Richlist Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I have an empty property that is being sold.......sale completion takes place this week. Well, the last tenants moved out on 8th February, I contacted Scottish Power (by email) with electric meter readings on 9th February......that's 19 + weeks ago. I haven't received a single piece of communication from them......how do they manage to stay in business ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Sorry I got that slightly wrong:- * Tenants moved out Feb 8th * I supplied meter readings Feb 10th by email * I received automated response from Scottish power Feb 11th....saying they would respond within 5 days * No response received/ no communication of any kind received since....electricity still supplied & being used. Anyone know how they stay in business.....there must be lots of firms wanting to know how they do it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortitia Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I've got shares in that lot and they seem to do OK but they are not the only utility company that don't respond. I got sooo fed up with trying to phone in meter readings (where you need to speak to an operator) with Southern Electric (actually same company as RL is complaining about I think) that I set up a template letter and sent them in. After 6 weeks I did get a bill so they did get the letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I think Southern Electric are a different company to Scottish Power. In fact I have just transferred my own home energy supplier from Southern Electric to Spark....USwitch showed them to be considerably cheaper and keeping my castle in Essex warm at an affordable cost during the winter is no mean feat. With Scottish Power I'm just gonna email the final meter reading over at completion and wait to see if a bill arrives but I have no confidence in their ability to manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Yes, had to phone them yesterday with a meter reading of a departing tenant ,after 30 minutes of waiting in the queue the phone cut off only to redial and join the bottom of the queue again , if this is the way its going I welcome smart meters as I wont have to phone . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Well I think I'd still want to read the meter on moving in/ moving out day, record it, email the energy supplier and receive a confirmation that they received the communication. Just imagine not doing any of that and the resulting FUN you might have trying to resolve an argument with the energy supplier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carryon Regardless Posted July 3, 2014 Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 So far I haven't had too much problem ringing in the readings. Where a new T looks to be less than efficient I have been known to ring as them, a DOB is needed but I have that. Recently at my 'flat 2' empty now for a month or so due to local activities a letter arrived to occupier from Spark Energy Company. It transpires that a local agent I have no dealings with has transferred the account to them. As this one is the dreaded top up key I am refusing to acknowledge their authority to supply (comms by email) and continue to use the old key. Spark give a £15 thank you to those transferring to them so we can see the incentive for this agent. What gets me is as owners we aren't consulted or even informed of a change of supplier but we can become responsible to that supplier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted July 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 Surely that breaks some rule somewhere & possibly a law. Report it ..... 1. To the police 2. To the Trading Standards dept of your local council 3. To any trade body that these agents belong to...... Some one will be very interested in their behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carryon Regardless Posted July 3, 2014 Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 I have emailed Spark to request they restore the account to the former supplier, even though I cannot be sure they are able. I have considered contacting the agents to investigate further but this is extra aggro for me and I find more and more of my life is taken up by the actions of abusers so I hang back more and try to transfer the responsibility. My threat has been to involve the authorities due to my perception of fraud, in truth though some flimsy excuse from who ever and I end up just wasting more of my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian_S Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 EON are just the same! They stay in business because they are all just as hopeless as one another and so they all are of the lowest common denominator, or should that be highest common factor? - my maths is poor! I've just had an estimated bill for a flat despite new tenants moving in on the 9th June and me having informed them of a meter reading. So I have to make yet another long-winded call talking to some brain dead girl who could scarcely use the English language, and even then I had to be put through to the 'Home Moves Team' and explain the whole effing debacle a third time. They must deal with dozens and dozens of these things on a daily basis, how they can be so utterly incompetent is beyond me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 I have switched to a smaller 'green' supplier, with no communication problems so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian_S Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 I've used OVO in the past, call centre is in Bristol and they have been good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melboy Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 I've used OVO in the past, call centre is in Bristol and they have been good. Only last year there was a hot topic on the West Country news about OVO call centre problems. I guess it is all down to personal experience...........good or bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 The Saga with Scottish Power continues.......read on: So, my property has now been sold and on completion day I took the electric meter readings and emailed them along with the new owners details to Scottish Power. I requested a final invoice. What happened next ?..........Scottish Power said that the meter readings were totally wrong and didn't correspond with their readings taken in May. They asked me to check again and send a PHOTOGRAPH of the meter. Well, that's a new one on me. Fortunately the meter box is outside the property. So, the following day I visited the property with my camera, the new owners were out and amazingly the meter readings had not changed so I took the photographs clearly showing the meter serial number & the readings. I emailed it to Scottish Power Now when this ends up in court, as I suspect it may: * I have my email sent on 8th Feb and their confirmation of receipt.....when I took over responsibility for electricity consumption. * I have my email sent on 11th July & their confirmation of receipt.......when the property was sold * I have my photograph of the meter & their confirmation of receipt. I'm looking forward to WINNING ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carryon Regardless Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Winning? As usual we are caused loads o' hassle, time and effort lost for ever. But good luck I hope you can smack their botties in some way. My little situation with Spark Energy seemed to resolve itself easy enough I thought. Following my email suggesting fraud they responded, eventually, promising to restore the account to the original supplier and meanwhile to use the old key. It could take up to 8 weeks to restore the account, hey ho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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