgem.

You need to raise a formal complaint with Scottish Power (preferably via snail mail with a free Certificate of Posting) and go to the Ombudsman upon receipt of a deadlock letter or after eight weeks if you don't get one.

Other possibilities include Money Claim Online and emailing SP's CEO whose info can be found at the ceoemail website which is a dot com.

TheMilkmansDad

In answer to the title of the thread; simple answer is no. 
Had a small credit balance around £150 with Tonik, this was shown on the first Scottish Power bill received in December. No issues.
Have been trying to find out when the tariff on SP ends since then with zero success. Although my last bill (after submitting manual readings last week) says tariff ends beginning of July. Time to move away form SP for me as - historically at least for me - their customer service is awful.

pjapk

My switch from Tonik to Scottish power seemed to go smoothly enough, but yesterday I received an email saying my fixed tariff was coming to an end in July 21 and I could either switch to their "Standard Online" variable at £345/year more or I could switch to their "Exclusive Fixed June 2022 T1 OL" which is "£76 cheaper" though it's actually £76 cheaper than the STANDARD but still £269 DEARER than my current tariff! Clearly I need to get comparing!!!

finbow

childminder87 said:

I had my electricity supplied by Tonik last year. In October they went into administration- I had no notice of this, no correspondence from Tonik, just an email from the Ombudsman saying they were transferring all accounts over to a provider of their choosing. As I had around £150 credit in my account (built up ready for winter) I was relieved to hear that all balances would be transferred over so no money lost. A few weeks later I received a further email from the Ombudsman stating Scottish Power would be my new provider. Scottish Power then got in touch asking us to bear with them as they would be moving over service and then getting final bills from Tonik and crediting accounts. By January I had heard nothing else so I phoned Scottish Power who told me to continue paying my direct debit, and advised me not to change the amount (I explained I was struggling financially as essentially I was paying twice for winter fuel). They said to not increase the amount as they were now beginning the account crediting stage and estimated it would take around 3 weeks to process all accounts. 
It is June next week and I have not received my credit. Whenever I have called or emailed or spoken to online chat they have either told me to contact Tonik for my final bill to pass onto them (providing me with a link for a website that clearly no longer exists- they seem to be oblivious to this even when I've been "passed to the department dealing with Tonik customers") or told that it's been escalated and someone will contact me within ten days. Which they don't. I daren't move provider in case that bleeps up the admin and complicates it all even more. They can't seem to tell me if I have under/over paid despite me stating several times I don't want to end up with a huge bill. I've given multiple meter reads. 
I've opened a case on resolver now and just keep getting responses off them asking me to call the freephone customer service number. None of the call centres or staff responding seem to have a grasp of English and none of them seem to make any case notes and keep repeating the same nonsense. 
I have M.E. and found it such a horribly draining experience and yet there must be many Tonik customers who have been transferred over so I can't understand why any of the Scottish Power staff don't seem to have a clue what is going on or that no one received a final bill, or that the company no longer exists. How can the Ombudsman dump us on a provider that doesn't even seem aware of it? Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can go from here because I don't think I have the emotional capacity for another 87 emails/calls. Thanks in advance for any replies. 

Yes, I'm in the same position awaiting a final bill, except I moved away from Scottish Power as soon as I could in November.   I'm owed about £350.  

I emailed Deloitte (Tonik's administrator) a few weeks ago, and they said they still have a huge backlog of final bills to be issued with a very limited number of staff retained by them to actually issue the bills.  

The problem is that Scottish Power can't do anything without a final bill as they don't know how much to pay you, but Deloitte has no accountability to the regulator and so can take as long as they like.  Having spoken to the regulator it is clear that consumers like us are left in "no mans land", there's nothing we can do with nobody we can complain to, and nothing they can do. 


  

rp1974

Unless and until Scottish Power get your final bill/account details from Tonik/their Administrators you can't and wont get a final bill from Scottish Power,there wont be any change to that.
Not a wise idea to let large credit balances accrue regardless of supplier,it's pushing your luck should the worst happen,as it has here.
Ofgem stance is sorry,wait your turn,with no timescale within which this must occur.

The above is what a friend who until recently worked for Scottish Power in customer services,told me and service agents were apparently told the same thing.Whilst nobody should be happy at being told that,at least they should be being told.

rikthered

I read today in GNE blog that ScottishPower said it has transferred all former Tonik Energy customers. Over 6 months later my gas supply has still not been transferred, though electricity has. As other comment, SP wants to put me on a new much higher tariff in July and I wish to switch but guess not viable for dual fuel yet. Have raised another formal complaint with SP but previous queries had no affect. Sounds like the delay is due to Deloitte. Wonder who is currently supplying my gas - not SP, not Tonik, guess it's Deloitte?

Morven

I switched suppliers from Tonik to Octopus in Feb 2020, before the takeover. I have an email agreeing that my account was over £400 in credit although there is a final bill to be taken into account of probably around £200.  I was getting emails until Dec 2020 from Tonic and had a letter from Scottish Power early this year but no-one is bothering to answer me now.  I'm lucky not to be in as bad a position as childminder87 but can't afford to write off £200.

rp1974

Reply as to how things stand three posts above.

rikthered

I was £119 in credit on my final Tonik statement. Interestingly, ScottishPower recognised this immediately when it took over my electricity supply and reduced the monthly DD slightly - but I only pay for electricity. The company is not supplying my gas, though someone is, and does not ask for gas meter readings so I will face a very large bill at some time in the future. I currently have a ScottishPower Complaint No and am awaiting a response from the Complaints team. I am very sorry to hear of former Tonik customers having not been reimbursed for their credit yet, hopefully it won't be too long.

rp1974

rikthered said:
The company is not supplying my gas, though someone is, and does not ask for gas meter readings so I will face a very large bill at some time in the future.

Are you taking your own gas meter readings in the meantime though?.
Also worthwhile taking photos of the meter,which will support the readings.
The only reason you'll get a large gas bill is if you use lots of gas,as your not paying for the gas currently you will have the money that you would have paid ready for when you do need to.