Firstly, Scottish Power is one of those misleading companies. You’d think it was a nationalised service from the name, but really it’s a for-profit private firm. Privatised companies shouldn’t be allowed to use a country’s name in their title. Particularly as, in this case, it’s owned by a Spanish firm.
As with many of these companies during rampant capitalism, it’s about making the rich richer, whilst normal people pay every-increasing bills. Even back in 2019 we found out:
“Scottish Power (SP) announced that would be putting up the price of its gas by an average of 8.5 per cent and electric by 9 per cent from 6 December. Scottish Power is a particularly interesting case in that last year it more than doubled its pre-tax profits to £712m. The company’s chief corporate officer Keith Anderson also received a £129,000 bonus, taking his total pay for 2012 to over half a million pounds, according to the Guardian. The Spanish chairman of Scottish Power also had his pay packet doubled to £10.5 million in 2011 – you guessed it, shortly before the company raised prices for 2.4 million British households. Bonuses for directors rose from £19,000 to £129,000.”
In 2022 we saw the obscene amounts top executives get:
“The chairman of ScottishPower earned over £11million last year despite facing a fraud and bribery investigation” we were told.
Yep, that’s why all core services in every nation should be nationalised. The ultra-rich benefitting from exploiting us should be behind bars.
Why am I raising Scottish Power today? Because they’re also an example of a company with ultra-crappy customer service. It’s part of the enshittification of services offered. Companies cut costs by making customer services ineffectual so people will give up. That way the rich can vote themselves bigger payrises.
Scottish Power has a reputation for being awful. I just had a quick look at Wikipedia, which was eye-opening:
“In early 2015, ScottishPower was temporarily banned from signing up new customers, due to long-standing and serious concerns regarding poor customer service, overdue bills and failure to implement rulings made by the Energy Ombudsman. The company's failings continued to be highlighted in the press later in the year, with complaints levels 20 times those of their best-performing competitor.
In 2017, ScottishPower created controversy when they pursued a couple for a £4,300 debt despite the couple not owing ScottishPower any money and, moreover, not being customers of the firm. ScottishPower ignored letters from the couple, instead sending bailiffs to the home of the couple. It later transpired that the couple were in no debt to ScottishPower.
In 2020, The Observer gave ScottishPower an award for the year's "worst customer service" for "its singular pursuit of revenue", including sending bills, debt collectors' letters and the threat of bailiffs to people who did not use its services, then refusing to register their complaints.
In January 2021, the Consumers' Association magazine Which? ranked ScottishPower the worst-performing supplier for customer service and the second worst supplier overall in their annual review of energy suppliers.”
After 14,391 reviews on TrustPilot, Scottish Power managed an astonishing average rating of 1.1 out of 5. Ouch. You have to be a whole new level of rubbish to achieve that.
I have a soft spot for bizarro fiction, but it’s often the case that trying to get help from a company like this is almost a piece of surreal fiction in itself. What should be a straightforward question strings out into endless fob-offs, designed to make you lose the will to live. I decided to give an example of this.
A True Example (I wish it wasn’t)
Here’s an email chain, slightly altered to remove personal details or to clarify points. It begins after Scottish Power sent someone to install a smart meter. Not because I wanted one (they’re useless for most people), but because they said we had to have one. They cancelled the first few appointments with no warning. Then, to add to the ineptitude, they sent someone around to a slot they had already cancelled. They told me sheepishly that it happens all the time, and they weren’t surprised.
I let them in and they did the work required.
We were given a gadget that you need to plug in somewhere in the house. It apparently gives useful information on a display. There was no instruction manual, and many of the options were vague or confusing.
Afterwards I sent this email to Scottish Power, which I hoped would be straightforward.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-09
Dear Scottish Power
Someone just installed a smart meter, but said there is no printed manual for it. Where can I download a pdf?
There is a sticker on the box with a QR code but no human-readable web address. None of us use mobile phones/apps.
The sticker should have a proper web address for help, and customers should always be given a paper manual. Not impressed by digital exclusion.
(At this point you might want to make a cup of tea, it’s a long chain.)
The next day I got a reply.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-10
Dear Mr. _Drinkwater_,
Thank you for contacting _Scottish_ Power.
We do understand that you have contacted us in regards of a smart meter which was recently installed but no printed manual was provided and now you are requesting a downloadable _PDF_ manual and notes the _QR_ code on the box lacks a readable web address.
Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused to you due to this.
Having checked the details, I regret to inform you that I am unable to locate the account that you are referring to.
In order to assist you regarding the same, I would request you to kindly confirm the full supply address with post code, MPAN, MPRN, _MSN_ so that we can assist you accordingly.
