Energy firms hound customers over money they don’t even owe
Homeowners threatened with debt collectors over incorrect bills
By Will Kirkman: 14 May 2021
Martin Stanley, 48, from Leicester, was forced to pay nearly £400 after being threatened with debt collectors and a default against his credit file by SSE, after it incorrectly increased his final bill.
Mr Stanley had tried to switch from SSE to Shell Energy, but after submitting a final reading, was told that it was too low compared to industry data. Shell then based his starting reading on the “estimated usage”. This meant Mr Martin suddenly owed £675 to his old supplier.
Not only did he face paying for gas that he had not used, he was also charged on his old and more expensive tariff.
A Shell Energy spokesman said the meter reading dispute could take up to six weeks to resolve but it would update Mr Stanley every five working days.
An SSE spokesman said the meter reading used was estimated incorrectly by Shell.
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