Tariffs

JimMcNaughton

I have been a ScottishPower customer for over 30 years. Need to question there customer service. 
My current monthly payment is £91 with a current balance of £99.91 in balance. The tariff end date is 31/08/2022.
Online they offered new tariffs of £524.01 and £527.52 monthly with slight differences. 
Needed to contact them by phone to ask for an explanation. Six times increase! I tried to have questions answered online but went round in circles. The figures remain the same. They included a £300 fee if I started one of these tariffs and wanted to cancel. 
When I connected customer service by phone, I asked what would happen if I did not go on to one of these two tariffs. I was told that I would automatically go on to their default tariff. The default tariff is £180 monthly. Although this is double my existing tariff it is a third of the only two tariffs offered. 
Unless I made the phone call I would never be aware of this option. 
To quote my wife; “This is scandalous”.

Are your team aware of this situation?
Sincerely 
Jim 

[Deleted User]

If you don't pick a fixed tariff, you go on the variable one.  They showed you the two fixed tariffs on offer, so if you didn't like them you don't sign up for one.

You will have been told several times that when your tariff expires you will go on the variable tariff.

Where is the scandal?  

jimjames

Yes it's well known that fixed tariffs are offered without showing what the default option would be. The default £180 is likely to go up by around 80% in October though as the price is pre today's announcement so will be approx £325. Although less than the fixes you've been offered it will go up again in Jan. It's a big shock to come off an old low fixed rate onto the current prices.

Deleted_User said:

If you don't pick a fixed tariff, you go on the variable one.  They showed you the two fixed tariffs on offer, so if you didn't like them you don't sign up for one.
Where is the scandal?  

I think the fact they don't advise that any other option is available is scandalous. "these are the tariffs we can offer you" There is no info showing that any other option is available so it is relying on lack of understanding. 
There should be a requirement by the regulator that the default tariff has to be shown alongside any other.



https://damn-lies-and-statistics.blogspot.com/2022/05/sse-only-fixed-tariff-energy.html

QrizB

Do bear in mind that the default tariff is variable, will increase to almost double in October, and is expected to rise again in January.