Scottish Power Quoting Insane Increase - Ripping people off during crisis

pochase

TRON said:

pochase said:

When you made the decision a few days ago not to take the offered fixed tariff you made the decision to stick to SVT for good. No use in complaining how expensive new fix offered now is. You already decided you don't want a fixed tariff, it was clear that fixed rates will go up and not down.

So you can only wait and see what the SVT will be when Ofgem week announces the October cap. It should be slightly cheaper than the first fixed tariff offered to you, especially for gas.

The big issue are the predictions for January and April, but the reliability here is still ok to real guessing, so maybe we all get lucky.

We didn't make any decisions, we were still deciding, discussing, looking at options and thinking about it. Scottish power didn't inform their customers they put all there prices up again on Monday. We didn't get any communication from them saying there was a deadline on the offer either and since we had until 31st August until our tariff runs out we thought we had time to think about our options. 

Our current tariff does not run out until the 31st of August but in the space of a week they changed the new offer from £150+ a month to £209 a month....

We currently pay £69 a month with £20 in credit at the moment. 

Have a look through the forum how often we have advised people to take a fix they consider immediately, and use the cool off period to consider if it works for them. If you would have done that you would have had 14 days to to decide, discuss and look at options.

Was in the email you received any information for how long the offer is valid for. If so you can raise a formal complaint. From what people are writing it is more that if there is any information, it is that the offer can be withdrawn without any warning any time.

Astria

We didn't make any decisions, we were still deciding, discussing, looking at options and thinking about it. Scottish power didn't inform their customers they put all there prices up again on Monday. We didn't get any communication from them saying there was a deadline on the offer either and since we had until 31st August until our tariff runs out we thought we had time to think about our options.

SP, like all the other providers most likely had the phrase "This offer can be withdrawn at any time without notice". We've even had offers that have lasted hours, not days. As in, the offer was available in the morning and withdrawn in the afternoon. You have a 14-day cooling off period for a reason - if you like the look of a tariff, take them up on it and cancel it if you find something better.

In exactly one week, the new cap will be launched, so at that point I expect all current fixed rates to be withdrawn and new fixed rates based on the price rise in January and April next year, launched.

I also don't know where you are getting the 200-500% increase from, I'm expecting more like 50% on electric and 85% increase on gas for October, followed by another increase of possibly 20% - 30% in January and again in April.

wibbler

This has been a fascinating thread to watch. On the one hand, TRON seems not to gather the reasons for the price rises (high prices are being forced on the energy companies), nor the urgency to grab a deal when they find one (as awful as it is, there is no time for their need for "deciding, discussing, looking at options and thinking about it").

On the other hand, we are all effectively saying "told you so". Being devil's advocate, TRON only recently joined this forum, so is a way behind everyone else here. Sure, we are loudly telling TRON he should have fixed before it's too late, but I know many people outside this forum who are asking me "HOW have you found a fix" or "surely we should just wait until the government helps out" - questions that we in this forum find easy to answer.

However frustrated people are with TRON - and however frustrated TRON is with the energy companies - they, us and thousands/millions of others are about to enter a torrid time, and there'll be no place for anyone to say "I told you so".

I think TRON is a useful barometer of the "unenlightened" masses who are just going to be shocked in October when reality hits.

chris_n

wibbler said:

This has been a fascinating thread to watch. On the one hand, TRON seems not to gather the reasons for the price rises (high prices are being forced on the energy companies), nor the urgency to grab a deal when you find one (as awful as it is, there is no time for "deciding, discussing, looking at options and thinking about it").

On the other hand, we are all effectively saying "told you so". Being devil's advocate, TRON only recently joined this forum, so is a way behind everyone else here. Sure, we are loudly telling TRON to fix before it's too late, but I know many people asking me "how have you found a fix" or "surely we should just wait until the government helps out".

However frustrated people are with TRON, and however frustrated TRON is with the energy companies, he and thousands/millions of others are about to enter a torrid time.

I think TRON is a useful barometer of the "unenlightened" masses who are just going to be shocked in October when reality hits.

Totally agree, the public are largely unaware of the severity of this. It's time to bring back public information films and educate people so everyone knows what a kWh is, how to read the meter and how to reduce costs. This should be done before considering handouts. 

BUFF

wibbler said:

Being devil's advocate, TRON only recently joined this forum, so is a way behind everyone else here. 

According to his profile TRON joined MSE in 2013, we don't know when he started visiting this particular forum.

I do agree that a lot of currently unaware people are in for a big shock when they do become aware.

TRON

Managed to get through to a really good agent at SP who apologised for the crappy treatment from other few callers. 

They went through everything and worked out defo better off on rolling price cap until Jan even with the Oct increase even if the increase was double the predicted. Looks like that is what majority is doing based on their circumstances of course. 

The flexi tariffs offered in the last month as coming to end of a really good fixed term are just that crap they are not worth taking, in my circumstance anyway. They basically confirmed this also. That is the old and the new offer were just not worth taking even with the increases coming. 

So yeah going to go onto rolling/price cap, even if it was a 100-200% increase in oct/jan it wouldn't be worth taking the fixed after our contract runs out, the offers are just that bad. Plus the £400 coming should off set some of the cost as well. We just got really lucky the last 2 years plus in a B rated modern property so low usage/costs.

I appreciate everyone chiming in and offering advice/thoughts even the snarky one's, has helped, not sure where the racist comment accusation came from but yeah.....cheers.....

Vegastare

Nice to read there is someone in SP who is decent....would you want to work in that sector.

northernstar007

Vegastare said:

Nice to read there is someone in SP who is decent....would you want to work in that sector.

ive only had to call SP once and straight through (8am) to a scottish guy and sorted questions i had as i had just joined (jan 22)
i`m in a fix till jan24 and also with SP been quoted 365 for a oct 23 flexi deal, would hate to be looking about now, paying 110 atm in current contract

northernstar007

and thats with exact known usage

QrizB

TRON said:

Has gotten to the point even if you work 72hrs a week is not enough to live on in the UK anymore.

National Minimum Wage for the over-23s is £9.50ph. 72 houes a week would be £684 a week, £35500 a year gross.

There are plenty of people on this forum living on much less than that.