economy
'Quite shocking': why was a vulnerable customer sent a £8,400 energy bill?
ScottishPower apologises for charging error, as millions face higher costs under revised energy price cap
TL;DR
- Richard Palmer, a 76-year-old, was sent an incorrect energy bill of £8,400 by ScottishPower, forcing him to pay it using half his savings.
- The bill threatened to damage his credit history, causing him significant anxiety.
- ScottishPower attributed the error to an incorrect meter reading from 2022.
- The company has since refunded Palmer £9,000, apologized, and is discussing a goodwill payment.
- Palmer's account has been marked as vulnerable, and ScottishPower has introduced enhanced checks.
- The incident occurred amid news that the energy price cap in Great Britain will rise by 13% from July, affecting millions of households.
- Experts suggest that many people can avoid the price cap increase by switching to a fixed energy tariff.
- ScottishPower was previously ranked as Great Britain's worst energy supplier for customer service.