ScottishPower has been forced to pay a customer £1,575 in backdated feed-in tariff (Fit) payments plus £200 in goodwill after a 10-month delay in transferring ownership of solar panels and processing payments. The customer, identified only as DC from North Yorkshire, moved into a new house 14 months ago and applied to ScottishPower to transfer the solar panel ownership and the associated Fit tariff. Despite the company confirming it had all required information, no payments were made for 10 months, with the owed amount exceeding £1,000.
Delays in ownership transfer and payment portal access
According to the customer's account, ScottishPower took seven months after confirming it had the necessary data to register the ownership transfer. A further month passed before the company instructed the customer to register for its payment portal. However, system glitches prevented the customer from completing the registration. Subsequent complaints were referred back to the Fit team, which reportedly required up to 12 weeks to reply.
Intervention leads to resolution
After the Guardian's Consumer Champions column intervened, ScottishPower responded within hours. The customer received a phone call the next day and was promised immediate resolution. The company arranged backdated payments totaling £1,575 and added £200 as a goodwill gesture. However, it took another month for the money to actually arrive. ScottishPower attributed the delay to an “administrative error” and acknowledged shortcomings in its service. The company stated that ownership transfers should typically take eight to 10 weeks, with payments following within three weeks.
This is not the first time ScottishPower has faced criticism over its handling of Fit transfers. In March, the Guardian reported on a widow who was denied payments because the company failed to accept her husband's death and did not transfer the tariff ownership to her name. That case also involved lengthy delays and required external intervention to resolve.
Consumer advice and further information
The Guardian encourages readers to submit their consumer complaints via email at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or by post to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of letters are subject to terms and conditions. ScottishPower's repeated failures highlight the need for energy companies to streamline their Fit transfer processes to avoid depriving customers of entitled payments.
