ScottishPower Review Summary
Who are ScottishPower?
Scottish Power is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although they are currently owned by Iberdrola, a Spanish utility company. They supply power to customers in Central and Southern Scotland, Merseyside, North Wales, and certain parts of Cheshire and Shropshire.
They have invested heavily in windfarms and currently have 40 UK-based windfarms. They are the UK’s largest generator of electricity from wind energy, generating more than 2,000MW.
In addition to supplying energy, Scottish Power also offers a range of insurance products via Domestic & General. These insurance products cover your boiler and central heating system. Some of the plans include a free annual boiler service.
Scottish Power has around five million customers and employs around ten thousand people.
What tariffs do ScottishPower offer?
Scottish Power lists 29 different fixed-rate tariffs on their website, although not all of those tariffs are available to new customers and some of them are not available online and need to be purchased via different sales channels.
These fixed-rate tariffs cover a range of fixed terms. Some of the tariffs do not have exit fees whereas some have a £30 per fuel exit fee.
Some of the fixed-rate tariffs offer a different price per unit of electricity depending on the time of day or day of the week. There are a variety of options that you can choose from depending on when you use electricity most.
Some of the fixed-rate tariffs support Cancer Research UK.
There are also two variable-rate tariffs and a ‘feed-in’ tariff.
How does ScottishPower compare on price?
Scottish Power only scored two out of five stars for value for money in a Which? survey.
What do other ScottishPower reviews say?
As well as scoring badly for value for money in a recent Which? survey, Scottish Power scores badly in the other categories, only achieving an overall rating of 51% which puts them in joint 33rd place out of 35 energy suppliers.
Scottish Power only achieved two out of five stars in each of the categories other than the complaints handling category, and in that category, they only achieved three out of five stars.
Citizen’s Advice gave Scottish Power 3.1 out of five stars, placing them in 22nd place out of 41 energy suppliers. Scottish Power only achieved one out of five stars in the complaints handling category, although they achieved 4.5 out of stars for billing accuracy and five out of five stars for switches being completed on time.
Scottish Power scores incredibly badly on Trustpilot where they only achieve 1.1 out of five stars from around 5,500 reviews. 97% of the reviewers rated the company as poor or bad. The majority of TrustPilot complaints are about Scottish Power’s poor customer service.
How green is ScottishPower’s energy?
Scottish Power has 40 windfarms that are capable of generating 2,000MW of power which means that they produce all of the electricity they supply.
This is unlike many of the other UK energy suppliers that claim to be supplying 100% renewable electricity but are doing that by buying electricity from non-renewable electricity generators and purchasing Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin to “greenwash” that electricity.
Scottish Power boasts that in January 2019 they became the first UK energy supplier to supply 100% green electricity.
What is ScottishPower’s customer service like?
Scottish Power can be contacted by phone, although their call centre is not open at weekends. There is also a live chat feature on their website.
Citizen’s Advice claims that Scottish Power answers their phones in one minute and 52 seconds and scores them three out of five stars for their response time. Which? says that it takes 21 minutes and 42 seconds for Scottish Power to respond, though, although they say that Scottish Power respond to live chat requests in 50 seconds.
Less than half of the complaints made against Scottish Power are resolved within two days.
What is ScottishPower’s website/app like?
Scottish Power’s website contains a huge amount of information but it is very difficult to navigate. Most of the information requires you to search for it rather than simply click on obvious links.
There is an online account management feature that lets customers submit meter readings, view bills and make payments. There is also a live chat feature.
There is an app that is compatible with Android devices and Apple’s iOS devices. As well as letting customers manage their accounts it also lets their customers control smart home devices.
The app is rated four out of five stars at Apple’s App Store but only 2.9 out of five stars at the Google Play Store.
What billing options are available?
Scottish Power prefers its customers to pay by monthly direct debit. Paying by direct debit means that you pay less for your energy.
The direct debit amount is fixed, although the amount is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that customers are paying the correct amount. Customers can also change the amount they pay each month using the online Direct Debit Manager tool.
Customers can also pay by cash or cheque at their bank, at a Post Office or at a PayPoint. They can also pay via bank transfer, or by using a credit or debit card either online, via the app or over the phone. Cheques can also be sent in the post.
Pre-payment customers need to top up their account at a PayPoint retailer, although if they have a smart meter they can top up online instead.
