How on earth can I resolve this impossible problem?

We need a new meter isolation switch before our downstairs lights can be fixed and this has to be done from the electric company. Scottish Power took my money and booked an appointment to get the job done in a four hour slot on 19th May. Nobody turned up. Apparently the appointment had been cancelled but nobody told me because there was a new computer system or something.

Rebooked for 9th June. Nobody turned up. Apparently it was because G4S had a new computer system and the info hadn’t migrated. I was quite cross and keen that this shouldn’t happen again.

Rebooked for this morning. Nobody turned up.

Each time they fail to attend we get £30 and if they don’t pay up in 10 days we get another £30 although I was only told this after the second FTA. We’ve had £120 off them so far and will get another £30 for today if they pay up on time.

Scottish Power have to give the job to the local contractors, G4S in this case. The job can’t be done by any old electrician because it’s dealing with mains directly. Each time I expect them to come I have to move furniture so they can access the switch site. At least two of these waiting days have had lovely weather when I’ve been creeping round the house listening for the door bell when I could have been out riding my bike.

I’m at a loss to know what to do. It’s rebooked again and the chap I’ve spoken to today has left a complaint open so it should be resolved and he’s promised to ring me at the start of the week when they’re supposed to be coming to confirm when he’s checked it’s going ahead. All the folk I’ve spoken to are very apologetic but I feel powerless to do anything to resolve the problem. Seems a very strange way to do business.

Years ago when I moved into my old shop, had a big hassle getting the supply reconnected – so I sent them a letter saying that if it hadn’t been done by X date then I’d do it myself. An engineer turned up the next day 🙂

Down here (West Wales) the majority of electricians will cut the seals and pull the main fuse themselves, fit the isolator or do the work and then refit the fuse. A call to Western Power or the supplier to get the seals refitted and job done.

Although technically an offence it is never prosecuted.

I should add that I only do it officially and I just ring Western Power and request an isolator to be fitted. Within 3 days I’ve got a date and the engineers are there as requested.

Another option could be that you get your electrician to arrange a fuse pull and replace – a bloke will turn up, cut the seals and pull the fuse then come back later when you want to restore power. Your electician can then do the work and change the isolator.
The problem with this is that it’s just going to go through the same computer booking system so a disconnect is probaby just the same to them as an isolator replacement.

Rich.

PS – another thought – you could try it as an emergency – there’s an immediate need to disconnect to change a faulty RCD – they may come out within a couple of hours. You’d probably need your electrican to call it in though.

Presumably you are having a new consumer unit fitted?
Your electrician will arrange to fit the isolator if you really need one.
It is against the Distributors rules to break the seal, but it is also against the Law to work live, so the usual get-out is to say the cables were damaged and sparking, so he had to pull the fuse.

It wont come to that anyway, as they really are not that bothered about it. If your electrician wont do it, then get another one who will. It really is not a big deal.

At £30 a time I’d be booking them in morning and afternoon every day for the next 6 months 😆

Scottish Power aren’t very good.
See ,I managed to mention Scottish Power without using the words **** ,****, shit,arse holes.
Edit no I didn’t.

At £30 a time I’d be booking them in morning and afternoon every day for the next 6 months

Unless you can work from home permanently I’d suggest the loss of earnings may outweigh the compensation!

Yep, I’m thinking of invoicing them for my time. I could include the letter you suggest Ben.
Another frustration is being sent to the back of the queue every time it happens. Unfortunately I’m away next week so that isn’t an issue but still.

Thanks for the advice. Just needed to vent slightly.

Exactly the same situation with my switch only I had the added fun of the mains fuse being in the end terrace under a worktop.

Lazy useless **** doesn’t quite do the prick who was supposed to do the job justice. Ended up having to disconnect the shower and oven myself as he was too bone idle to do it himself.

On the odd occasion I’ve had cause to complain to a big company (Sky, HSBC, First Utility, I’m looking at you), I’ve found there really is no point sitting for hours on hold going round labyrinthine call management systems, getting empty promises from Customer Service drones, then ending up back at square one.

Read their complaints procedure. Follow it, escalating at each stage as appropriate, keeping it straightforward and businesslike. It requires patience, but eventually your complaint will reach someone with the authority and nous to just pick up the phone and send one of their standby sparks round to yours to do the work.

Re compensation, read your contract with them. It probably says that the £30 payment every time they don’t show is accepted by you in full & final settlement. It’s worth it to them to chuck £30 at you every time they screw up – cheaper than dealing with ongoing customer complaints/litigation.

Update on this. Thursday is the day.

The chap I spoke to last time assured me he would ring today having checked that everything was in place. He hasn’t.

I’ve been away last week and received a letter telling me they’ve registered my complaint and will contact me again before 10/7/16. They haven’t.

Looking good.

Edit: also they haven’t paid my £30 from last time so that’s £60 now!

Write direct to the CEO and complain on Twitter. It seems nowadays this is the only way to get companies to actually get things sorted. We had this with BT about 6 months ago. Email to CEO, same day response form him, his complaints teams on the case next day and all sorted within a week with daily phone calls from them to me, instead of the other way around.

Is this one of those problems where going to Ofgem might help?

Funny that Google automatically suggests ‘Scottish power chief executive email address’ when you start typing.

Twitter war?

I find Scottish Power even more irritating than British Telecom to deal with.

Not that that statement of personal fact helps you OP, but my therapist says that it’s good and cathartic for me to write this stuff down as soon as I start twitching after seeing the trigger words of Scottish Power, or British Telecom.

Down here (West Wales) the majority of electricians will cut the seals and pull the main fuse themselves, fit the isolator or do the work and then refit the fuse.

I just did it myself when wiring up the workshop. You can buy new lead seals on Ebay, to seal it back up…

100A Supply Fuse by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Well guess what – nobody came!

I’d emailed the CEO and got a standard reply but at least someone phoned yesterday and spoke to my wife. At 10.45 (they were due between 8-12) I emailed a reply to say that I would be invoicing them for four hours of my time if nobody came before 12. I also tweeted this and got a quick response and they can obviously match up names and complaints. The lady rang again tonight and sounds quite downcast! She has made another appointment although I was reluctant to without them being able to say what the problem was and that they’d fixed it. They can’t progress it without an appointment apparently. I’m clearly now at a more escalated level of complaint handler than before but not at a level where they can give much away. I suggested an appointment next week but they’re all booked. Why not cancel one of those so I can have it given I’ve been waiting since May? Can’t do that, etc, etc.

Right, off to prepare my invoice.

I had a similar experience with Scottish Power last year. Totally, unbelievably, infuriatingly useless.

I think they came on the 4th appointment. Essentially, the local engineer was on a work to rule and did what he could in the day. If he didn’t get to you, then you just had to rebook – the kick in the nuts is you’re at the back of the queue as if you’ve never had the missed appointment…and repeat.

I can’t quite believe I’m sitting here after the SIXTH missed appointment.

And as I was typing that there was a knock on the door and the man is here to do it. I am extraordinarily happy!