A PENSIONER has been threatened with debt collectors after seeing her bill soar from £120 a month to £4,600.
Phyllis Kennedy, 73, from Basingstoke, challenged her energy supplier Scottish Power over the bill, but said it is insisting the charge is correct.
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She told the Mirror: “I am worried they are going to turn off my power or debt collectors will turn up at my door.”
Phyllis said she got an email from Scottish Power in March saying her bills would be going up by £500 a year.
But on April 5, she got a text from the energy giant saying her latest bill was £4,606.
She sent photos of her meter reading and phoned up to question the charge, but she said Scottish Power told her the bill was correct.
She said: “It’s a small three-bedroom bungalow and I don’t understand how anyone could think I should be paying £4,600 a month. It’s insane.”
Scottish Power said it would put debt collectors on hold if Phyllis paid something, so she sent over £100, she claimed.
Phyllis is one of millions of households in debt with their energy company.
Six million customers owe money to their supplier, with the average debt standing at £188, Uswitch said.
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It estimated a quarter of customers at Scottish Power and E.ON are in energy debt.
It comes as energy bills soared for millions last month after the price cap was increased to £1,971 a year for an average household.
Experts have predicted that the cap could rise a further £600 in October, taking the average bill to £2,571.
The Sun approached Scottish Power for comment.
What to do if you think you’ve been overcharged
Resolver consumer expert Martyn James told The Sun that the best way to check if you’re being overcharged on your bills is to keep track of how much energy you are using.
The best way to do this is to take regular readings of your gas and electricity meter and take photos.
If you think you’re not using as much energy as what you’re being charged for, then you should get in touch with your provider and send them the pictures you have to try and get a better rate.
You might also want to check whether your meter is working properly.
Although Citizens Advice says meter faults are rare, they can happen – and it could be causing a billing mistake.
If you have a complaint about your energy company, then you should take it to the Energy Ombudsman.
They handle issues between customers and suppliers about bills, installations and delays, loss of service, customer service and switching suppliers.
If you’ve tried to resolve a problem with your provider and you’re getting nowhere, the Energy Ombudsman will look at your case and see if they can help you deal with the complaint.
Last year households were urged by Citizens Advice to check for billing blunders.
And from October 2022, all domestic energy customers will get a £200 rebate on their gas and electricity bill.
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