ScottishPower to pay out overcharged customers after billing blunder
Billing error shocks a fraction of ScottishPower customers
Energy giant ScottishPower has admitted mistakenly overcharging a tiny slice of direct debit customers. The glitch saw these customers billed at the higher standard credit rate, breaching the price cap.
The slip-up affected just 0.04% of their total customer base between 2015 and 2023, the company revealed. ScottishPower reported the fault last year as soon as it came to light.
Customers handed £294 on average in compensation
The supplier acted fast, fixing the issue immediately. Those hit were overcharged by an average of £149 over the eight years.
Under a deal with Ofgem, ScottishPower has agreed a compensation package paying out an average of £294 per affected customer. All refunds and goodwill payments have already been made — no action needed from customers.
ScottishPower vows to prevent future errors and gives £1m to charity
The company has introduced extra checks and monitoring to block a repeat of the billing fiasco. It’s also committed £1 million to the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Fund, supporting vulnerable households with energy aid.
Andrew Ward, ScottishPower’s Customer CEO, said: “We’re so sorry that a very small number of our customers were affected by this mistake and faced an increased financial burden — especially during a time when energy prices were rocketing and government help was vital. Looking after our customers is at the heart of everything we do. Our swift action and compensation deal with Ofgem show how seriously we take this and our commitment to making it right.”