As we do not have the account details now, I am unable to process your request. However, once the required details will be received, we will surely help you with your query.
Kind regards
Red rag to a bull.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-10
“As we do not have the account details now, I am unable to process your request.”
That makes no sense. The manual pdf should be public. I just want a link to download it. And my comment on the unhelpful sticker applies to everyone, not just my account.
You CAN send me a link. “I am *unable to* process your request” is not true.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-10
Dear Mr Drinkwater,
Thank you for your recent email regarding the energy account.
I can see that you are contacting us regarding the smart meter manual.
I appreciate your effort for co-operation with us.
I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you regarding this matter and for the delay in response.
Having checked your email, I can see that you have not provided any account specific details in your email and I regret to inform you that I am unable to locate the account that you are referring to.
In order to assist you, kindly confirm the complete supply address/MPAN/MPRN/MSN (meter serial number) or simply the ScottishPower account number so that we can check your account and assist you further. Also, as you have not received any manual along with your smart meter, you can take help from any browser as per your meter model and you should get the information required. However, I would like to apologise for the inconvenience.
Thank you for your co-operation with us and do not hesitate to get back to us if there is any issue. We will be happy to help you further.
Why not use our live webchat function via our website or on the app. It's available 7 days a week 7am to 11pm. You can chat to us via our website here: https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/livechat OR via our energy app.
Not got the app? You can download our app via the iOS App or Android Google Play Store.
Kind regards
PS This email was written with the assistance of our AI tool, but it was reviewed for accuracy and personally sent by a member of our customer service team.
So, they completely ignored what I’d said, and just reiterated incorrect information from last time. Rude. Further evidence they hadn’t even read my email is because they were pushing apps I already said I couldn’t use. But maybe the answer is that they are using AIs to answer queries. And they’re not really intelligent, they just regurgitating the same text back at customers. What an utterly shoddy service. I wrote back.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-11
Please stop being rude.
I already said “None of us use mobile phones/apps.”
You obviously do not read what people say, because you then put: “Why not use our live webchat function ... on the app. Not got the app? You can download our app via the iOS App or Android Google Play Store.”
That’s insulting.
Please escalate this to a complaint.
You don't need an account number to give a link to where the pdf manual can be downloaded from. It isn’t private information or account-related. Please stop being purposefully unhelpful. And escalate this to the next tier. A straightforward and polite request is now starting to make me angry the more it is ignored.
Would that do it?
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-12
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding PDF manual.
Firstly, I am really sorry for the hassle you have been through and thank you very much for taking the effort and reaching us.
I would be happy to assist you with this matter and I will try my best to resolve your issue.
Upon checking all the details and as Investigation, I can understand that you have contacted us in regards of a smart meter which was recently installed but no printed manual was provided and now you are requesting a downloadable PDF manual and notes the QR code on the box lacks a readable web address.
So, I would request kindly allow us to explain the situation and the required information we need it from you.
So, we need the meter make and model to look for the exact manual. This is the reason we want the account details as kindly confirm the full property address with post code and MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number)/ MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) and MSN (Meter Serial Number) of the property and the same reason my previous colleagues has requested the same as under your email we were unable to locate your account.
I hope I have addressed your query. However please don't hesitate to get back in touch if you are not completely satisfied and we would definitely assist you further and the other quickest and easiest way of contacting us is by starting a live chat with us. They are open from Monday to Sunday -7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. You can chat to us via our website here: https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/getintouch OR via your energy app. Not got the app? You can download our app via the iOS App or Android Google Play Store.
The shitty app, again? Seriously?
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-13
1. I have asked for this to be escalated, and been ignored.
2. You don’t need to know those details in order to explain why Scottish Power does not give out a manual with the gadgets.
3. Nor do you need those details to point me to the web address where I can download the appropriate manual. I’ll choose the correct one from the options. But it sounds like you don’t even make them available online, which is absolutely poor customer service.
As is refusing direct requests to escalate a complaint when your team is fobbing me off.
If any of you were “really sorry” you would act on requests, not keep making excuses and refusing to pass this to someone who can deal with it.
“I hope I have addressed your query.” Again, how rude, when you know you have not addressed it. You completely ignored all three points listed above.
Just as you again told me “You can download our app via the iOS App or Android Google Play Store”, which is insulting when I have told you TWICE that I don’t have a mobile phone that does apps. So incredibly rude. In fact, that is my fourth complaint element.
Please stop ignoring what I am saying and escalate this FORMAL COMPLAINT.
I mean, was that not clear? Was I somehow speaking another language, incomprehensible to a cheapo AI and clueless Scottish Power staff using it to save them having to actually deal with a query?
