Switching Elec company

pvr

pvr

Dutch
 Ruler of the South East UK
Switched from Scottish Power to EDF in November. The switch seemed fine, except that Scottish Power still owes me £600 as that is what I overpaid on the monthly DD.

I have called a few times now, and they use the excuse that their back office is running behind.

Is there anything you can do to force them to cough up? If you underpay they are very quick to put their hands in your account but the other way around seems rather slow.
 
Interesting, thanks for that.

Could I approach it from the other side, i.e. the Direct Debit guarantee to get the money back that way?
 
I got home yesterday to find my monthly Virgin bill of £52. (thats obviously about £600 p.a.)

Rang them immediately and said I'm leaving, had enough of bundles and packages and they're taking the P155.

In two minutes, they said pay 12 x £12 line rental upfront + £144, and a monthly internet of £8.50 with free weekend calls meaning an instant saving of about £300 p.a.

Sadly, there's no reward for loyalty these days. They're all the same, they just take advantage if you're too lazy to review it.
 
pvr said:
Switched from Scottish Power to EDF in November. The switch seemed fine, except that Scottish Power still owes me £600 as that is what I overpaid on the monthly DD.

I have called a few times now, and they use the excuse that their back office is running behind.

Is there anything you can do to force them to cough up? If you underpay they are very quick to put their hands in your account but the other way around seems rather slow.
Click to expand...

I had a nightmare with them after switching to EDF last May. Only just sorted it out. They kept sending me incorrect bills and asking for payments that didn't exist een though they had my readings. They just kept estimating even though they were not supplying. I rung so many times, emailed, wrote a letter and complained.

The only way I got it sorted was I ranted at them on Twitter. Got sorted straight away, so maybe worth a try.
 
pvr said:
Interesting, thanks for that.

Could I approach it from the other side, i.e. the Direct Debit guarantee to get the money back that way?
Click to expand...
I think the DD guarantee scheme is only for refunding incorrect amounts or monies taken after you've terminated an ageement - I presume they were taking an agreed amount each month so I don't think the scheme would apply

If tell them that if you don't receive your refund within, say, 7 days you're going to be taking the matter up with the ombudsman and, in addition, requesting interest be paid on the amount they owe you at whatever rate your bank would charge for an unauthorised overdraft
 
Contact the regulator, OFGEM and report the issue Or tell ScoPo that you are going to do that at the very least.
I had a similar issue and got a result when OFGEM 'felt their collar' :thumbsup:
 
good luck with scottish power. they keep sending me a bill for unpaid electric. i keep asking them to prove how a key meter could be in debt. some sarcy bint said to me dont you know how it works you use the electric and then you pay for it so yes your indebt. i just retort dont you understand a key meter. you put money in and when its used the tv turns off!

been trying to switch my gas for months. im on whats called a shipperless supply... no one seems to want to take us on. they say they are doing it and then nothing happens. when you phone up they just say they cant find the meter! i tell them its a beige box on the wall in the basement.
 
domsz4 said:
good luck with scottish power. they keep sending me a bill for unpaid electric. i keep asking them to prove how a key meter could be in debt. some sarcy bint said to me dont you know how it works you use the electric and then you pay for it so yes your indebt. i just retort dont you understand a key meter. you put money in and when its used the tv turns off!

been trying to switch my gas for months. im on whats called a shipperless supply... no one seems to want to take us on. they say they are doing it and then nothing happens. when you phone up they just say they cant find the meter! i tell them its a beige box on the wall in the basement.
Click to expand...
probably not the case with you, but a key meter can be loaded to slowly payback a previous debt....

IE someone previously ran up a debt and can't pay it back, leccy company installs a key meter and programs it to charge not x per unit but 2x... eventually debt will be repaid.

This happened to me on a flat I rented in Croydon - I simply phoned for a non key meter... they said but that's got a debt on it, my response 'that maybe so, but it aint mine, thus aint my problem' they switched it over pdq...
 
gannet said:
domsz4 said:
good luck with scottish power. they keep sending me a bill for unpaid electric. i keep asking them to prove how a key meter could be in debt. some sarcy bint said to me dont you know how it works you use the electric and then you pay for it so yes your indebt. i just retort dont you understand a key meter. you put money in and when its used the tv turns off!

been trying to switch my gas for months. im on whats called a shipperless supply... no one seems to want to take us on. they say they are doing it and then nothing happens. when you phone up they just say they cant find the meter! i tell them its a beige box on the wall in the basement.
Click to expand...
probably not the case with you, but a key meter can be loaded to slowly payback a previous debt....

IE someone previously ran up a debt and can't pay it back, leccy company installs a key meter and programs it to charge not x per unit but 2x... eventually debt will be repaid.

This happened to me on a flat I rented in Croydon - I simply phoned for a non key meter... they said but that's got a debt on it, my response 'that maybe so, but it aint mine, thus aint my problem' they switched it over pdq...
Click to expand...

all the appartments are on them. but yes ive had that too. all of a sudden we were paying loads. turns out Scottish power just added a £5 pw charge without asking. we got it back but 2yrs on we are still getting statements saying we are in debt. they did offer to change the meter back to a normal one but as its an existing meter for ages it would cost £150 odd quid and given the tarrif we were on it would have taken 3yrs to recoup so we thought stuff that we will move by then.... that was 1.5 yrs ago tho :D

the gas is more amusing as the agents tried to say we had used 2000 units and not paid for it!
 
Little update after a number of calls and I finally spoke to someone who was native English.

The reason I did not get the refund yet as due to a system fault, my bill was £24k :o

The lady went through the previous bills and spotted that the closing meter reader guy had made a mistake and put in a wrong reading, causing the system / process to seize on their side.

It should go through now, I have a bit more faith this time though as she seemed to know what she was doing.
 
Failing that, write a letter giving them 14 days, if nothing write a letter before action again giving 14 days, (adding at least £10 per letter + postage) failing that Money Claim Online - issue a claim, I'm sure they would settle or ignore. The latter being my favourite option, bailiff time :evil:
 
Can EDF not help you? I thought the leccy companies manage the transition process on your behalf and maybe that includes chasing them for money owed? They may have a more dedicated access to contact points at Scottish Power that general customers don't
 
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