Owned by one of the largest companies in the world, Scottish Power has gained significant traction in the energy industry to become one of the Big Six, UK’s major energy suppliers holding the most market shares in the current landscape. It is part of the Iberdrola Group, a Spanish powerhouse in wind energy worldwide.
Scottish Power is known to form close ties with Cancer Research in the UK, helping sponsor campaigns and developing related tariffs since 2012 and raising over £20 million for the charitable institution.
Find more information and facts about the energy firm in this guide and its current standing in the energy market.
Scottish Power: An Overview
Scottish Power has a 9% market share in the domestic electricity market for Q2 2019, a 1% drop from its figures in Q1 2019. It also has an 8% share in the gas market. Compared to other Big Six members, the company has relatively lower customer losses since its 13% market share in 2006.
The firm is said to be handling over five million customer accounts today.
Based on the Which? annual customer satisfaction survey, Scottish Power ranks 33rd out of 35 suppliers, tying with Spark Energy to take the second to the last spot. It received a low rating of 51% overall customer score, although it has high procedures and practices rating of 84%.
Scottish Power’s electricity supply comes mainly from natural gas (52%), followed by renewables (30%). Other sources include nuclear (11%), coal (5%) and other fuels (2%).
Out of all the parameters in the Which? survey, only the complaints handling parameter received a three-star rating for Scottish Power. The company is said to have received a relatively lower number of complaints compared to the other Big Six suppliers, although resolution takes only a 74% resolution rate compared to SSE’s 96%.
Scottish Power fared poorly in terms of bill accuracy and clarity, overall customer service, digital tools, and value for money. The company has been entangled in issues like late billing and complaints handling. Which? also recorded the phone response of 21 minutes and 24 seconds, the slowest among all energy suppliers in the UK.
Ofgem imposed a 12-day ban on the firm’s proactive sales in March 2015, ending with an £18 million penalty after the regulator conducted an 18-month investigation.
Since 2018, the company announced two price increases and a recent price drop in accordance to Ofgem changing the price cap. In April 2018, Scottish Power raised its prices by 5.5%, adding £63 to customer’s bills per year. Another announcement for a price rise followed in April 2019, increasing the firm’s standard variable tariffs (SVTs) by 10% or £117 per year.
In August 2019, Scottish Power lowered the cost of SVTs to accommodate Ofgem’s price cap drop, reducing an average of £76 per year to customer bills.
Key Points to Consider for Home Users
The Scottish Power customer service line is 0800 027 0072. Alternatively, customers can reach an agent via chat right at the company’s website https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/getintouch.
For home users planning to move, Scottish Power asks to inform them at least two working days before the scheduled date of moving. It can be processed through the website, which will seamlessly transfer the account to the new home.
If a client’s contract is coming to an end, the firm sends a letter or email about six weeks before the termination date. It gives enough time for customers to decide on a new tariff or switch to a new supplier.
Scottish Power has a mobile app called YourEnergy App to make meter reading submissions easy for customers. Otherwise, customers can submit meter readings through an automated phone service on 0800 027 8000. It can also be done via the website to ensure that bills are accurate and no debit or credit is incurred.
Key Points to Consider for Business Users
An Energy Portal is available on Scottish Power’s website for all-in-one access to the business account, including details of contract, consumption, bills and more.
The business team can be contacted at 0800 040 7002. They can also be emailed at consultants@SPcommercialenergy.com to learn more about the services Scottish Power provides for commercial purposes.
The company collects Climate Change Levy or CCL on behalf of the government, and this is reflected in the business customer’s bill. Additionally, a VAT rate may also be imposed depending on the average daily consumption for the specified billing period.
Scottish Power offers electronic contracts to enable a more natural way to do business with them. DocuSign works with applications, devices and services commonly used by companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple and more.
For complaints, an agent can be reached at 0800 074 0062 on weekdays from 8.30 pm to 4.45 pm.