Surely they couldn’t fuck it up?
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-14
Dear Karl,
Thank you for your recent e-mail.
I understand that you are contacting us regarding the manual of smart meter.
Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused to you for this matter.
I appreciate the effort you have taken in providing us the details.
I have attached the user manual pdf of smart meter on this very email.
Please refer the same for your reference.
Your co-operation in this matter is highly appreciated.
Thanks for being a ScottishPower customer.
Kind regards
There was no manual attached.
I was in the middle of writing to tell them when another email came from them, and this time they remembered to attach a pdf.
Yay! At last, common sense!
I opened the pdf.
And realised it was nothing to do with the Scottish Power-branded display gadget that we’re meant to use. It was some kind of manual about the electrical box in the cupboard, which I never needed to have anything to do with. Possibly useful to an electrician, but not me.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-14
Thanks, but that is the manual for the meter (which I don’t need to do anything with). It’s a manual for the one you can plug in and use to monitor usage that I need. It isn’t self-explanatory.
We should be given instructions for it, or there should be an easily findable pdf on your site, not multiple emails and complaints.
Considering how much time this had wasted, I think that was very laid back of me. I even included photos of the model, serial number, display, gadget etc: so there could be no ambiguity as to what I was referring to. No squirm-room.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-16
Dear Karl,
Thank you for contacting Scottish Power .
We appreciate your email and the opportunity to assist you.
I would now like to assure you that I will try my best to help you in every possible way.
I understand that you are contacting us regarding your IHD related concern.
I would like to inform you that like all wireless devices the IHD can sometimes experience low signal strength or lose signal completely with your smart meters.
If the IHD was left but is not communicating or has developed a fault – please go through how to reconnect the IHD with the meter – Turn it off and on again
If the screen has frozen completely, leave it unplugged to discharge the battery, then plug it back in later.
IHD has stopped showing data, but is still paired with the meter, make sure it’s positioned as close to the meter as possible before rebooting. Following that, give it around 24 hours to reconnect and start showing the correct data again.
If the IHD display has gone blank, it could just be that it’s run out of battery. Plug it in and let it charge for a few moments.
If the IHD display is on, but not showing any data, it could be because:
It’s not close enough to the smart meter. Bring it within 15 metres of the smart meter (with no walls between). Switch it off for a minute or 2, then switch it back on again.
It might be showing:
Connection Lost or Data Lost
1 or both fuels aren’t showing energy use data
Cost and Consumption Data is showing as dashes rather than kWh or £s
No information at all
However, still if you are facing issue, kindly use our energy insight tool, for monitoring .
Your co-operation in this matter is highly appreciated.
If you have any further concern, you can chat to us via our website OR via our energy app. Not got the app? You can download our app via the iOS App or Android Google Play Store.
What the actual fuck?
None of the replies from Scottish Power seem to have anything to do with the actual words I write to them.
It is, really, quite mental.
If I put this in one of my novels, people would say it was far-fetched and couldn’t happen.
And yet, here we are.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-16
Why have you ignored my simple request and answered with irrelevant gibberish?
Again, ESCALATE THIS TO THE NEXT TIER as a formal complaint.
I explained what manual I needed. It should be on your website.
I hoped someone would eventually escalate it to a human who could read.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-17
Dear Karl,
Thank you for contacting Scottish Power.
I understand that you are contacting us regarding your IHD manual related queries.
While checking your previous email, I am unable to locate your address or account number for us to investigate further.
We request you to confirm them with us so that we can help you accordingly.
Kind regards
PS This email was written with the assistance of our AI tool, but it was reviewed for accuracy and personally sent by a member of our customer service team.
And now the AI/inept customer service team have ignored everything, and reset things back to the initial query from days ago (though it feels like years, and no doubt does for you, too, if you have read this far).
At this point I not only wished I didn’t have a smart meter, I half-wished I didn’t have electricity at all, and lived in a cave eating lichen, just so I’d never have to deal with Scottish Power again.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-17
Read through the threads below.
It includes even the exact device I need the manual for.
My address is completely irrelevant.
Again, you are just wasting time and refusing to escalate my complaint.
I think, again, I was miraculously controlled in my response to their fantastic customer service. (Fantastic in the sense of “unbelievable fantasy”, not in the sense of “good”.)
Their wordy replies are cut-and-paste text which says nothing, just reflects my own words back at me. Except it doesn’t do that, it reflects a fantasy version of my words, ignoring all the pertinent details and making up irrelevancies.
Scottish Power, you ain’t anything like them, that’s for damn tootin’.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-18
Hello Karl Drinkwater,
Thank you for reaching out to Scottish Power.
