Add your feedback on energy supplier Scottish Power

TBagpuss · 30 June 2014 at 4:19PM

I had an awful time with Scottish Power when I moved house. They were incredibly slow to send a final billed, didn't respond to any e-mails until I stated tweeting about their crap service, and also merged my account with that of the new occupants so I could see their e-mails (complaining they had not been sent any information about their new account, and incidentally letting me see their email addresses and mobile numbers) and they, presumably could see mine.

When I complained, the first thing the said was that they wouldn't pay any compensation (I pointed out to them that I had not, in fact, asked for compensation, what I was after was finding out how badly they had breached the data protection rules, and how they proposed to fix it, and to try to get my account closed)

I moved at the start of April. They didn't manage to get a final bill sorted until the middle of June, after a lot of chasing, and I'm still waiting on an explanation for the data protection SNAFU. Fortunately, my buyers are not bad people, but having had a really bad experience once before as the victim of harassment, I am very cautious about who I give my details to.
I shall be steering well clear of Scottish Power in the future.

saf7670 · 30 June 2014 at 6:11PM

I am a Scottish power customer and this year had nothing but problems with them.

First problem was difficulty in getting them to repay a credit balance, eventually received after 2 months of complaining and hassle.
They then did a review of my usage and advised that I was on the best available tariff and if my usage stayed the same for the year would actually show a reduction in my annual bill, This looked great and with the only visible downside is I am locked with them till 2015.
Only 2 months after this review, they without any consultation increased my direct debit payments by 235%.
I then spent almost a week trying to get through to customer services, telephone calls repeatedly being automatically terminated by their systems. Whilst emails were being ignored. When I did get through to customer services they claimed they couldn't hear me properly and terminated the call !

Eventually after 5 days and over 150 telephone calls, managed to speak to someone,
the customer adviser looked at my account, and confirmed that my account has been in credit every month for last 5 years ! And I have received a refund of around £200 of this credit every year, showing my direct debit covers usage. They then couldn't then explain how if I am on a fixed tariff how their system decided I needed to increase my direct debit payment by 235%.
I was then advised that computer errors had been changing direct debits.
I was then told that my direct debit would be returned to original amount.
Now a week later I have received a further email advising that they have again reviewed and changed my direct debit, saying a message has been sent however I now find their website , my account, and the message they have sent me inaccessible! so I have no idea what the new direct debit payments will be.

What is obvious to me is
1. If they reviewed my account and put me on the best fixed tariff that according to the adviser would reduce my annual bill.
Then a 235% increase in my direct debit would indicate I was either miss sold when signed to tariff.
Or
Scottish Power are deliberately increasing direct debit payments so that they build up ever increasing credit balances, and subsequently earn interest on this. All at customers expense.

Hazzinho · 30 June 2014 at 7:25PM

On the phone 45 mins to set up my account when I moved, no correspondence, saw the account no on my DD. Registered online, my address was completely wrong, 6 months later and numerous complaints and I've still not made a payment and my account is still corrupt. DD is always £0 and no readings are registered, gave up ringing them, my bill will be huge. Worse than BG which I thought was impossible.

POLAR_BILL · 1 July 2014 at 1:21PM

AMG762 wrote: »

If you call them it is possible for them to change the tariff the same day. This is what they did for me. It showed on my online account the following day.

Thank you. Today I phoned them and got the call back system which worked. A very polite man checked my account and said it was changed over on the next day after I changed on line even though it doesn't show as such on my on line account. So that was a good result.

SnowMan · 2 July 2014 at 9:43AM

Scottish Power's callback system is a complete joke.

When you fill in the details to get a callback they do call you back, but when you pick up the phone it just goes to muzak and you get put on hold for ever. How long I would have been on hold who knows because I put the phone down after 10 minutes.

Surely they should call back a customer only when they have someone available to speak to them.

Scottish Power have been refusing to pass on my closing meter readings to Npower, they say they wait until just before 6 weeks after the transfer date (which will be nearly 7 weeks after I supplied them to Scottish Power).

In the meantime Npower are threatening to pass my account on to a debt collection agency, this is despite my account being in credit, and what needs to happen is for me to be sent a final bill which should show after allowing for usage since the last bill that my final account is about £2 in credit or debit.

DON79 · 2 July 2014 at 6:51PM

I have been on the phone 45 minutes and unable to get through, requested a call back and the earliest I can get one is 9.35am on Monday morning, though having read Snowman's post above, not holding my breath for that one!

My problem is that we have been living in our house since April, they have not collected any payments since we moved in despite my contacting them twice to check everything was ok with the direct debit.

It seems when you want to give them money, they won't take it! until they probably send us debt collectors. Not that that would do them much good since they had our correspondence address for somewhere in bracknell when we are living in Scotland. Some poor guy is going to get my debt collector visit lol! Never lived in or near Bracknell!

So I will be asking questions about data protection IF i get a call back as well.

DON79 · 2 July 2014 at 7:23PM

Hazzinho wrote: »

On the phone 45 mins to set up my account when I moved, no correspondence, saw the account no on my DD. Registered online, my address was completely wrong, 6 months later and numerous complaints and I've still not made a payment and my account is still corrupt. DD is always £0 and no readings are registered, gave up ringing them, my bill will be huge. Worse than BG which I thought was impossible.

This is almost word for word what my issues are!

saintscouple · 3 July 2014 at 7:13AM

I'm going to move from Scottish Power, had a number of problems and their grammar and spelling on correspondence is terrible. Spent 3 months trying to resolve a billing problem and got nowhere so had to raise it with Ofgem, that was back in February this year and took till June for Ofgem to work it all out and decide in my favor. The result was the Scottish Power should provide me with a letter of apology, rectify and provide me with correct statement of account, and a GOGW payment within 28 days. So though that was sorted, but here we are 30 days later and nothing. I raised the initial complaint back in November last year, here we are in July, 8 months later and still not resolved. Fed up now. Seems Scottish Power don't listen to their customers, but also not adhere to Ofgem instructions.

imho · 3 July 2014 at 9:47AM

After filling in the Ombudsman complaint form they have now mailed me back saying they cant help me till i get a complaint number.No where on the form did it have a box to put in complaint number.
I called up SP Tuesday for a complaint number and was told they will sort out the on going problems of DD of nil nil for my gas and electric and call me back the next day. No call the next day so i had to call them and just asked again for the complaint number and actuality got it.
My problems have been going on for 1 year now.
This cant be a software problem on the new system they put in as that was put in 1 year ago.Plus seems strange Npower has the same problems.

Lindagreenacre · 3 July 2014 at 4:03PM

cifpower wrote: »

I have never had any major problems with SP. Easy to contact via email, phone or twitter. Their online service is great and the tariff i chose last year was very cheap. Alas it ends in May

I tried to contact SP this week and spent over 50 mins. on the phone before somebody answered and asked me what my query was then put me on hold for another 47 mins., then I could hear a female speaking to someone and my line went dead. I have had several tries, including one when I gave up after 69 mins. with no human answering. Their call back system is not working. They have no available slots added to all the other issues that I have with SP, it seems as if the company is in meltdown.

Add your feedback on energy supplier Scottish Power

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