Scottish Power: Debt & Other Issues - Info Needed

[ChasingMyTail]

Hi I was hoping that a Scottish Power rep could get back to me. I'm really utterly frustrated at the moment and would like to speak to someone about this directly.

 

Long story short,

I was put onto prepayment meters for both gas and electric, with a view of having my arrears paid from the credit I put on.

I am not in work but receive a reduced JSA payment owing to other debts [money being taken off for Fuel Direct].

 

Since switching to PPM, I have been written to saying that my gas meter wasn't set at the correct rate of debt collection, so they're increasing the amount of repayment.

That would be fine except I have ALWAYS been debited something when I put on credit and it's definitely not for emergency credit.

 

The person who issued the warrant said that if I could pay back the arrears in a year, they'd change my meters back to credit ones

- I have even less of a chance of doing so now because of their mistake.

Additionally, I can't check to see how much money I still owe in debt on the LED screen on my gas meter, when I can on my electric one. Is this normal?

 

My next issue has been quite an odd one. I receive statements showing how my debt repayment is progressing, outstanding amount, finish date etc etc,

but I am sent TWO for my electric account and the gas one is missing entirely. Again, why am I not being sent up to date info on my gas account?

 

Another issue is that a meter reader from Scottish Power attended the property after I had the prepayment meters installed,

however the person addressed me as someone else - called me another name, to my face and went to read the meter anyway.

 

I think it must have been a previous tenant because I still get letters addressed to her every so often.

I did email SP at the time to ask why this had happened and I never received a satisfactory answer to this.

In fact, they didn't address this point at all. Why is someone else's details being used with my account?

 

And lastly, could I please get some details on the 'Debt Assignment process', what it entails, how to go about it.

I am hopefully moving in with my partner and won't be responsible for having bills in my name there,

I'll just be contributing when something needs paying.

 

Obviously I don't want to default on repaying what I owe, so how would I work it?

 

Similarly, as the meters at my current property were changed to PPM's under warrant/against my and my landlord's wishes,

will they return them back to credit meters for the following tenants free of charge?

 

I was never offered any other alternative means of paying for the debt, and would have rather had a PPM for my current use and repaid the debt amount via DD each week/month.

 

Any info would be great.

 

~ CMT

[IdaInFife]

Hi CMT

 

I have alerted the sp rep to your thread to see if you can get some answers

 

but with it being the weekend it may not be until Monday x

[45002]

 

Similarly, as the meters at my current property were changed to PPM's under warrant/against my and my landlord's wishes,

 

 

 

~ CMT

 

Afraid you can't stopped them fitting PPM with a valid warrant !

 

You do realizes that you will end up paying for the cost of the warrant and fitting of PPM.

 

The meters don't belong to LL anyway,they belong to utilities supplier tenants and LL are free to change suppliers under normal circumstances.

 

Let the next tenant/LL worry about the meters if you ever move out...

Edited March 3, 2013 by 45002

[ChasingMyTail]

Let the next tenant/LL worry about the meters if you ever move out...

 

I'm fairly certain doing that sort of thing is what puts LL off of renting to DSS tenants... then again, I suppose debt and having to change meters probably does go with the territory of taking on DSS tenants too. AFAIK, SP charge £60 per PP meter to have it put back to a credit one... that or they can refuse to do entirely and subject the next tenant to credit checks and possibly even asking for a holding fee until they can prove they're not going to run up a huge bill before switching them over. If the LL has to either pay out in order to get another tenant in [most people would run at the prospect of being on PP meter in my experience] or find that his selection of tenants has decreased due to there being PP meters at the property, then he's going to do his crunch at me. And it certainly isn't fair on the new tenant to be asked to foot the bill, especially if they've got good credit Similarly, I can't immediately come up with £120 to switch them back before leaving. So I am in a bit of a predicament here.

 

I did initially try to sort out a repayment plan that I could afford, but they'd already written the warrant and apparently couldn't stop the action on it when I rang them to arrange repaying them. I know that I'm paying for both the fitting of the meter and being served the warrant - clearly says it's an extra £200 onto my outstanding debt. I know that's what they do, but for the life of me can't understand why and how they think giving someone in debt *more* cost is going to help the situation. Ditto leaving the issue until such a high level of debt has been accrued before installing PP meters when they obviously had the power and means to do so at *any* stage. I'm not blameless but it doesn't seem right to go about it this way, especially considering the company presents itself as 'fair'.

 

Still waiting for SP rep to get back to me though...

 

~ CMT

Edited March 6, 2013 by ChasingMyTail
Missed a connecting part of a sentence and it made no sense. Sorry >_<

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi CMT sorry for the delay in responding. Please e-mail us at [email protected] (no spaces) and we will look into this for you. Thanks David