Does ScottishPower offer smart meters?
Scottish Power is rolling out smart meters to their customers but they do not insist that their customers use them. If you switch energy suppliers while you have a smart meter you may lose your smart meter’s functionality. If that happens, your smart meter will still operate as a conventional meter.
They also offer smart meters to pre-payment customers. Pre-payment customers with smart meters can top up their account balance online rather than having to go to a PayPoint to top up.
Does ScottishPower offer a recommend a friend referral scheme?
Scottish Power does not offer a friend referral scheme.
Below are a few quick questions you may need answers to along with our ScottishPower review:
Do they work with pre-payment meters?
Scottish Power accepts pre-payment meters.
Do they accept E.ONomy 7?
Scottish Power accepts Economy 7. However, a number of people in the forums on the Scottish Power website have been having problems using Economy 7 with smart meters.
Are they signed up to the Warm Home Discount?
Scottish Power is signed up to the Warm Home Discount.
Are they signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee?
Scottish Power is signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee. According to Citizen’s Advice, 99.2% of switches are completed within 21 days.
Do they mention about the Priority Services Register?
Scottish Power operates a Priority Services Register to help their vulnerable customers. Eligible customers can sign up online or via the phone.
Do they offer a ‘Dual Fuel’ discount?
Scottish Power doesn’t offer a specific ‘Dual Fuel’ discount, but they do offer tariffs where the price customers pay is lower if the customer used Scottish Power to supply both types of fuel.
Will they offer to pay a customer’s exit fees when they join them?
Scottish Power will not pay any exit fees charged by a customer’s previous energy supplier if the customer switches before the end of their fixed-rate tariff with that previous supplier. Any fees that are charged would remain the responsibility of the customer.
What happens if you move home whilst with them?
If customers move home while they are Scottish Power customers, they will need to let Scottish Power know the date they are moving at least two days in advance. They will also need to provide an up-to-date meter reading and the existing and new addresses. The easiest way to do this is to do it via the Scottish Power website. Scottish Power customers can transfer their account to their new property if they want.
Do they offer any incentives for joining?
Scottish Power does not offer any specific incentives to join them.
How to contact ScottishPower
You can contact ScottishPower in a number of ways. Below as part of our ScottishPower review, we’ve detailed all their means of contact:
Customer Email: contactus@scottishpower.com
Telephone: 0800 027 0072
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 7 pm. Closed weekends
Office Address: 320 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5AD
How do I switch to ScottishPower?
The easiest way to switch to ScottishPower is through a comparison website. This will allow you to check if ScottishPower is one of the cheapest suppliers for you (tariffs vary based on your area) and will allow you to quickly and easily switch to them.
Comparisons
If you are stuck on who to choose between Scottish Power and another supplier, we have created some guides highlighting the main differences between them and another supplier. See below:
Scottish Power are open on Saturdays from 8.30am to 13.30
Just billed £700 with no warning or change in usage. I was on hold for 3 hours then hung up on, they don’t respond to messages or in the chat. Merry Christmas I suppose
very very bad worst company I have ever used
do not ever use this supply
they are really bad at dealing with phone calls
line keep cutting off
very very bad service
Please don’t touch these bullies with a bargepole. Indo not wish harm on anyo but if any company deserves to go bust it’s them. I feel sorry for the decent people that work for them. Too much wrong with them to mention but I’ve had numerous ‘reminders’ sent out up to almost two weeks before bill is due . They threaten to send someone out to collect payment and say they can charge over twenty seven pounds for doing this and can enforce prepayment meters. They constantly increase the amount they say you owe. Truly scandalous. If you don’t have mental health issues before you join them you will have by the time you finish with them. I’ve kept letters etc and will be contacting newspapers
The Scottish Power smart meters triggers the RCD to switch off, leaving us without electricity in the following scenarios:
– every morning between 4-4:30 AM (as seen in this video; the beeping sound is from my UPS that alarm)
– every time we top-up
– randomly, sometimes multiple times per day in very short periods of time
..videos here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9fYRyMJLvsKD-XwZv1vpfqK5sSS5gXly
For some reason, Scottish Power refuses to acknowledge this fact and to replace our smart meters back.
There is nothing wrong with our home network or the appliances, as this happens even if we turn off all the consumers. Besides, we have never had any issue with the old analogue meters.
