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Scottish Power charges criticised Scottish Power charges criticised
(about 4 hours later)
Scottish Power has been urged to stop back-charging customers with token meters when prices go up.Scottish Power has been urged to stop back-charging customers with token meters when prices go up.
A cross-party group of MSPs will hand in a letter to the company urging them to follow their rivals and stop backdating charges. A cross-party group of MSPs met the company on Monday morning to request that it follows its rivals and stop backdating charges.
If token meters are not adjusted when prices go up a customer can unwittingly run up debts. If token meters are not adjusted when prices go up, a customer can unwittingly run up debts.
Consumer group Energywatch said Scottish Power is the only electricity supplier in Scotland to still charge. Scottish Power said the issue would be resolved within the next few years when all pre-payment meters were replaced.
Read meters Consumer group Energywatch said Scottish Power was the only electricity supplier in Scotland to still charge.
Scottish Gas and Scottish Hydro do not have back-charges. Jackie Baillie MSP, convenor of the cross-party group on debt, said: "Scottish Power is the only one of the big three power companies in Scotland that still has the practice of back-charging people for their pre-payment meters.
"Scottish Gas and Scottish Hydro Electric have ended that iniquitous practice and it's only Scottish Power that's left."
New meters
Scottish Power said the issue should resolve itself when new meters were installed.
Ann Laughrie of Scottish Power said: "Over the next couple of years, Scottish Power is replacing all pre-payment meters with state-of-art key token meters at the rate of 10,000 a month so far.
"So this problem will no longer exist."
Scottish Power said it had about 100,000 token meter customers in Scotland, far more than its rivals.Scottish Power said it had about 100,000 token meter customers in Scotland, far more than its rivals.
The firm said that it tried to read customers' meters every three months to help avoid them running up significant debts but it can sometimes be difficult for meter readers to gain access. The firm said that it tried to read customers' meters every three months to help avoid them running up significant debts but it could sometimes be difficult for meter readers to gain access.
Other companies only guarantee to read meters every year, Scottish Power said.Other companies only guarantee to read meters every year, Scottish Power said.
A spokesman for Scottish Power also said that it was introducing a new generation of smart key meters which would amend the cost as soon as it was changed.
He also pointed out that when prices go down customers can build up a surplus under the token scheme.