It has been observed from your email that you are contacting us requesting for a In Home Display (IHD) user guide.
We apologize for the length of time you have had to deal with this issue.
Please find the Smart Meter & In-Home Display User Guide attached on this email.
To raise a complaint, we require you to help us with your contact number or the email address and the full supply address along with the post code.
Or you can ring our customer service team on this number 0345 270 0700.
Thank you for the communication.
For further information, you can use our live webchat function via our website or on the app. It's available 7 days a week 7am to 11pm. Link: https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/livechat
You finally have the “IHD” manual. They may never have escalated the complaint, or promised to put the pdf on the website, or even said much that resembles how a human speaks, but hey ho, take what you can.
Then I realised the manual wasn’t for the model I have, and had a different display. The one they sent seems to be for houses with gas and electric, whereas we don’t have gas.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-18
That pdf manual doesn’t match what I have, and is obviously for some other model.
The pdf you sent shows screens like this:
But my device is different, and doesn't have those icons at the bottom, or that layout:
And it has submenus instead:
So I need a manual for the actual ones that are being installed (this image shows the model number):
So I still haven't received a print or pdf explaining how this works. And I shouldn't have even had to ask, they should have been provided on installation, and be easily findable on your website. So my complaint still stands.
Was I nearer to my goal? Was it just out of reach, forming in the ether, ready to be seized? I even gave them my account details, though I still consider it irrelevant to this query: they had all the information any halfway competent person would need.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-18
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your email in Scottish Power regarding Supply address.
Firstly I apologise for the ongoing hassle and inconvenience that you had to face due to the shortfall in our services.
I do acknowledge your complaint and already escalated the concern with our hierarchy team so that we can assist you at the earliest.
I understand that you wanted a user manual for the smart meter at the property in order to operate the meter. Ican see that my previous colleague has shared the PDF with you but that PDF did not solved your issue.
In order to help you out I have arranged a callback for you so that our specialist team can contact you on 07579966151 or 01387253523 so that we can get to know the model of the meter that you are having at the property and then accordingly we will be able to help you out with the manual.. The service request that I have raised for you is 8539367.
I am requesting you to kindly provide us a chance and kindly be available on on 07579966151 or 01387253523 and the relevant team will be calling you on 23 June 2025 to sort the issue and log the complaint accordingly.
Thanks for being a ScottishPower customer.
Kind regards
I hate being called Sir. I don’t use or agree with titles. I am Karl, or Karl Drinkwater, or tosser, or whatever.
I also couldn’t understand what was going on. They had a photo with every bit of text from the gadget that might be a model number. Why the fuck ring me up to ask me for that same information, meaning I’d have to go upstairs to get the gadget or go in another room to use my PC to check the photo? Why make everything a hundred times more difficult?
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-20
I have already provided an photo of the model and serial numbers, and the display. That is enough information to identify the model that YOU SUPPLY.
This isn’t some great mystery. You probably only have a few models, and have all the information to supply the correct one. Stop making this into a drama.
There’s no need for a phone call, just provide the manual and deal with the complaint. Over the phone I’d have even more trouble providing the model number as it is in this email on my PC, and has already been sent to you.
I didn’t get a reply. Silence. I hoped they were finally dealing with it.
Than I found out they had instead emailed my partner as a way of replying to me, for some utterly bizarre reason. Sent to her email address, even though I’d never provided it, yet addressed to me. Can it get any more surreal?
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-21
Hello Mr Drinkwater,
Thank you for your recent email regarding account number, I have not tried to call you today as you have requested no phone calls.
Thank you for your continued communication regarding the smart meter user manual. I understand your frustration with not receiving the correct manual and the inconvenience caused by the previous responses.
Please be assured that we are looking into providing the correct user manual for the smart meter model installed at your property. We appreciate the details and photos you have already provided, which help us identify the exact model. We understand your preference to resolve this matter without a phone call and are working to address your request accordingly. I can confirm I have attached the manuals we have available and you can also visit our website https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/support-centre/my-in-home-display and this has the guides available as well.
i do understand you would like to raise a complaint on the account, if you are satisfied with my explanation we can raise a closed complaint on the account, this will note your dissatisfaction and that it is now resolved. If you are not happy with the explanation and you would still like to raise a complaint if you can please let us know, what you would like as a resolution.
If you have any further queries regarding the energy account, please contact us by calling our customer service team on 0345 270 0700 or by emailing contactus@scottishpower.com.
Please note that this is an unmanned email box so you will need to send any replies to contactus@scottishpower.com
Thanks for being a ScottishPower customer.
Kind regards
ScottishPower Customer Care
Well, so much I could say.
