📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Scottish Power Not Allowing Payment By Direct Debit

webbs3
webbs3 Posts: 8 Forumite
Part of the Furniture First Post Combo Breaker
My year fixed tariff with Scottish Power comes to an end on the 30th April 2022 at which point if I do not choose to go on another  SP 'Fixed Tariff' (everyone is currently being advised not too) they will automatically put me on a "Standard Tariff". I have been in touch with them by email & by phone to establish what the new rates will be (Elec & Gas kWh & Standing Charges), on each occasion I'm quoted higher than the OFGEM 'Average price cap unit rates Customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit'

I am currently paying at the end of each month using my credit card for the respective months actual usage, SP have named this "Receipt Cash Monthly"

I had a conversation with SP this evening to try & set up a Direct Debit,  it would appear that they will not allow their current customers who are currently on ‘Receipt Cash Monthly’ to switch to Direct Debit, in turn being charged at the reduced OFCOM Direct Debit prices. 

Scottish Power will only allow payment by Direct Debit on just 2 of their products (one being "green flexi may 2023”) the term is fixed for a year, the tariffs are naturally higher than the OFGEM Price Cap as a result. 

Alternative energy suppliers are currently not taking new customers.

What can I do to achieve the OFCOM Direct Debit price capped rates?:
Electric:
Day Unit Rate - 28p/kWh
Standing Charge - 45p/Day

Gas:
 Unit Rate -  7p/kWh
Standing charge - 27p/Day

Comments

  • EssexHebridean
    EssexHebridean Posts: 24,293 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Have you looked online to see if you can set up a DD that way? Some suppliers do have that as a way of doing it. I’m not convinced that SP are allowed to tell customers that they won’t allow them to pay by DD unless they take an expensive fix, but others will know more on that.
    🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
    Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
    Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
    £100k barrier broken 1/4/25
    SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculator
    she/her
  • MovingForwards
    MovingForwards Posts: 17,139 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Sixth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    I pay monthly by 'cash' (debit card), if I look at the available tariffs / options there is SVR on DD. 

    Have you looked at your online account?
    Mortgage started 2020, aiming to clear 31/12/2029.
  • webbs3
    webbs3 Posts: 8 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture First Post Combo Breaker
    facility to set up on line with SP not available, even their 'Chat'service says "SP must speak by phone to gain banking details
  • pochase
    pochase Posts: 3,449 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    I agree that they cannot just stop you from paying by direct debit.

    Where do you get the rates that you are quoting and want from? There is no capped gas rate of 7p. Cheapest region is 7.226 for direct debit payment for example using EDF price table.

    You are aware that there is not just one capped rate, but that it is different for each region?
  • webbs3
    webbs3 Posts: 8 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture First Post Combo Breaker
    No I was not aware the capped rates were different for each region. I got my figures as detailed on the OFCOM website:
    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you
    Average price cap unit rates
    Customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit*
     

    Last price cap period

    (1 October 2021 - 31 March 2022)

    Current price cap period

    (1 April - 30 September 2022)

    Electricity

    £0.21 per kWh

    Daily standing charge: £0.25

    £0.28 per kWh

    Daily standing charge: £0.45

    Gas

    £0.04 per kWh

    Daily standing charge: £0.26

    £0.07 per kWh

    Daily standing charge: £0.27

  • webbs3
    webbs3 Posts: 8 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture First Post Combo Breaker

    I failed to notice:
    "*Rates are averages and will vary by region, payment method and meter type. Contact your supplier for personalised information."

    I thought it applied across the whole country.
  • pochase
    pochase Posts: 3,449 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Just look up in the EDF table the rate for your region, there won't be a big difference from supplier to supplier, they are all charging as much as they can.

    The two companies that will take on new customers on their SVT seem to be Octopus and EDF, but you need to call them.
  • anna42hmr
    anna42hmr Posts: 2,882 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    scottish power have a tarrrif information label online which you can check can be found here

    https://www2.scottishpower.co.uk/tariff-information.process?execution=e1s1

    just need to enter the post code, fuel type, meter type (eg standard, eco 7 etc) and payment method, then you need to select the "standard" tariff for each and it will give you the tariff for your area. 
    MFW#105 - 2015 Overpaid £8095 / 2016 Overpaid £6983.24 / 2017 Overpaid £3583.12 / 2018 Overpaid £2583.12 / 2019 Overpaid £2583.12 / 2020 Overpaid £2583.12/ 2021 overpaid £1506.82 /2022 Overpaid £2975.28 / 2023 Overpaid £2677.30 / 2024 Overpaid £2173.61 Total OP since mortgage started in 2015 = £37,286.86 2025 MFW target £1700, payments to date at April 2025 - £1712.07..
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.3K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.4K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 597.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.6K Life & Family
  • 256.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.