SCOTTISHPOWER cuts off entire restaurant

Striped Bass a restaurant in Glasgow has been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a major error by ScottishPower left the venue without electricity for nearly five hours on a busy Friday afternoon.

Owner Ian Fleming received an unannounced visit by a representative of the utility giant at lunchtime on Friday 5th September, during which a warrant was served and £3000 demanded to keep the electricity supply switched on.

With all bills fully up to date and no warning from ScottishPower that the action was about to take place, Fleming assumed that a mistake must have been made and spoke to a customer services adviser immediately.

Fleming explained further: "There have been three telephone calls from ScottishPower in the last nine months, looking for information confirming the transfer of tenancy and we have tried to provide them with everything that we could. At no time was a demand for cash made nor a shutdown of our supply threatened.

"Scottish Power recognised that Striped Bass had paid all its bills for the proceeding nine months in full and that we had taken on the tenancy from the previous incumbents, Barca Tapas. Despite this – and even though the warrant was in the name of Barca Tapas – they chose to shut Striped Bass down on a busy Friday lunchtime."

He continued; "After five hours of wrangling, plus handing over £3000 as a so-called security deposit – ScottishPower finally switched our electricity supply back on. We lost all of our lunchtime, afternoon and early evening trade, plus the goodwill of many customers, which you cannot put a price on. They had their meals ruined and a pleasant lunchtime turned into a terrible experience for them."

Fleming and his management team have now been advised that the taking of a security deposit is common practice by ScottishPower, though they had never been asked for one prior to 5th September.

Pauline McNeill, MSP (Glasgow Kelvin) said; "At a time when utility companies are getting a bad press for their lack of sensitivity to the economic situation facing many of their customers it is shocking to hear of a restaurant being cleared of diners enjoying their meals as a result of what appears to be a misunderstanding. I will be writing to Scottish Power to ask for an explanation and I hope in the future they will think twice before taking such heavy handed action."

Words: Clare Riley

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