“I have not tried to call you today as you have requested no phone calls.”
Sent on the 21st. They were going to ring me on the 23rd. So that makes no sense, that they hadn’t rung today. But as we saw with their complete fuckups over appointment times
“if you are satisfied with my explanation we can raise a closed complaint on the account, this will note your dissatisfaction and that it is now resolved”
What the fuck does that even mean? It seems to suggest they will close my complaint without dealing with it. Well, that’s rude.
“Please note that this is an unmanned email box so you will need to send any replies to contactus@scottishpower.com”
I was about to say how rude it is when companies email you from addresses that you can’t reply to. Except … they don’t even realise that they have sent it from contactus@scottishpower.com and a reply would therefore go to that, so it’s a complete lie to say the box is “unmanned”. If it is unmanned, don’t tell me to email it. If it is checked, then don’t tell me not to reply because it won’t be checked. Utter nonsense, either way. Sure signs of a company that sends emails created by super-thick AIs, and humans who just click send-send-send without seeing what has been written, or acting on it.
“If you are not happy with the explanation and you would still like to raise a complaint if you can please let us know, what you would like as a resolution.”
I’ve only asked multiple times for it to be a complaint. Even now, they are still somehow doubting I was serious, and somehow think I was just making up the idea of complaining, hey, we’re all friends, let’s sip bleach and plug into the app-net gadgets while our brains undergo cellular toxification so we can ALL work at Scottish Power! Everyone! The whole world!
“what you would like as a resolution.”
I hope it was clear in every email what I wanted. That you, dear reader, can easily see that I wanted a manual to go with the model of gadget they give out. That the manual should be available to everyone. That I am complaining about this whole rigmarole. Do I really need to spell that out to them yet again? I would like to add that I would appreciate half of a Scottish Power’s director’s bonus (note: not salary, bonus), so perhaps £65,000 to square the bill of this awful experience.
Oh, they did include a pdf. Obviously happy to have somehow “resolved” things.
But they had again not even read the previous emails, and they included the pdf of the wrong device, the one I already showed in photos was not the one I had.
Yep, it is that one again. Different from the one they gave me. As I said last time. As I showed in photos. As above, so below.
Scottish Power should be nationalised, the current bosses sacked for ineptitude, and all their bonuses taken off them and put in the public purse. I’m sometimes accused of being a nutjob, but Scottish Power is fucking mental.
The End?
Updates since originally posted
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-22
Unbelievable.
Wrong pdf, email sent to wrong person, and yet more nonsense.
I am NOT happy with the non-existent explanation, or what has been (not) done.
As I said a long time ago, this is a formal complaint.
I am sick of sending you the information and being ignored.
There is a copy of every email at https://kdgreenparty.substack.com/p/scottish-power-less
You will find everything there.
If Scottish Power can not read, it shouldn't be running an energy company.
Scratch that: based on performance, Scottish Power shouldn’t be running an energy company.
Their reply.
From: ScottishPower, 2025-06-23
Hello Mr Drinkwater,
Thank you for your recent email regarding account number. I tried to call you today but I was unable to reach you.
I sincerely apologise the wrong PDF was sent again, If you can please provide the make of your display as this will be required as resolution to your complaint to make sure we are sending the correct guide to you. Unfortunately we are unable to use the link you sent.
You can find all the guides we have available at https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/support-centre/my-in-home-display.
If you can please let us know what you would like as a resolution to your complaint.
I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.
If you have any further queries regarding the energy account, please contact us by calling our customer service team on 0345 270 0700 or by emailing contactus@scottishpower.com.
I replied just now.
From: Karl Drinkwater, 2025-06-24
"Thank you for your recent email regarding account number 16065467887. I tried to call you today but I was unable to reach you."
That's because I already said I didn't want phone calls. I like a proper record of contacts. Plus I ignore any unrecognised numbers, as it is mostly spam.
It is rude to try and ring someone who has already said they didn't want you to ring them.
"I sincerely apologise the wrong PDF was sent again, If you can please provide the make of your display as this will be required as resolution to your complaint to make sure we are sending the correct guide to you. Unfortunately we are unable to use the link you sent."
Why can't you use the link? It is a straightforward link. Isn't customer support trusted to use the Internet? No wonder the service is poor.
Either way, I have sent you photos of the device more than once, which included the serial number and model.
"You can find all the guides we have available at https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/support-centre/my-in-home-display."
Well, that's another lie.
Going to that address showed this:
"If you can please let us know what you would like as a resolution to your complaint."
Couldn’t agree more Karl. All essential services should be back in public hands.
Kafkaesque in its absurdity, this is becoming the normal unfortunately.