Important information on our services and gas safety

Helping you
get more from
ScottishPower
Important information
on our services and gas
safety in the home
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Taking control of YourEnergy
At ScottishPower, we believe our job is more than just to bring
you your energy. We want to make sure you get the most from
us, whether it’s energy saving tips or a handy mobile App.
It’s our way of helping you take control of YourEnergy.
Control at your fingertips
The free ScottishPower YourEnergy App helps put you in control
of your gas and electricity, whenever and wherever you are. You
can manage your account, submit meter readings, make payments
and more – all while you’re on the go. Simply download from the
Apple App Store or Google Play.
Manage your Direct Debit
Life’s busy. That’s why it’s always nice to save time where you can, like managing your energy
payments. ScottishPower’s online Direct Debit Manager is a simple way of giving you more
control over your monthly payments.
Access the Direct Debit Manager through your online account or YourEnergy App, and you
can adjust your monthly Direct Debit payments to suit your needs.
Access your account 24/7
We want to make managing your energy account as easy and convenient as possible for you.
That’s why our website has a range of tasks that you can do entirely online, with no need to
pick up the phone. From submitting meter readings and paying bills to informing us you’re
moving house, it’s all there to help you take control of YourEnergy, when it suits you.
YourExtras – at no extra cost
As well as the YourEnergy App and Direct Debit Manager, there are even more great benefits
that you can enjoy as a ScottishPower customer, all to help make managing YourEnergy that
little bit easier. They include:
• WithFreedom, which means you can move between our tariffs without paying an exit fee
• UK-based call centres with a free call back service
• An annual discount if you manage your account online*
• An annual dual fuel discount if we supply both gas and electricity to your home.**
For more information, please visit scottishpower.co.uk
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Helping make your energy go further
We understand that staying warm and comfortable while keeping your energy costs
affordable can be a challenge. As your energy supplier, we want to help. From giving
you energy saving advice to installing smart energy meters, we want to help make
your home as energy efficient as possible.
Smarter energy
Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters that could make it easier for
you to save energy and help reduce your energy bills. Smart meters allow you to see your energy
usage in real time with a smart energy display. Plus, smart meters automatically send us your
meter readings on a frequent basis, which means:
• no more meter readings from you will be needed
• no more need for someone to come to your house and read your meter
Exclude drafts
Energy saving tips
It can be easier than you think to save energy around
your home. Even a few small changes could help you
become more energy efficient and save you money.
Switching
off standby
You can save around
£30 a year just by
remembering to turn
your appliances off
standby mode.
Turn your lights off
By switching off lights
when you’re not using
them, you could save
around £15 on your
annual energy bills.
Most homes lose heat
through draughts around
doors and windows, gaps
in the floor, or through the
chimney. Draught-proofing
windows, doors and
blocking cracks in floors can
save up to £25 to £35 a year
on energy bills.
• no more estimated bills.†
We’re about to begin installing smart meters in our customers’ homes in 2016, as part
of a Government initiative to make all households in the UK more environmentally friendly.
By using your handy smart energy display, you can:
• see accurate real-time information on the gas and electricity you’re using
• see exactly how much activities are costing you in pounds and pence
• have a much clearer idea of where you’re spending money, so you can see where to reduce
any unnecessary energy use.
In the unlikely event that communication to the meter fails, you may still receive an estimated bill.
† Energy saving shower
A water efficient showerhead
could save a four-person
household around £67 a year
on gas for water heating. Plus,
spending one minute less in
the shower each day will save
£10 each year, per person.
Keeping the heat in
Nobody likes waste. But if your home is not correctly insulated, you could be wasting energy
every time you turn the heating on. Insulating your home is one of the best ways to save energy
and help reduce your energy bills. And, we want to help.
Turn the
heating down
When you reduce your
thermostat by just 1°C,
you could save between
£85 and £90 per year
on your fuel bills.
Depending on your circumstances and where you live, you may be entitled to financial
assistance towards the cost of insulation and heating improvements around your home.