We’ve reported this to SP and begged them to take their smart meters back. Almost three months have passed now – they still didn’t do anything yet. They simply do not care about about their customers, the appliances that get damaged due to this power cuts and most important the stress and health issues that this and the lack of sleep is causing us and our kids.
PLEASE DO NOT USE SCOTTISH POWER!
(The short version)
They promised me a fixed tariff of £45 a month and over a nine month period I was promised this would be honoured but never resolved after multiple phone calls to them and as the tariff came to an end they changed there mind and landed me with a big bill.
I’m going through the ombudsman and asked for recording of the conversation I signed up to and low and behold I got every other recording but this one !!
Iv tried setting up two direct debits to start paying off what I’m using currently while I sort out this and it’s like they don’t want to take my money as they take my details but never take any money out.
THIS IS BY FAR THE WORST ENERGY COMPANY IV EVER USED .
PLEASE READ THE REVIEWS ON GOOGLE BEFORE YOU EVEN CONSIDER SIGNING UP TO SCOTTISH POWER.
I can only assume it is for political reasons that Scottish Power could every score as high as 7.9, as no one with any real world experience of the cripplingly bureaucratic mess of miscommunication will know that they should be getting 0s across the board on Reviews, Customer Service, and Pricing, and I’m sure other categories too, though I haven’t had the displeasure of deep diving elsewhere.
I have been with Scottish Power a total of two times in my life. Both times I switched pretty sharpish. The first time I tried to switch as their prices were around 25% higher than competitors with better green credentials (I switched to Bulb in 2015 for reference). This proved to be a multi-month process in which my switch was blocked by SP repeatedly due to an unpaid bill (totalling around £6 over the course of the 2 or 3 weeks since I last paid a bill), during which time I had to explain the exact issue to around 4 representatives, none of whom seemed to grasp the issue, and I was forced to endure their train-wreck customer service for multiple hours in total over a period of around 3 weeks.
Naturally, when I was automatically moved to them when Yorkshire Energy went bust, I resolved to leave immediately. This was in March. I am still dealing with them at the end of June. This time I did not even bother to see if they were cheaper or not, but based on the fact that I was previously paying £75 a month to YE and built up a credit of £170 over 6 months, and that they are now (if they finally have their calculations correct) charging me £370 for a 3 month period, meaning a cost to me of around £125 a month, I suspect their prices are not competitive. (I am now with Octopus, with whom I am also paying around £75 a month.)
This alone is reason enough to doubt the 7.9 score here, but if you will indulge me, this tale really shows what a 7.2/10 customer service really represents.
After resolving to switch immediately, I started the process of switching to Octopus Energy, only to find out, one month later, that Octopus were unable to make the switch as in had been less than 35 days since I last switched provider. I did not choose to switch provider, so this seems a strained point already, but I humoured the system and waited. I started the switch process again when I could and eventually switched to Octopus three months after joining SP. At which point they sent me a final bill. This is where the fun begins.
I won’t go too in depth, but basically, I had 2 electricity meters. SP took both meters from YE when they took over, but only took one reading, which they applied to both meters. They then estimated all my bills over the next 3 months and when they handed control over to Octopus, they only relinquished one meter, and provided the incorrect opening meter readings.
Over the next three months, I have spoken to I believe 13 different members of the Scottish Power team, to try and correct this mistake, and send the second electricity meter to Octopus. The latter is achieved, Octopus handled that remarkably fast.
However after spending about 12+ hours on the phone to Scottish Power, to try and correct my meter readings, they succeeded in getting the values wrong 3 more times, most recently getting the right values but the wrong dates. I *think* they now have it correct, and are just woefully expensive, but I am waiting on them to send me full details of my meter readings (I cannot login to check as my account is deactivated since I left). I am not hopeful that they will follow up as requested and as promised however, as so far I have 4 different emails with promised to follow up, and no follow ups, as well as three separate people promising to be in touch over phone, that I never heard from again.
Not that I am saying Scottish Power are uncommunicative. No, they have sent me no fewer than 8 bills via both email and mail, with at least 6 different requested values. In addition I’ve received 2 threatening letters about non-payment. They even started phoning me daily! Not to deal with my issues of course, but to demand money. The worst was the person who demanded payment, and when I explained the situation, demanded partial payment. At which point I asked what I would be partially paying as the meter they were trying to charge me for had not been used at all since I switched to SP. Not one unit!
