Ofgem contacts Scottish Power after debt team raids wrong address
Ofgem has opened discussions with Scottish Power, after BBC Scotland revealed debt enforcers sent by the energy supplier broke into a woman’s flat in Glasgow to seek payments for debts she did not owe.
Two uniformed were caught on camera tampering with locks before going into the flat and identifying themselves as Scottish Power representatives.
The woman who owns the flat was on holiday at the time and was not a customer of the energy supplier.
The energy firm has since admitted the error, apologised and offered compensation.
An Ofgem spokesman told City A.M.: “We treat seriously all allegations of customers not being treated fairly and take action where appropriate. We have contacted Scottish Power over their investigation into the allegations reported by the BBC. We don’t comment on any ongoing engagement with suppliers.”
In a statement, Scottish Power said: “This was our error and we apologised directly to the customer and offered them compensation earlier this year”.
According to her father Donald Maciver, she received live doorbell footage on August 20 of the men attempting to gain entry and tried to communicate with them.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said: “She tried to engage with them through the intercom and they chose to ignore that, and then watched for a period of 43 seconds as two guys walked through the door.”
Mr Maciver revealed after learning of the break-in from his daughter, he drove from his home in St Andrews to the property in Glasgow to investigate, and found a letter from a debt collection firm addressed to someone who did not live in the flat.
After multiple complaints, Scottish Power eventually apologised and had removed his duaghter’s details from the system, alongside an offer of £500 as a gesture of goodwill.