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Scottish Power customers: watch out

Donna Werbner
by Lovemoney Staff Donna Werbner on 21 September 2009  |  Comments 12 comments

Donna Werbner explains why she hates Scottish Power and how they tried to trick her!

There's nothing I hate more than a company that tries to trick me into a rip-off, ridiculously expensive deal, while pretending they're doing me a big favour.

So I wasn't impressed when I got an email from Scottish Power a few weeks ago, announcing that my fixed rate tariff was coming to an end on the 1st September and because I was "an important customer", I would be automatically moved onto a "great new deal".

This "great new deal", I discovered when I checked it using lovemoney.com's online energy comparison tool, wasn't so great - in fact, it would have cost me over £200 a year more than the cheapest tariff I could get (from E.ON).

But that wasn't the worst of it. Oh no.

Small print

Buried deep in this casual email that Scottish Power sent me was the following line: "There may be a cancellation charge if you decide to end the new deal early."

Hold on a second.

So, on the 1st September, Scottish Power was going to automatically move me onto a more expensive tariff, and then if I decided to switch my tariff after that, they were going to charge me £50!

Yup, that's right - £50!

And the reason it said that there may be a cancellation charge? I checked the small print. The charge applies from 30th September 2009. That's how they got away with putting 'may'. Because they were ever-so-generously giving me 30 days to switch, penalty-free, from a tariff I didn't choose in the first place.

What a nightmare

If I'd ignored the email, I'd have been none the wiser about their plans. By the time my dramatically increased bill arrived, I'd have been faced with that £50 charge to switch.

Personally I find this appalling. And I wanted to warn all of you about it. If any lovemoney.com readers are with Scottish Power, specifically on the Fixed Price Energy Offer which ended on 31st August, then take note. You have only a few days left to switch without penalty to another provider.

After that, you can still switch without penalty to a different Scottish Power tariff, but you may find you're much better off switching to another provider. I certainly was.

And even if I hadn't been, I would have been tempted to switch anyway after realising how tricky and sneaky Scottish Power can be. Shame on them!

Compare energy tariffs at lovemoney.com

 

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Comments (12)

  • Signum3001
    Love rating 0
    Signum3001 said

    I'm with Scottish Power and a slightly different tac, I received a letter today informing Me My d/d was increasing from £70 pm to £119 pm!! To avoid debt building up. I asked them how come the increase, for the winter they said. How do they know how much I'll use?? I was told based on the National Database, for last winter, this was the amount required. I wasn't in this house last winter and it was empty for four months prior to April. The thermostat was set to "frost" to stop the pipes freezing and prevent the heating coming on. The meters were read at the beginning of June. This is all under the guise of a 3 month review. I signed up 17/7/09 and the letter is dated 24/9/09, which isnt 3 months!! I spoke to The Consumer Council on this and they've suggested using a s/o, giving them meter readings and asking them to reduce the d/d. It would appear as consumers we're being asked to pay not only for expensive gas and electric but up front based on data that has no correlation with the property, the people living there(I have 2 open fire places to use) or the weather. I dont like paying for something I don't use. These companies should read the meters more than once a year and not estimate bills by doubling what you actually use. I may well be switching to anybody else

    Report on 26 September 2009  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • Smokey
    Love rating 0
    Smokey said

    I now don't even bother with the 'Big 6'. Last year BBC's watchdog program suggested a look at smaller independent companies ( also in last weeks program) which I did, and you know what, it's one of the best moves I ever made! I've got one of the best deals going. I saved £658 last year, more than all my family members. You don't have to go through all the rigmarole of changing suppliers, stay put and just change the account manager, simple. The Discount club I've joined do not advertise, they work by recommendations (as you can see i now tell everyone) so they don't force advertising or dept cost on to you. It costs nothing, you simply fill in a form and they do the rest. And if you join the discount club, you get access to a vast range of other offers available. I strongly recommend checking it out. You have nothing to lose (But money).

    Report on 04 October 2009  |  Love thisLove  0 loves

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