Scottish Power Rip Off

ScoobyCanDo

bnoc wrote: »

Fraud, surely?

No .................... NAIVETY


And the HOPE of getting a free lunch?:rolleyes:

ScoobyCanDo

Firstly with all these DD Payments .................. You have to start somewhere and they use a culmination of averages to come up with an initial figure.


Next, as time goes on and your 'Actual' usage entrees the equation, your DD can be altered, either DOWN if your usage is lower than the estimate usage or UP if you use more ................ simple.


Only thing is ................... IT TAKES TIME .................. to get a Usage Record, so in our "FAST FOOD SOCIETY" where we all want it NOW, you'll just have to have patience, see how your usage racks up and contact them if your paying too much on your DD.


Thing is .................... keep a check on things yourself and never expect others, especially companies to do this for you. And with online accounts, it now even easier to keep a check of readings, payments and the state of your quarterly balance.




...................................:cool:

Cardew

ScoobyCanDo wrote: »

Firstly with all these DD Payments .................. You have to start somewhere

Exactly!

It is a 'Given' that to lure you to change you will almost certainly have a DD that is too low. If they gave people a realistic DD figure, fewer people would change and they would get less commission.

If that is the case it is inevitable that the DD will increase a geat deal.

Once you have been with a company a fair while, your pattern of usage will become apparent. However the lure of Quidco is too much for some to resist.

bnoc

I fear most posters have missed the point of my initial posting; SP initially estimated my readings and then raised my DD without either taking or being provided with any readings, how is it possible for their estimations to change without any further information?

Cardew

bnoc wrote: »

I fear most posters have missed the point of my initial posting; SP initially estimated my readings and then raised my DD without either taking or being provided with any readings, how is it possible for their estimations to change without any further information?

I don't think anyone has missed the point.

They are fully aware that £30 a month is well below average and that initial DD payments are inevitably set too low to encourage you to switch.

So the probability is that you now have a large debit balance; especially as we have just been through winter.

So based on that probability they hike up their DD and place the onus on you to prove £80 is too high.

If you prove that £80 is too much(as you did) you will get some refunded; but the company haven't lost out - you have.

So not only is it "possible" - they have done so!

If by asking "how is it possible etc" you were implying that it is unfair/not reasonable etc; then you are correct!!!!

But they have done it! and what has fairness got to do with anything!!!!!

ScoobyCanDo

Cardew

Spot on ............. AGAIN!

[Give the guy a Coconut]

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Not wishing to harp-on, but many people on here seem to feel hard done by, when all they need to do is read their T&C's fully, take their own readings (NOT leaving it for months on end, then whining when a large bill comes in) and SUBMIT them to their supplier which is now so easy to do, there's NO REAL EXCUSE ............... or just speak to their supplier if they think there's a problem?

As PRICES go UP, so will our Direct Debits ...................... as it's unreasonably to expect the Energy Suppliers to work out every DD increase INDIVIDUALLY .............. they work on the law of averages and put the DD up accordingly.

IF you do not use as much energy as the AVERAGE, of course your Account Balance will become in CREDIT and when this happens, you simply call your supplier ................ and SORT IT OUT.

At the end of the day, you pay for what you use ............. if your in credit and on a tight budget, you simply CHECK your account & balance more often ...........? After all, your on the internet now .......... so it's easy to check your account online EVERY DAY if you so wished!

Poppycat

I find taking readings monthly actually makes you appreciate the costs of energy more in your usage. I input the readings into excel and now try and guess what next months reading is and trying and get it down a little

ScoobyCanDo

Poppycat wrote: »

I find taking readings monthly actually makes you appreciate the costs of energy more in your usage. I input the readings into excel and now try and guess what next months reading is and trying and get it down a little

SPOT-ON

At last someone with some common sense ......... Keep an eye on your own readings and big bills with never creep up on you.

Well done Poppycat:T

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Scooby:cool:

Poppycat

Well thats what I hope for only takes me 15 minutes max per month with taking 3 readings and inputting it into excel and online

Kevstir

was stung with this myself when we moved in 2 years ago, first time buyers so bit naive.

phoned them up to get the account setup, was told (april)it would be £45 a month for gas and elec, i thought this was to low but they assured me it was correct, i asked them to check again as we weren't wanting to get stung months down the line, again was told £45 is what you pay,

well

7 months (nov) down the line we get a a new bill in and the dd was going to be £140 a month, when i phoned them it went down to £127 and stuck like that for about 6 month, its we are now at £91 a month.

should be going down though as we got a new boiler 4 weeks ago, gas usage has went from 18 units a week to 10

Kev