Scottish Power

Citizens Advice rating

Integrated energy supplier. Products & services: Gas, Electricity.

Updated: 2 August 2026

Company Overview

Industry: Energy supply (gas and electricity)
Parent company: Iberdrola
Regulator: Ofgem
Ombudsman: Energy Ombudsman
Founded: 1998 (ScottishPower Energy Retail Limited incorporated 14 October 1998)
Legal entity: ScottishPower Energy Retail Limited (SC190287)

1,499Complaints per 100,000 accounts
62%Complaints resolved by end of the same or next working day
2.94out of 5Citizens Advice star rating

What customers complain about

Customers most often complain to ScottishPower about billing and metering, the accuracy and timeliness of bills, and how long complaints take to resolve. Its own Ofgem-required data shows an above-average complaint rate, and Citizens Advice scored it 2.94 out of 5 (10th of suppliers) for Jan-Mar 2026, with 'fewer complaints received' its weakest component. ScottishPower has a significant enforcement history: Ofgem secured £18m in consumer redress in 2016 after more than a million complaints tied to a botched IT rollout, an £8.5m mis-selling package in 2013, and a £1.5m package in 2024 for overcharging some direct-debit customers. Complaints go first to ScottishPower's team through a three-stage process; if unresolved after eight weeks or on a deadlock letter, customers can take the case free to the Energy Ombudsman.

Complaint categories

1
Billing and metering accuracy
Bills, meter readings and account accuracy are a recurring source of complaints to ScottishPower. In the Citizens Advice Jan-Mar 2026 assessment ScottishPower scored 2.8 out of 5 on billing and metering, with smart-meter bills reported 97.55% accurate and traditional-meter bills 91.47% accurate.
Citizens Advice energy supplier customer service assessment, ScottishPower details, Jan-Mar 2026.
2
Complaint volumes relative to customer base
ScottishPower's complaint volume is comparatively high: its own Q2 2025 data showed 1,499 complaints per 100,000 accounts against an industry average of about 1,052, and Citizens Advice scored it just 1.5 out of 5 on 'fewer complaints received' in Jan-Mar 2026 - its lowest component score.
ScottishPower Complaints Performance page (Q2 2025) and Citizens Advice ScottishPower details (Jan-Mar 2026).
3
Speed of resolving complaints
How quickly complaints are resolved has been a documented weakness. ScottishPower's Q2 2025 data showed 62% resolved by end of the next working day and 88% within eight weeks, both below the fastest suppliers, and Ofgem's 2016 enforcement specifically cited slow resolution and unimplemented Ombudsman rulings.
ScottishPower Complaints Performance page (Q2 2025) and Ofgem £18m enforcement statement, 26 April 2016.

Latest statistics

88%Complaints resolved within 8 weeksQ2 2025 (Apr-Jun 2025)
2.94out of 5Citizens Advice star ratingJan-Mar 2026 (ranked 10th of suppliers)

Two separate official sources. ScottishPower's own Ofgem-required 'Complaints Performance' page (most recent quarter identified is Q2 2025) and the Citizens Advice quarterly energy supplier star rating (Jan-Mar 2026). Figures cover the periods stated. Note the two sources measure complaints differently (ScottishPower's own broad regulatory definition per 100,000 accounts vs the Citizens Advice complaints-received measure per 10,000 customers), so the two complaint rates are not directly comparable.

Contact methods

Complaint journey

1
Contact ScottishPower's complaints team
Raise the complaint at the first point of contact.
Typical responseSame or next working day (62% of cases, Q2 2025)
What happens
Raise your issue by webchat (7am-11pm, seven days), phone (0345 270 0700, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), email (contactus@scottishpower.co.uk) or post to ScottishPower Customer Services, 320 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5AD. Have your account number to hand so your call can be routed to the right department. ScottishPower's Q2 2025 data shows 62% of complaints are resolved by end of the same or next working day.
2
Ask for it to be escalated
Escalate within ScottishPower's three-stage process if unresolved.
Typical responseVaries
What happens
If you are not satisfied with the first response, ask ScottishPower to escalate your complaint within its three-stage process, where it is passed to a complaints handler or manager for further review. Keep a written record of each contact and the outcome you are told.
3
Get a deadlock letter or wait 8 weeks
ScottishPower confirms it can go no further, or eight weeks pass.
Typical response8 weeks
What happens
If ScottishPower cannot resolve your complaint, it can issue a written 'deadlock letter' confirming its final position and giving the details you need for the Energy Ombudsman. You can also go to the Ombudsman once eight weeks have passed since you first complained, even without a deadlock letter.
4
Refer to the Energy Ombudsman
Take the deadlocked dispute to the free, independent Ombudsman.
Typical responseBinding decision
What happens
Take the dispute, free of charge, to the Energy Ombudsman (0330 440 1624; enquiry@energyombudsman.org; PO Box 966, Warrington WA4 9DF). Its decision is binding on ScottishPower if you accept it, and it can direct an apology, action or compensation.

