Underestimated Bill - need some help please...

blue_monkey_2

Hi,

To cut it short, I signed up with Scottish Power 3 years ago (come December 1st). I paid £60 per month by DD with the agreement of any under/overpayment would be dealt with every 12 months when my account was looked at. I have been having my meter read or submitting my readings but still the bills came in estimated every time so I was having to call them and tell them.

Back in April they decided that I had (finally) been underpaying and that I was to pay £148 for the next 12 months from May. This month they changed their mind and I have been told I have to pay £252 from November 1st - debt is now (with this quarter) £524 - my 'average' usage is £102 per month (we have no gas, not disputing this as we used to pay this to Powergen). After a call from the rude woman at the call centre who told me I could pay it 'today', she told me this was the new agreement - even though they told me I would be paying £148 for a year, (£148 per month less £102 usage leaves £46 per month x 12 months to pay the debt) whether I liked it or not. I told her I had been giving my readings, she told me she knew as she had them in front of her. I asked her why we were in this situation then - of course, she had no answer.

Thing is, they have taken £252 from this month instead of next month. I tried to call SP but no answer so called EnergyWatch who have advised me that they have been incompetant with their billing and I should be expected to pay the debt over the time I have been with them (ie 3 years - personally I think this is too long as I want the debt cleared) and I should be entitled to a bill reduction and/or financial recompense because it was their screw up (forgot to say) I have been calling to get it sorted out each quarter but they always said 'well sort it out at the agreed time (after 12 months)'. they have been carp at getting it sorted. EW have told me I have to give them 10 days to sort it out and then they will get involved and take the claim for me.

I have to write a letter and wondered if anyone could give me some advice as to what to put in it. They have told me I need to mention they have been incpetant but I really need to have it in the post tomorrow but want to make sure my wording is correct and wondered if I could have some advice from someone.

Please do not think I am disputing the bill - I am not, I am disputing they demand payment and up my bill almost £200 in the space of 4 months when I have 2 kids under 3 to support as well - whether I can oafford it is not the issue, the principle of them taking the money from my account when they feel like it and without telling me is when I already had an agreement - surely this amounts to theft or are we tied with having the DD agreement, even though they did not state they are taking the money from this month. For all they knew I was living on £50 a week and there was not even any help offered . Their attitude stinks and I'll be well rid.

Any pointers gratfully accepted, if you want me to explain more then please ask, I wanted to keep it brief (kind of!!). Thanks.

Rest assured I'll be looking for someone else to supply my electricity service from now on - anyone know of anyone who has some sort of customer service these days??

matrix999

What a carry on...Hope you get things sorted out.

I use Scottish Hydro Electric for my Electricity and Gas and find them very efficent to deal with. They also have a free 0800 number for Customer Service.

Robert5988

I believe the 'legal' position with Direct Debits is that, as long as they notify you in advance, they can take what money they are owed. Fixed Payments(say for an HP agreement) would be a Standing Order.

Obviously, as EW suggest, it is reasonable for you to expect to pay off the debt over a year or more, or even get them to write off some part of the debt, as they have been culpable.

I would simply write and say that despite you have regularly supplied meter readings for the last 3 years, you have continually received estimated bills and your Direct Debit remained at 60 pounds. This has led to a large debt and they have now increased your direct debit massively to 252 pounds this month without prior notification.

That you believe this situation has been brought about solely by Scottish Power's imis-management of your account and you wish them to re-assess your case.

paul_h

I think Robert5988 is right - when you agree to direct debit, you also agree that they can vary the amount by giving you prior notice. You can cancel the direct debit, but then the whole debt would then become due immediately.

The only thing I can add to the above is to stress in the letter that you are happy to continue with the existing overpayment of £148 pm until the debt is repaid.

If you don't have any joy with them, you may have to go back to energywatch and make an official complaint.

Incidentally, there are complaint statistics on the energywatch site here which may help you select a new supplier when the time comes. Scottish and Southern Energy Group always seem to come out well, by happy coincidence their 'Atlantic E&G' company also worked out the cheapest for me. According to the energywatch site, their billing complaints are currently running at about one tenth of my previous supplier's, Powergen!

blue_monkey_2

Hi all, many thanks for your help on this. I have the letter writen but wanted to make sure that I included as many terms as possible to get it 'right' I think it easy to get to carried away and rant when you are involved so wanted an outsider opinion.

You have been great, I'll get this letter written and thanks for the advice on switching - it is the first thing on my list to do!! I'd pay to today if it was not for the fact of their damn nerve of asking me to pay it there and then when I called to question the direct debit amount rising so much. I hate the way they assume we all have loads of money to throw around for their mistakes - even better if I can get a reduction on the bill so I will hang out for this and make sure I do not pay it all too quickly just incase. When the woman asked me to pay today I said 'hold on, back in sec, I'll just go get it off the money tree at the bottom of my garden' LOL. Probably went down well.

Just a thought that maybe they have started taking this huge amount so they cannot cannot give me any reduction, if I do not owe anything and the bill is paid within 3 months - this then leaves me paying £150 a month over when they estimate my annual usuage is for 4 months giving them £600 of my money - well they can stick that where the sun doen't shine!! I wonder how many people fall into the trap of paying there an then.

Thanks again.