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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Scottish power are in the wrong

43 replies

Alreadytaken23 · 06/01/2020 20:09

Before I start I want to say I’m not looking for money or the likes. ( a bottle of vodka maybe lol)

We are a family of 5 2 adults and 3 kids 7 4 6m. I stay in a new build 2 bed flat. We don’t have gas only electric. Recently I have been putting 50+ into the key and it’s only been lasting a week at the most. We have stopped putting the heater to help but it’s still going up. I don’t know what to do:( we cannot afford this anymore

OP posts:
Patte · 06/01/2020 20:52

Have you seen your bill? I was overcharged by them due to an admin error where they thought I had a debt on the meter but I didn't, and they ended up owing me £500 before they admitted it. It also took a good deal of persistence (I'm lucky that DH has lots of that) to get the money back.

dementedpixie · 06/01/2020 20:53

You need to be on an economy 7 tariff with storage heaters. They are designed to charge the heaters overnight and then release heat during the day so you need to understand how they work and what settings to use at night and during the day.

You shouldn't keep an immersion heater running for hours either as that is also very expensive.

Elieza · 06/01/2020 20:56

Go on martins money tips website and look at the cheapest monthly direct debit tariffs. They used to ALWAYS be cheaper than keys or cards. I don’t know if that’s still the same.

I would also check with my neighbours what their bills are like. You’d hate to hear they aren’t being billed and you are being billed a lot so could you be wired up wrongly and paying for theirs...?

I think that you could also read what the meter is at and calculate how many units have been used in a specific time period and see if that sounds right. If your heating or water heater is on all day it will be dear.

Electric is always dearer than gas so no point in those with gas (like me) giving their monthly spend, as it will have no comparison to leccy only.

schoolcats · 06/01/2020 20:58

£50 per week for all electric is lower than national household average so without knowing more details, it’s impossible to know.

We do need more details but I am surprised it is below the national household average, I am with Scottish Power and pay £60 a month for gas and electric and am £300 in credit at the moment. In part that is due to the winter fuel allowance of £140 that I get as that has just been paid but that's still £160 in credit that I have paid in.

dementedpixie · 06/01/2020 21:03

Its pointless comparing a gas and electric household with an electric only property as they are using electricity for heating which is much more expensive than gas

HoneysuckIejasmine · 06/01/2020 21:31

Wow, I didn't realise it was so much more expensive! Thank you, pp. I know rurally it's hard to get mains supply but as OP said it was new build I'm really shocked they've not put gas in. I guess builders profit margins wouldn't allow it. Sad (My village had a major road out closed for 6 months whilst they installed new gas mains for the new development going up)

Lambingseason · 06/01/2020 22:11

Had endless problems with both SSE and Scottish Power. Switched to another supplier for my gas and electric last month

Original poster
Alreadytaken23 · 07/01/2020 02:06

We rent from the housing and I’ve had a look at there website and they have fuel advisory where someone comes out so will call tomorrow and see what then. We no longer use the heating so can’t be that

OP posts:
Original poster
Alreadytaken23 · 07/01/2020 14:47

Finally something positive. We’ve been on the day rate including at night so because our storage heaters go on at night that’s why

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 07/01/2020 14:55

Do they have you on an economy 7 tariff and charging you the wrong rate or have they put you on the wrong tariff completely?

ThunderboltandLightning · 07/01/2020 15:03

DH is in the process of taking Scottish Power to ombudsman/court over billing errors for an unoccupied property with no boiler in it that they are trying to say used £600 of gas in 6 months while only using about £3 of electricity. They have sent about 10 different bills for various amounts, none the same, including a final bill showing him in credit. And then they have put a charge on the property so his credit rating has been damaged and screwed his ability to remortgage it which is now costing us thousands. Scottish Power are shit.

BarbaraofSeville · 07/01/2020 15:03

Sounds like you're getting somewhere - make sure they recalculate your bill and return any overpayment.

You can still switch suppliers when renting and it's always worth doing a comparison at least once a year to make sure you're on the best deal for your circumstances plus check if you're eligible for any help if on a low income or entitled to benefits. Also check if you can switch to a normal meter, as this is also cheaper too.

Electricity-only is more expensive, as is prepay, but it shouldn't be more than double the gas and electric/direct debit tariffs, especially for a new build flat, which should have good insulation.

safariboot · 07/01/2020 15:24

Check that the meter is not set to recover a debt. Even in a new build the power company could fuck up the meter settings.

As mentioned, storage heaters are designed for use with Economy 7/10 tarrifs. On a normal tarrif electric heating is expensive, unless it's a well-chosen heat pump system.

£50 a week is £2600 a year. That seems extortionate for a small flat. It's over double the average dual-fuel bill - an average that includes large detached houses.

Gas boilers are discouraged in new builds, with plans to make that law by 2025. So chances are this will only become an issue for more and more people. Efficient electric heating requires well-chosen quality equipment - for the builder it's cheaper to do something naff because they won't be the ones paying the inflated bills that result.

PettyContractor · 07/01/2020 16:50

Its pointless comparing a gas and electric household with an electric only property as they are using electricity for heating which is much more expensive than gas

Is another issue that if you have to top-up using a key that you will have much higher bills in winter, the people on direct debit have their bills smoothed across the year. So they pay in summer towards their heating usage in winter?

Mrshue · 07/01/2020 16:56

Storage heaters cost a fortune!!!! My old flat was £200 a month for them

My 6 bedroom 4 floors detached house is around £140 a month.

That’s how expensive they are.

mencken · 07/01/2020 17:01

OP has solved the problem - was paying the expensive economy 7 day rate all the time, hence the huge bill. Unclear whether it is a faulty meter or just not on economy 7 at all.

further actions:

  • try for economy 10
  • read up how to use storage heaters
  • ensure that the prepay meters were zeroed on move in, so you aren't paying someone else's debt

storage heaters cost no more than any other electric heater to heat up.

  • find out exactly when the cheaper rate times are and maximise use of heat-generating appliances in those times.
Original poster
Alreadytaken23 · 07/01/2020 18:23

So it was a meter fault. Last year I lost my key and got a new one which is when they think caused the error. I’ve called them 7 times within a year.
They said I will be refunded but I’m not holding my breath. I’m also going to switch and complain

OP posts:
Trewser · 07/01/2020 18:30

Its pointless comparing a gas and electric household with an electric only property as they are using electricity for heating which is much more expensive than gas

Yes, all the posts talking about gas and electric are annoying. Completely different.

Op, I've switched to Bulb from Scottish Power and I'm saving 85 a month on my electricity bill!

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