To find out if you qualify:
In Scotland, call the Home Energy Scotland hotline on 0808 808 2282 or visit scotland.gov.uk
(Lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm).
In England and Wales, call the Energy Savings Advice Service on 0300 123 1234 or visit gov.uk
(Lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm).
These tips are from the Energy Saving Trust website (energysavingtrust.org.uk). For more
information and energy saving tips, visit scottishpower.co.uk
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Keeping your energy safe
It’s always reassuring to know that your gas appliances are safe and working well. And as
your energy supplier, your safety is paramount to us. Here is the important information
you need to ensure that your gas appliances are safe and in good working order.
Gas safety
It’s important that all gas appliances have an adequate air supply to operate safely and must
have a flue to remove the waste gases from your home.
Make sure air vents in doors, windows or walls are not blocked and that the flue from the fire
or boiler does not become blocked or obstructed.
Gas safety checks
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises all gas consumers to have their gas appliances
and fittings checked for safety annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
We offer a free annual gas safety check by a fully qualified engineer to our eligible Priority
Services Register customers upon request.
You’ll be eligible for a free annual gas safety check if you own and occupy your home, receive
a means tested benefit and
• you live with at least one child who is aged under five years; or
• you are of pensionable age, disabled or chronically sick and either;
- Live alone; or
- Live with others, all of whom are of pensionable age, disabled, chronically sick or under 18;
Important safety checks
• haven’t already received a gas safety check within the past 12 months.
Never
If you rent a property, your landlord is responsible for arranging an annual gas safety check.
• Use a gas appliance if you think that it’s not working properly
For more details, please contact us on 0800 027 0072.
• Cover an appliance or block the convection air vents
• Block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grills, air bricks or outside flues.
Warning signs
Your gas appliance may not be working properly if you notice:
• Yellow or orange coloured flames (except in fuel-effect fires)
• Sooty stains or scorch marks on or around gas appliances
• A pilot light that frequently blows out.
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Unsafe gas appliances
If during a gas safety check the engineer finds that an appliance is dangerous, it will
be condemned and cannot be used until it’s repaired or replaced and it no longer poses
any further danger. If this happens and you need support or advice, you can call the
Gas Safe Register enquiry number on 0800 408 5500 (lines open Monday to Thursday
9am-5.30pm and Friday 9am-5pm). Alternatively, visit gassaferegister.co.uk
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning is deadly, but can often be mistaken for flu or food poisoning.
Symptoms may include all or any of the following:
• recurring headaches
• nausea, sickness or stomach pains
• dizziness
• tiredness or drowsiness
• chest pains
Guard against carbon monoxide
• visual problems.
You can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but carbon monoxide gas can kill or seriously injure in just
a matter of hours. In the home environment, carbon monoxide gas can be produced by faulty
gas appliances. Please be aware of the following risks:
If you suffer from any of these – seek medical advice and:
• your gas appliance has not been properly installed
• Switch off the appliance and do not use it again until it has been checked by a Gas Safe
registered engineer
• your gas appliance is not working properly or has developed a combustion fault
• your gas appliance has not been regularly maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Other risks can include:
• not enough fresh air in the room
• blocked chimney or flue
• Get fresh air immediately. Open all doors and windows to ventilate the property
• Turn off the gas supply at the meter emergency control valve unless the meter is located
in the cellar/basement
• Call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999.
For further information and advice on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning,
please visit co-bealarmed.co.uk
• sleeping in a room that has a gas appliance, such as a conventional gas fire, which is not
room sealed.
If you suspect carbon monoxide leakage, call a Gas Safe registered engineer to investigate
and make repairs.
For more information about the Gas Safety Register visit
scottishpower.co.uk/customer-services/support/gas-safe-register
Gas emergencies
If you smell gas, or suspect there is a gas escape, you should immediately open all doors
and windows and shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve unless the meter is
located in the cellar/basement. Do not use naked flames or light switches or operate
electrical switches (ON or OFF).
Call the 24 hour National Gas Emergency Number 0800 111 999. Do not turn gas back
on until installation has been checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
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Help protect yourself with an audible
Carbon Monoxide Alarm that complies
with a relevant British or European
safety standard.
