ScottishPower has come under fire for sending multiple cheques and bills addressed to deceased customers, causing distress to bereaved relatives. In one case, a woman acting as executor for her late brother received a debt collection letter for £130 on his gas account, despite having informed the company of his death. Meanwhile, the company owed a £430 credit on his electricity account, which it eventually paid with a cheque issued in the deceased's name—uncashable by the executor.
After numerous emails, ScottishPower reissued the cheque, again in the brother's name. The company stated a third cheque would take four weeks to process manually. Since then, four more cheques have been issued, all in the deceased's name. ScottishPower has now closed the electricity account, claiming no credit remains, and has stopped responding to the executor's emails.
Pattern of Insensitivity
This is not an isolated incident. In March, the Guardian reported how a widow was bombarded with letters, emails, and calls addressed to her late husband over nine months. Since then, multiple grieving relatives have come forward with similar experiences.
One reader from Fife received a cheque for a £312 credit on his late mother's dual-fuel account, made out to her. Simultaneously, he received a bill for £191 in her name, a letter declaring the account clear, and a letter promising a £60 refund that never arrived. In emails, he was addressed as 'Dear undefined' and 'Dear Customers Name'.
Another reader from London reported that weeks after informing ScottishPower of her husband's death in 2018, the company sent emails complaining about an unpaid direct debit. She noted that the bereavement line did not communicate with other departments.
Company Response
ScottishPower acknowledged that bereavement is 'incredibly distressing' and that it strives to provide 'care and understanding'. However, it admitted that in 'a very small number of cases', this standard was not met. The company said it reviews each case to improve.
Regarding the case of the executor, ScottishPower congratulated itself on issuing the refund but conceded that repeated uncashable cheques in the deceased's name fell short of its service goals. It promised a review but is awaiting the energy ombudsman's investigation before offering a resolution. It also promised to review the Fife reader's case and has refunded the credit balances plus £200 in goodwill.
Readers are invited to contact Consumer Champions via email or post, including a daytime phone number.
