{"id":59168,"date":"2025-04-29T03:39:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T03:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/59168\/"},"modified":"2025-04-29T03:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T03:39:13","slug":"scottish-power-slap-stressed-mum-with-bill-for-nearly-8k-after-billing-blunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/59168\/","title":{"rendered":"Scottish Power slap stressed mum with bill for nearly \u00a38k after billing blunder"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Lisa Thompson received an apology after being charged nearly \u00a38,000 in a billing blunder.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1_IMG_8757jpeg.jpg\" alt=\"Lisa was confused as to why she was being charged as a credit customer when she used a key to top up.&#10;\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Lisa was confused as to why she was being charged as a credit customer when she used a key to top up.<br \/>\n(Image: Edinburgh Live)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Scottish Power has apologised after slapping a stressed Edinburgh mum with a bill for nearly \u00a38,000 in a <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">billing<\/a> blunder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Lisa Thompson, a primary carer and stay at home mum for her autistic son and eldest boy who lives with type one diabetes and autism, was horrified when she received the \u00a37,818.35 <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">bill<\/a> after experiencing an issue with her top up key.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">After a number of bills didn&#8217;t arrive and several email exchanges and calls, the 29-year-old claims she was threatened with a credit default with the energy provider demanding the full amount be repaid, reports<a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edinburghlive.co.uk\/news\/edinburgh-news\/edinburgh-mum-appalled-scottish-power-31523734\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" Edinburgh Live.Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\"> Edinburgh Live.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottish Power<\/a> have since acknowledged the error and have agreed to fix the issue. She said: &#8220;The issue started a few years ago. I spoke to Scottish Power to try to get it resolved and for a while the letters stopped but then I was surprised to hear the debt was still there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI\u2019d called on March 11 to sort out a problem with my <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">key<\/a> as it was being rejected at every shop and I was down to just \u00a34. The key was a problem as my eldest son is diabetic and he needs all of his devices to be charged.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1_imageedit_468_5052401545.png\" alt=\"The bill Lisa received.&#10;\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>The bill Lisa received.<br \/>\n(Image: Edinburgh Live)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cNot only that but we would also not be able to do the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">basics<\/a> like cooking our dinner. My boys both have autism and can be very particular about what they eat, my youngest was very stressed at the thought of the power cutting out on us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI called them up and before I could even raise the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">issue<\/a> of the key, the debt was brought up. I explained to them I do not pay for my electricity by credit and I use a key. They assured me my electricity would not be cut off but they kept referring to me as a credit customer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI decided to call back the next day as my key issue had not been resolved but I was met with attitude. Their only <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">concern<\/a> seemed to be the debt that does not belong to me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI was getting very <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">frustrated<\/a> as the electricity was close to cutting out and I felt I wasn\u2019t being helped. I was asked to provide a picture of my serial number on my meter and was also asked for meter readings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cThat is when I realised my serial number on my meter did not match what they had on the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">system<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottish Power <\/a>sent Lisa through to another team but she was cut off. When she called back she was unable to get assistance as the address she gave for her security question did not match their records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Eventually the family were sent a replacement key. However their <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">electricity<\/a> ran out just two hours before the new top up key arrived.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Lisa continued to chase Scottish Power about the debt but again ran into <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">issues<\/a> around her address and serial number. This is when the mum-of-two realised she was being sent the wrong bill and there had been a mix up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI reached out to them and at first I thought it was resolved but it turned out the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">debt<\/a> was still there and it had gone up,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was like the previous calls had not happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cThey threatened to put a credit default on my account which would last up to six years and they had given me 28 days from March 21 to pay them the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">debt<\/a> despite them knowing the details were incorrect.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI feel they weren\u2019t listening to me, and if I had been younger then I might not have spoken out and agreed to pay them back bit by bit even though I couldn\u2019t afford it. I have been extremely <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">stressed<\/a> out by this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Scottish Power contacted Lisa and acknowledged their error. They have agreed to rectify the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">situation<\/a> and have offered a goodwill payment for the stress caused.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI\u2019ve been waking up every morning and thinking, have I done something wrong?,\u201d Lisa continued. \u201cI <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">worried<\/a> I was never going to be able to resolve the issue and I\u2019d been backed into a corner, forced to pay back money I didn\u2019t owe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI could never have paid this back. It&#8217;s an extremely large amount of money that I don&#8217;t think many people have just lying around. I just wanted this <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">resolved<\/a>, I didn\u2019t ask for any compensation. I\u2019m relieved they finally ended the credit default threat and the letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI hope they take a good long hard look at this and make sure they don&#8217;t make the same <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">mistake<\/a> with anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_WACOMMUNITYQR2.png\" alt=\"\"  \/>Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">You&#8217;ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">All you have to do is <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/BZamc48XMaoEqKkIN7GWxV\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">click here if you&#8217;re on mobile<\/strong><\/a>, select &#8216;Join Community&#8217; and you&#8217;re in!<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">If you&#8217;re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click &#8216;Join Community&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose &#8216;exit group&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">If you\u2019re curious, you can read our <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/privacy-notice\/\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">A ScottishPower spokesperson said: &#8220;We\u2019re sorry for the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">issues<\/a> experienced by Ms Thompson and are currently working to resolve these. We can see she has been incorrectly billed as a credit customer, while making her top-up payments, and we\u2019re working to ensure all payments are correctly allocated to her account and the meter and address details are correctly aligned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">&#8220;Due to the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/fuel-bills\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">complexities<\/a> involved, it may take some time to fully resolve everything, but we have stopped all debt activity with immediate effect and there is no risk to her credit record. We have spoken with Ms Thompson to bring her up to date and will remain in touch until everything is as it should be. At that time, we will also discuss a goodwill payment as a result of the issues and inconvenience caused.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lisa Thompson received an apology after being charged nearly \u00a38,000 in a billing blunder.Lisa was confused as to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59169,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5009],"tags":[663,748,1102,7035,4884,712,30829,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-59168","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scotland","8":"tag-autism","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-edinburgh","11":"tag-fuel-bills","12":"tag-great-britain","13":"tag-scotland","14":"tag-scottish-power","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114419175608088151","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}