New technology puts consumers in full control of their energy spend

ScottishPower has simplified the way customers can purchase gas and electricity with the launch of ‘PowerUp’. Using a model similar to how people fill up their cars at the petrol station, for the first-time ever, consumers will be able to purchase ‘days’ of gas and electricity, with an app that allows them to keep an eye on their gauge, to manage their usage.

ScottishPower is responding to customer feedback calling for more transparency, simpler billing and greater convenience when it comes to understanding and managing their energy usage.

PowerUp allows customers to buy fuel in packages from one day, to a month, up to 180 days, upfront at a set price. Customers will track their usage via a new app, allowing them to easily understand their total spend in relation to what they use and how much they pay on a daily basis. There will be no ‘standing charges’ for customers paying via PowerUp, so if no energy is used on a given day, no charges will be applied.

Neil Clitheroe, Global Retail Director said: “Energy bills can be complicated, with customer research showing that 6 in 10 people don’t fully understand how their bill is calculated . Kilowatt hours, therms and calorific values are not terms that are easy to understand. Energy bills have consistently been voted the most confusing bills that consumers receive.

“Currently most people either pay a flat amount each month by direct debit or receive a quarterly bill in arrears. Either way there is very little connection between actual energy usage and how much a customer pays. Both of these factors have helped contribute to many customers feeling disengaged from their energy usage and indeed their energy supplier.

“But filling up a car at the petrol station is different. When we top up, we don’t tend to think about the 40 litres of unleaded in the tank – instead we think about the £50 that it has cost and how long it will last. Yet we all know that if we travel a bit further or faster than usual, that it will last a bit less than usual. Our fuel gauge then keeps us right in terms of when we next need to top up. Customers are far more engaged with efficiently managing their petrol consumption, and we think that will work for gas and electricity at home.

“PowerUp is the start of the age of personalised tariffs, and will use real consumption data to calculate a personal daily price. We believe it will encourage customers to be more conscious of their energy usage, because they will want to make their days last longer.”

PowerUp will initially be exclusively available to ScottishPower customers, from early October 2016. This reinforces ScottishPower’s commitment to ensure that existing customers get access to the best tariffs and products. PowerUp packages will include ScottishPower’s most competitive prices, and the company will consider when PowerUp will be launched to the wider market.

Notes to Editors:

PowerUp: buy, track, save. How it works:

• Customers can buy days of gas and electricity via the mobile app - from one to 180 days.
• ‘Days’ are based on a personalised forecast of how much energy an individual customer requires. ScottishPower uses detailed consumption history to calculate daily usage based on the time of the year.
• There is no ‘standing charge’ for customers paying via PowerUp.
• Customers can track how much energy they use, to see when they next need to PowerUp. Customers can view past and forecast consumption to help them better understand their energy spend.
• If an existing customer wants to register for PowerUp, they simply visit www.scottishpower.co.uk/powerup. It’s a quick and straightforward process, with detailed information and videos to show customers how to use and make the most of PowerUp.
• The PowerUp app will be available for download soon for iPhone, iPad and Android