Scottish Power, don't get caught out !!

Middle_Wicket

Just to let every one know what happened to me yesterday (4th March 08). I've had my gas and electric supplied by scottish power for the last two or three years, i pay by direct debit, £58 per month total for both gas and electric. I was happy with that, my account was always in credit with scottish power but hey no unexpected nasty surprises round the corner with regards to big bills, so i thought ! I received an e mail yesterday informing me that my monthly payments were to be increased to £85 per month as from April 08, once i'd picked myself up off the floor i phoned scottish power and was told that this was due to the increase in price of gas and electric. Needless to say i finished the call and went onto MSE.com and swapped to edf energy and will get £30 cash back and have saved over £230 on the new price quoted by scottish power. WATCH OUT SCOTTISH POWER CUSTOMERS.

Cardew

Much as prices have risen, they haven't gone up by 46.5%(£58 to £85) so you must have either been in debit(or predicted to go into debit), or Scottish Power have made a mistake.

Secondly you haven't saved £230. Your Direct Debit payments may indicate such a saving is possible, but that is frankly meaningless.

The only way to calculate predicted savings is to compare prices for both gas and electricity for your consumption in kWh and not use Direct Debit payments.

These comparison sites exist purely to get you to change supplier so they can get their commission.

I suspect if you go to another comparison site and enter your new Direct Debit payment for EDF, you will get an even lower Direct Debit payment.

malamute

Agree with Cardew
the only way to find out any savings is by using the tariff detail of the supplier you intend going to against the tariff you have been told you are now going on to (existing supplier).
You will be lucky if you save 25% of what you are being told.
As for the cashback you haven't got this until its in your pocket last time it took me 6 months of hassle and all sorts of denials by the site until i got my money.

Double check what you have done to ensure you are not going to be disappointed when you don't get what you expect!!!!!

Middle_Wicket

i can assure you that my account with scottish power has always been in credit until my last payment on the 2nd march when it dropped to £24 debit (it is the largest bill of the year), also on the comparison web site i input my kwh consumption for both gas and electricity and not my monthly payment, thanks for your replies though

malamute

Do you have Excel then make a spreadsheet and put all your figures into it
Your current supplier (just increased price rise) Tariff
Your new proposed supplier Tariff (you do have this information ?)
Does it still come up with the £230 saving i very much doubt it! if i'm wrong then i apologise and if i'm right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for going to Edf then more fool you a company i'm leaving and would not recommend to my worst enemy.

mechy

Thanks Middle Wicket. i was in exactly the sam e boat as you. got the letter in September. I managed to nagotiate down to £75/monthe from the original £54. i will be looking at EDF to see whaat the crack is.Altho all power bills are going up as we all know:money:

Middle_Wicket wrote: »

Just to let every one know what happened to me yesterday (4th March 08). I've had my gas and electric supplied by scottish power for the last two or three years, i pay by direct debit, £58 per month total for both gas and electric. I was happy with that, my account was always in credit with scottish power but hey no unexpected nasty surprises round the corner with regards to big bills, so i thought ! I received an e mail yesterday informing me that my monthly payments were to be increased to £85 per month as from April 08, once i'd picked myself up off the floor i phoned scottish power and was told that this was due to the increase in price of gas and electric. Needless to say i finished the call and went onto MSE.com and swapped to edf energy and will get £30 cash back and have saved over £230 on the new price quoted by scottish power. WATCH OUT SCOTTISH POWER CUSTOMERS.

MarkyMarkD

Middle Wicket You may think you are saving £230, but you are not.

There is not a 25% margin between the prices of different suppliers. Scottish Power are not a rip-off supplier.

So to save 25% on the £1000 a year you were apparently going to pay Scottish Power is simply not possible.

One of the figures in your scenario is wrong.

twig1_2

Every year I have to phone Scottish Power and get my brothers direct debit reduced and every year I get the same story from them. I work the figures out myself and tell them what direct debit figure should be and it always ends up covering the annual bill . Like most utilities they use the direct debit calculations in their favour so they can hold huge balances of our cash by overinflating the adjustments . I worked at a company taken over by Scottish Power nine years ago and they are delighted that we are so complacent and take their word most of the time. I have not yet found a call centre employee that knows exactly how the figures are worked it's as if they read off a script.
Good luck on switching and getting the cash back if we all stopped being so complacent then maybe we would have the competitive market we were promised however when ofgem thinks it's responsibility is only to those that cannot pay rather than to all of us that are being ripped off by all the utilities I think its going to be hard to achieve.

MarkyMarkD

Any gas or electricity supplier will change your DD payment to an amount which you think is appropriate - you simply have to ask. You are quite right, twig1, that suppliers often over-specify the DD in order to keep things in their favour - but you don't need to accept it.

Cardew

Your word is not doubted; As I said in post #2 "or SP have made a mistake"

The fact remains that SP prices have not increased by 46.5% as you were apparently told in your call to SP. That appeared to be the whole point of your initial post - warning people 'not to get caught'.

I assume what has happened is that the 'computer' has looked at your consumption of £184.53 for 7 weeks(14/01/08 to 03/03/08) and based your future DD payment on that high consumption plus the small debit balance.

It also may have taken the again high 14/01/08 bill of £249.58 into account in its calculations(you don't say what period this is for - presumably 3 months?)

The letter you got is simply 'Computer Generated' (as with all companies) and sent without human review. Your phone call query went to a call centre where the operators have standard replies to fob off customers.

With regard to the projected savings of £230, like MMD in post #7 I am sure that EDF will not be saving you that amount, on your level of consumption, when you compare their tariff with SP's tariff.

jacksons_mum

they did the same to me - ive been paying £52 pm for 2 years, always in credit just received letter saying it will increase to £94 pm :eek: so ive switched to eon who estimate £42 per month. based on my useage over the past 2 years.