For more information on this and
other products, visit our Web Shop
at scottishpowershop.co.uk
Alternatively, call our Web Shop
team on 0800 001 5215
Monday to Friday 9am – 5.15pm.
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Our commitment to you
It’s vital to us that we deliver a level of service that meets our customers’ needs. We are dedicated
to doing our best for you and working hard to make it easy for you to manage YourEnergy. For more
information visit scottishpower.co.uk/treating-customers-fairly
Getting it right
We want to provide you with the best possible service. But if we make a mistake, or you
are unhappy with our service, please tell us and we will try to put things right, quickly and
effectively. If after contacting our Customer Service Centre you remain unhappy with the way
your query or complaint was handled, please ask to speak to our Customer Care Team.
Full details of our Complaint Handling Process, including our Customer Charter on ‘Complaint
Handling Procedure’, are available at scottishpower.co.uk/customer-services/complaints
If your complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks from the date of our receiving the complaint,
or you receive our final response letter and are still unhappy, you can contact the independent
Energy Supply Ombudsman on 0330 440 1624 or at ombudsman-services.org/energy
Our Customer Charters
To help you get the most from your energy account with us, we’ve produced a
series of Customer Charters, which give you useful information and set out our
obligations to you for the following:
• Your Gas and Electricity Bill
• Customers Requiring Additional Support
• Prepayment Meters (“Pay As You Go”)
• Complaint Handling Procedure
• Visiting Your Premises
• Warmth Without the Worry.
You can view and download these by visiting scottishpower.co.uk/customer-charters
Extra support
We want to give as much support as we can to those customers who need it. If you or anyone
else in your home is of pensionable age, has a chronic illness or disability, you may be eligible
for our Priority Services Register. For further information, please take a look at our ‘Customers
Requiring Additional Support’ Customer Charter, (scottishpower.co.uk/customer-charters) or
call us on 0800 027 0072. Your water company will also offer a range of additional services that
may be of help. You can find out more at ofwat.gov.uk or contact your water company directly.
More information about YourEnergy
We want to make sure you’re well equipped with the information you need to help you
take control of your energy. You can find the answers to frequently asked questions at
scottishpower.co.uk/customer-services
ScottishPower Hardship Fund
ScottishPower’s Hardship Fund aims to help customers experiencing difficulty paying their
energy bills due to low income or other circumstances. To be eligible, you must have contacted
a recognised Debt Advice agency such as the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 (Lines open
Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm, Saturday 9.30am to 1pm) to get free, independent debt advice.
You should then apply to the ScottishPower Hardship Fund via the independent administrator at
sedhardship.fund or by calling 0808 800 0128 (Lines open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm). If you
are successful in your application, the energy arrears on your account may be cleared or reduced.
*If you are supplied on one of our Online tariffs you’ll get an annual discount of £5.25 (incl. VAT)
per fuel. This is shown on your bill as a daily amount. For full details of ScottishPower’s Online
Energy Service terms and conditions, please visit scottishpower.co.uk This discount does not
apply if you are supplied on one of our Offline tariffs, even if you manage your account online.
**If ScottishPower supplies your gas and electricity at the same address you’ll get an annual
Gas & Electricity discount of £5.25 (incl. VAT) per fuel. This is shown on your bill as a daily amount.
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We want to help. If you have an enquiry about this leaflet, or any aspect of our service,
please contact us.
Letter
ScottishPower, Customer Care,
Cathcart Business Park,
Spean Street, Glasgow G44 4BE
Web
scottishpower.co.uk
Email
[email protected]
Lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 10pm,
Saturday 8.30am to 6pm.
Phone
0800 027 0072
Other useful contacts
Gas emergencies (24 hours)
0800 111 999
Energy Supply Ombudsman
0330 440 1624
ombudsman-services.org/energy
Welsh language and large print versions of this leaflet are available at
scottishpower.co.uk/standards
We understand the importance of keeping your personal details safe.
To find out more, visit getsafeonline.org
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SCP4174 OCT16
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