ScottishPower has set out a package of commitments for its customers in order to help support people through the winter months. The company has also pledged to do even more to protect its most vulnerable customers during the winter period.

ScottishPower’s Winter Commitments include:

• Free insulation. The company will offer any qualifying household free loft and cavity wall insulation†, which could help to save up to £310 on an average energy bill.* There is no requirement to be a ScottishPower customer in order to qualify for this offer. To find out more go to call 0845 601 7836 (Lines open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5.30pm).
• A targeted tariff check campaign. ScottishPower will write to all its customers who pay for their energy on a quarterly basis, with a personalised quote to estimate how much they can save by making changes to their energy account. This builds on the success of our three-month tariff check campaign last winter, which resulted in just under 37,000 ScottishPower customers changing tariff and saving them more than £6.3 million.
• Warm Home Discount Guarantee. The Warm Home Discount scheme is a programme of support aimed at households who are living in, or are at risk of, fuel poverty. Certain customers will qualify automatically for a rebate and will receive a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions telling them this. Others can apply to ScottishPower for the rebate if they meet certain eligibility criteria**. In the second year of the scheme commencing on 1st April 2012, the rebate is £130. ScottishPower will not place any upper limit on the number of customers who can receive this rebate, should they meet the criteria. All customers who are eligible, and apply within the specified timeframe, will receive the discount. To find out more go to www.scottishpower.co.uk/warmhomediscount
• A debt recovery break for prepayment customers. ScottishPower has identified a group of its most vulnerable customers who are currently repaying a debt through their prepayment meter. The company will write to these customers and advise them that it will not be collecting any debt repayments for a 3 month period over the winter from December 2012 to February 2013. This should ensure that any payment made by these customers will be purely for energy that is used during the 3 month winter period.
• No Winter Disconnections. ScottishPower will not disconnect any customers for debt between November 2012 and February 2013. Disconnections are very rare, and would only ever follow a lengthy and detailed process. ScottishPower will never knowingly disconnect a vulnerable customer for debt under any circumstances.
• Fixed Prices For Two Winters.  Due to unprecedented demand from customers for a fixed price tariff ScottishPower recently launched a new fixed price tariff that will offer customers certainty on energy prices for the next two winters***. At the same time the tariff allows customers the flexibility to move to a different deal if one comes along as there is no cancellation charge

Neil Clitheroe, ScottishPower Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Retail and Generation said: “As winter approaches, we want to protect our customers by offering initiatives which can really make a difference. We want to help them make savings on their energy bills, whether by improving energy efficiency in the home, highlighting our cheapest tariff for them, or helping claim benefits that they are entitled to.

“It is also important that our most vulnerable customers have a service that they can rely on, and beyond our Winter commitments, we will be increasing the activity of our community liaison teams and customer service teams to offer further help and support.

“We would urge any customers worried about their energy bills to contact us to find out what assistance we can offer.”

Media information: Simon McMillan 0141 614 4582 mobile 07753 622257

†Terms and Conditions

• The offer is on a first-come-first-served basis and subject to change or withdrawal at any time. 
• Home insulation services will be carried out by a ScottishPower Energy Retail Ltd (SPERL) approved contractor – your property will receive a free, no obligation survey.
• This offer is only open to persons who reside in mainland Great Britain and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
• Only one application per household is permitted. SPERL has the right to remove any applications that appear to be duplicates, materially incorrect or fraudulent.
• If a property is deemed suitable for home insulation, after survey by a contractor, a team of insulation professionals will be made available to fit home insulation free of charge. There are some situations in which properties will not satisfy the eligibility requirements for free insulation – these include but are not limited to:

o If your property already has pre-existing cavity wall insulation or loft insulation that is more than 60mm thick.

o We are unable to insulate at least two thirds of the total loft surface area or cavity wall area of the property.

o If you have a large or non-standard property or specialist equipment is required to carry out the work this may incur a charge – any charges will be identified at time of initial survey

o Your home is rented and landlord permission has not been obtained. – Your home is a housing association or council property.

o SPERL reserves the right to cancel or amend this offer or these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

o The applicant’s personal details will be used by SPERL for the purpose of conducting this offer. SPERL may disclose an entrant’s personal information to any third party it engages to assist it in conducting the offer, fitting any insulation or communicating with the applicant.

o SPERL shall be entitled to refuse to install free insulation where an applicant has not carried out all preparatory work, including loft clearance, required by SPERL or its approved Contractor.
*Estimate based on installing cavity wall insulation and full loft insulation in an average gas semi-detached house with 3 bedrooms

**Broader Group eligibility criteria:

CRITERIA 1:

If you are a ScottishPower domestic electricity customer and someone in your household meets the eligibility criteria that person can apply for the Warm Home Discount rebate.

To qualify for the WHD you must receive at least one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance

OR, if the following statement applies you may also qualify

• Your total gross household income is less than £16,190
   

CRITERIA 2:

In addition you must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Have a child who was under 5 on the 1st of April 2012 permanently living in the house (born on or after 1 April 2007)
• Have a child entitled to free school meals
• Receive Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit which includes a disability element or severe disability element, disabled child element or severely disabled child element or family element
• Income Related Benefit which includes a disabled child premium, disability premium, severe disability premium or enhances disability premium
• Income Related Benefit which includes a Carers Premium
• Employment Support Allowance which includes a Work Related or Activity Component or Support Component
• Receive Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Attendance Allowance
• Be aged 62 or over
• Receives exemption from NHS prescription charges

*** †Online Fixed Price Energy March 2014 Offer key facts:

The Offer prices will remain fixed until 28th February 2014. The prices are fixed and will not change until 1st March 2014 but Direct Debit and / or bill amounts may vary depending on gas and / or electricity usage.

This Offer is only available to No Standing Charge customers who take both gas and electricity or electricity only, pay their bills by monthly Direct Debit, variable Direct Debit or online Debit Card, whose electricity meter is either a single or two rate meter and who manage their account online.
Full product Terms and Conditions apply. For details visit www.scottishpower.co.uk