This is by no means a comprehensive breakdown of the shocking service provided to me, though I’m sure it feels like it at this point. And I do not want you thinking these are rare isolated incidents. My friend has a third, and equally torturous tale to back this up, happening simultaneously right now! But that is his story to tell.
In summary, and to voice the opinions of the many thousands who have probably been overcharged, bamboozled and extorted by Scottish Power, whether wilfully, or through sheer incompetence, let me say. DO NOT USE SCOTTISH POWER. Do not believe that a 7.9 is a reasonable score. The only reason these people are allowed to operate is presumably because they’re so big that they’re untouchable.
I am having the same trouble only it’s nearly 2 years and I have now a big bill which is not my fault
My agent applied for business gas. Because for 3 months no reply, I called SP. I have been told they can,t supply me because I have too high usage. Customer Service told me: SP have a cup for selling gas and this is 145000kwh per year. I am using around 165000kwh so…( I have been told) -SP reject my application. I had to look for another supplier, engaged a lot of my time and energy. I signed a contract with Avanti and suddenly I receive a letter from SP- that will switch my gas in a few days??? I called SP to stop this switch but Customer Service did nothing, refuse to connect me with a manager or other superior…just left me like that. Horrible experience!!! I reminded myself that long time ago I had a huge problem with Scottish Power ,and I promised myself never use their service again. I should keep my promise and save myself from disappointment.
I was forced to use Scottish Power following the failure of my previous supplier. It took me 3 months to disengage from their clutches. During that time I was unable to access my online account nor change supplier. I eventually left without seeing a final bill. After some difficulty this was was resolved. I find it easy to understand why Which? rate them 24th out of 25 for customer satisfaction. A company best avoided.
They have terrible customer service. I have been trying to sort out a new tariff which I applied for online. After trying to get this confirmed for nearly 2 months with customer service they eventually said they had no record of this , although they have acknowledged the boiler insurance which was included and debited. The new tariff I was offered is more expensive. I have been now waiting nearly a week to speak to the complaints department and am changing to a new supplier. I wish I had read the reviews before.
Scottish power are no where near 7.9!
They’re aTerrible company with no robust process in place to ensure their paying customers are cared for.
Never contactable, spent all day on hold, both on the phone, on chat and no response to emails.
They believe it to be acceptable to dump a last minute hugely incorrect bill on your doorstep of over £430 for one months gas and electric. On top of this the threat to send debt collection agencies to your address if you dont pay. When you, rightfully as a paying customer, want to view your bill to correct their mistake, you cannot view online as the system doesnt work, cannot view via their app as the system doesnt work, or contact anyone on their phone lines (who then play recorded messages, begging you to look online at your Bill’s, which of course you cant), so you try and raise a complaint, which goes nowhere.
Cannot understand how they operate as a registered business with this blatent disregard for their paying customers, never mind such a large ‘supposedly’ reputable business.
No valid responses or customer care means I happily raise to the financial ombudsman service, which I’m sure are harder to ignore than one of their paying customers.
Scottish power are taking over £110 a month for electric. It was £60 and that was alot already. As a one parent with a small two bed, Led light bulbs I advise you to stay away from them. I am leaving them today, after I changed the dd back to £60 but they went and took nearly double instead (again) and ignored the change. I explained to them previously the amount they take chops into my shopping money but they just take as they want. Never been charged so much for electric in my life, wish I never joined them. The year contract is up, I am happy to leave.
I was happy with my standard meter but they kept chasing me to switch to smart meter. And now I am having issues even to read manually since the screen for gas meter is off and even pressing buttons do not show any readings. On top of customer service is rude and do not understand why I am frustrated.
The company just keep charging using estimate reading and raising the direct debit.
So easy to put everything on COVID lockdown … pathetic.
I run my own business and still offering full service to customers.
I have over the past 3 years had to change energy companies which were forced to close down by the regulator because they had never sourced enough of their energy from green renewable places. I found both of the companies, Breeze & Yorkshire Energy to be excellent over the time that they have supplied my energy. When Y.E closed its customers were given over to Scottish Power and as I’m an elderly pensioner I have found the tariffs of S P to be a lot more expensive than some of the smaller energy companies. I am now considering Avro, but like my two previous energy companies they don’t seem to source a large number of green renewables eitWhat do you think?