A Cambridge guesthouse owner faced a shocking £61,520 charge from their gas supplier, Pozitive Energy, leaving them £55,000 overdrawn. Typically, their monthly gas bill is around £300, paid by direct debit.

The incident occurred in May, and multiple attempts to contact Pozitive Energy were unsuccessful, leaving the owner to reverse the payment and cancel the direct debit through their bank.

Over a month later, the issue remains unresolved, with the owner only receiving two emails acknowledging the complaint. Meanwhile, threatening letters demanding the £61,520 payment and warning of potential gas disconnection have arrived.

Troubleshooter Insight

The excessive charge was traced back to the installation of a new smart meter in March of the previous year. Pozitive Energy’s billing system, not updated with the new meter information, issued estimates for a year. When the meter began sending actual readings, Pozitive misinterpreted the data, resulting in the erroneous bill.

Upon investigation, Pozitive Energy corrected the issue and confirmed disconnection would not occur. The £61,520 bill was cancelled after it was discovered that the new meter’s initial reading misled the system into believing the usage was significantly higher.

Pozitive Energy asserted that readings are now accurate and future issues are not anticipated. However, an additional 33 bills totalling £8,481 were mistakenly sent, which have since been cancelled. The actual usage credit of £3,150 was refunded to the customer.

The customer expressed disappointment over the lack of compensation for the stress caused and is hopeful that further action will be taken.

96-Year-Old Unknowingly Paid for Unused Broadband

A 96-year-old man with dementia had been unknowingly paying both TalkTalk and Utility Warehouse for landline and broadband services, despite not having a computer. His power of attorney-holding child discovered the payments while managing his finances.

Contracts with both companies were cancelled, but discrepancies regarding service usage persisted. TalkTalk insisted that the necessary equipment was provided, yet their records showed no broadband usage since 2021. They refunded only the January bill and waived a small fee.

This situation highlights the importance of monitoring vulnerable individuals’ finances to prevent prolonged errors. TalkTalk expressed empathy but maintained that their service availability justified the charges.

For assistance with money-related issues, contact [email protected].