Response times

ScottishPower handles complaints through a three-stage process and aims to resolve issues quickly where it can - its Q2 2025 data shows 62% of complaints resolved by end of the same or next working day and 88% within eight weeks. The key regulatory milestone is eight weeks: if your complaint is unresolved eight weeks after you first raised it, or ScottishPower issues a deadlock letter sooner, you can escalate free to the Energy Ombudsman, whose decision is binding on ScottishPower if you accept it.

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Scottish Power can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

Energy Ombudsman

Recent news

31 March 2026
In the Citizens Advice energy supplier star rating for Jan-Mar 2026, ScottishPower scored 2.94 out of 5 and ranked 10th, with its lowest component being 'fewer complaints received' (1.5 out of 5) but a strong contact-waiting-time score (4.0 out of 5; average call wait 1 minute 16 seconds).
Read more
16 April 2024
Ofgem announced a £1.5m package after ScottishPower mistakenly overcharged 1,699 direct-debit customers a higher standard-credit rate between 2015 and 2023 (average overcharge £149). ScottishPower paid £250,000 in direct refunds and £250,000 in goodwill payments, plus £1m to the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Fund.
Read more

Earlier cases

26 April 2016
Historic: Ofgem secured £18 million in consumer redress from ScottishPower after an investigation into its complaint resolution, call handling and billing during and after a new IT-system rollout. ScottishPower received more than a million complaints between June 2013 and December 2015, over 300,000 customers got late final bills, and thousands of Ombudsman rulings were not implemented within the required 28 days. Up to £15m went to vulnerable affected customers and the remainder to charity.
Read more
24 October 2013
Historic: ScottishPower agreed to pay £8.5 million to benefit consumers following an Ofgem investigation into its doorstep and telephone sales. Between October 2009 and January 2012 its agents gave inaccurate comparisons and estimates; Ofgem found no deliberate strategy to mis-sell but inadequate training and monitoring. A £1m compensation fund was set up, with £7.5m delivered via the Warm Home Discount scheme.
Read more

Know your rights

Gas and Electricity (Consumer Complaints Handling Standards) Regulations 2008
These rules require licensed suppliers like ScottishPower to receive, record, handle and resolve complaints properly and to signpost the Energy Ombudsman. They are among the standards central to Ofgem's investigations into ScottishPower's complaint handling. This is general information, not legal advice.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Energy supply and related services must be provided with reasonable care and skill; where a service falls short you can seek to have it put right. This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a complaint to ScottishPower?

Start with ScottishPower's complaints team: webchat (seven days, 7am-11pm), phone 0345 270 0700 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), email contactus@scottishpower.co.uk, or write to ScottishPower Customer Services, 320 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5AD. It uses a three-stage process, so have your account number ready.

When can I go to the Energy Ombudsman about ScottishPower?

Once ScottishPower sends you a deadlock letter, or if eight weeks have passed since you first complained without resolution. The Energy Ombudsman (0330 440 1624) is free and independent, and its decision is binding on ScottishPower if you accept it.

How good is ScottishPower at handling complaints?

Its own Q2 2025 figures report 1,499 complaints per 100,000 accounts (above the industry average of about 1,052), with 62% resolved by the next working day and 88% within eight weeks. Citizens Advice scored ScottishPower 2.94 out of 5 (ranked 10th) for customer service in Jan-Mar 2026.

Has ScottishPower been fined by Ofgem?

ScottishPower has repeatedly faced Ofgem action: an £18m consumer-redress package in 2016 over customer-service and billing failings after an IT-system change, an £8.5m mis-selling package in 2013, and a £1.5m package in 2024 for overcharging some direct-debit customers. Ofgem enforces the rules; individual disputes are resolved by the Energy Ombudsman.

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