Winter warning - check your payments!

[SaltnVinegar]

Hi All

Just a word of warning as we are halfway through the winter season.........

I check my electricity balance and payments online towards the end of each month and there is a good reason for that which has just been proven correct.

Scottish Power decided to 're-assess' my energy usage and increased my DD payment by almost £60/month, without informing me, and even if they had informed me it would have been in breach of the DD Guarantee which states that I am meant to be given 10 working days notice.

I have contacted them, and they have had to concede that they have not given me enough notice and returned the payment to the original amount.

However, had I not been on the ball, and spotted that they had adjusted the payment, I would have been £60 out of pocket this week, which would have had a devastating impact as it would have caused other DD's to bounce. I appreciate that the DD Guarantee would have protected me, but you can imagine the hassle contacting my bank to get the money and charges refunded.

So warning to everyone - get online and check what your payments are set to and check them regularly. It would appear that Scottish Power think that they are above the DD Guarantee and can just change payments to what they like, when they like.

Best
SnV

[helmsman]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

Hi All

Just a word of warning as we are halfway through the winter season.........

I check my electricity balance and payments online towards the end of each month and there is a good reason for that which has just been proven correct.

Scottish Power decided to 're-assess' my energy usage and increased my DD payment by almost £60/month, without informing me, and even if they had informed me it would have been in breach of the DD Guarantee which states that I am meant to be given 10 working days notice.

I have contacted them, and they have had to concede that they have not given me enough notice and returned the payment to the original amount.

However, had I not been on the ball, and spotted that they had adjusted the payment, I would have been £60 out of pocket this week, which would have had a devastating impact as it would have caused other DD's to bounce. I appreciate that the DD Guarantee would have protected me, but you can imagine the hassle contacting my bank to get the money and charges refunded.

So warning to everyone - get online and check what your payments are set to and check them regularly. It would appear that Scottish Power think that they are above the DD Guarantee and can just change payments to what they like, when they like.

Best
SnV

A good reason not to pay by DD.

[ScabHunter]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

That is just malicious and insane. What possible reason is there for behaving like that? I can understand why it may be necessary to increase the payment from time to time, but why on Earth would you not tell the consumer?

If you tell them, they could choose to change supplier. But, if you don't tell them, the type of chaos which is described here could easily ensue, resulting in formal complaints to the CEO, a report to the Energy Ombudsman, and a seriously angry consumer who will be far more determined to change even if the alternative tariff is not cheaper.

I would find out which is the cheapest tariff in your area. If it is not Scortish Power, change suppliers and let them know exactly why. If they are the cheapest, it is still worth a formal complaint as they have clearly acted unreasonably if not unlawfully.

SH

[The Tech Clerk]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

Scottish Power did that to me years ago, and I incurred charges from the Bank as I use to deposit enough per month for DDs, hence I left that company years ago.

Complain to them? well you can try?

[5corpio]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

i dont use DD on energy = dont understand why anyone does

[pompeyfaith]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

I dont use DD on anything it is an open bank account to them. if I can't pay to my own choosing I don't buy simple as.

[helmsman]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

I dont use DD on anything it is an open bank account to them. if I can't pay to my own choosing I don't buy simple as.

Me tooI am with SP also, keep whinging about payments (I send them money every month) enough to cover the bill when it arrives sometimes a few £ short then they tell me I cant move as I owe them.

[SaltnVinegar]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

That is just malicious and insane. What possible reason is there for behaving like that? I can understand why it may be necessary to increase the payment from time to time, but why on Earth would you not tell the consumer?

If you tell them, they could choose to change supplier. But, if you don't tell them, the type of chaos which is described here could easily ensue, resulting in formal complaints to the CEO, a report to the Energy Ombudsman, and a seriously angry consumer who will be far more determined to change even if the alternative tariff is not cheaper

Complain to them? well you can try?

I think I may just raise a formal complaint, it was a blatant breach of the DD Scheme and its Guarantee, and if I hadn't have logged in when I did to check my account then they money would have been taken leaving me short.

i dont use DD on energy = dont understand why anyone does

I dont use DD on anything it is an open bank account to them. if I can't pay to my own choosing I don't buy simple as.

Me too.

Completely understand the sentiments. Unfortunately I had to agree to pay by DD for Scottish Power to agree to a payment arrangement when I fell into arrears a couple of years ago.

This is the second time they have done this to me in 18 months, but fortunately another couple of months and I won't be in arrears so I will go back to paying my leccy quarterly.

What SP have done is basically calculated my annual consumption using the most expensive bills, as opposed to using summer figures.

Their response was that they now review customers consumption very quarter and adjust the DD accordingly, but if thats the case then we are effectively being billed quarterly but paying upfront!

Its just frustrating that its yet another company/industry that you have to watch like hawks for behaving improperly/immorally/unlawfully.

[The Tech Clerk]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

Or they may of started which SSC seem to be doing basing the DD on 3 monthly bill ( to get most paid off) as I found they are doing, they ask me to pay more than the required amount which would be lower over the year they forecast.

This means I have to pay an extra £7.00 a week, they state they only agree to 3 monthly arrangement, also I have had the facility taken away because I happened to pay the odd amount of a bill and not just the basic payment, a computer does not see it is an over payment and treats it as a broken agreement amount.

[SaltnVinegar]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

Or they may of started which SSC seem to be doing basing the DD on 3 monthly bill ( to get most paid off) as I found they are doing, they ask me to pay more than the required amount which would be lower over the year they forecast.

This means I have to pay an extra £7.00 a week, they state they only agree to 3 monthly arrangement, also I have had the facility taken away because I happened to pay the odd amount of a bill and not just the basic payment, a computer does not see it is an over payment and treats it as a broken agreement amount.

You could be right.

Well if thats the case then I may as well pay my bills quarterly as there is no financial benefit to me paying by DD.

The whole point is that your costs are spread evenly over 12 months. If they are going to fluctuate up/down (mainly up) every three months then I see no point in paying by DD for the pathetic amount of money it saves me every year for the privilege of overpaying them so they can accrue a positive balance (been there not doing it again!).

[helmsman]

Re: Winter warning - check your payments!

Just had an e mail from Booking.com our credit card was missing start date please send all C/C details again to ensure our hotel is booked. Well we must be going on holiday then, pity I havnt booked anything and I dont have a credit card either.