Gas meter fiasco leaves Doreen cold

Mar 17 2008 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

OAPs £860 bill is followed by one for £1.03

A PENSIONER has been receiving bills worth hundreds of pounds – only days apart from each other.

Doreen Wild received one bill for more than £860 then another for as little as £1.03p.

The problems began in 2006 when British Gas fitted a new meter at her Royds Avenue home.

Since then Mrs Wild, 78, has been overcharged and encountered hassle from British Gas every time she tries to complain.

And despite her daughter-in-law Janet Wild contacting British Gas many times, the problem has still not been resolved.

Janet Wild said: “It is so upsetting for her as she just wants it sorting out. For someone of her age, it can be quite worrying to keep receiving bills for all this money.

“It is also upsetting for me too because I am doing all I can to sort it out but getting nowhere.”

Mrs Wild received her last bill for £247.32 which was reduced to £200 as a goodwill gesture by British Gas for all the problems. But just days later, she received a further bill for more than £580.

Mrs Wild added: “She has been with British Gas forever, she’s never changed companies or anything.

“She just feels devastated every time she receives a bill through the post.

“When will it ever end?”

Mrs Wild had her meter replaced on September 15, 2006. But every time a meter reader arrives, they tell her it is not working accurately.

So when her daughter-in-law called British Gas to find out what the problem was, she was reassured it would be sorted - in 2006!

She added: “The meter readers always say “it’s wrong because it’s not the right meter” but we have phoned so many times and they always promise to get it sorted.

“I know the bills can’t be right as they are always too much, but every time I call I’m always told “we’ll get it sorted” and I always hope they do.

“But then we get another bill for a daft amount and I know they haven’t.”

British Gas said: “We apologise if Mrs Wild has experienced problems with her British Gas account. We’re investigating her complaint and hope to reach a resolution as soon as possible.”