A Dumfries pensioner had “a near heart attack” after being told his electricity bill could increase by 120 per cent.
Chick McKenna lives in a small one-bedroom flat in Briar Bank and usually pays £48 per month to Scottish Power for electricity.
The 76-year-old’s energy usage is so low at his home that his account is £200 in credit.
However, with his contract up soon and energy prices on the rise, Mr McKenna was stunned to be told over the phone that his Scottish Power bill will jump from £48 to £110 from next month.
The former council employee said: “When the woman came out with that figure of £110 – after I stopped spluttering and recovered from the near heart attack that she gave me – I said ‘there has to be a mistake’.
“She replied that energy prices had risen but I told her that I live in a one-bedroom flat. It’s actually not even a one-bedroom flat, it’s what used to be called a bedsitter.
“I’ve got a bathroom, a kitchen, and my bed in my living room. Over the past few years my energy usage has decreased.
“So, you could have knocked me down with a feather when the woman told me the price increase would be so big.
“I know people living in three-bedroom houses who don’t pay that amount in electricity.”
Mr McKenna described the increase as a “big hit” on his pension and is currently shopping around online to try and get a better deal.
Strangely, one price comparison site claimed that Scottish Power would deliver a cheaper quote than the one given to him over the phone.
While Mr McKenna is stressed about his living costs, he expressed concerns for the OAPs who have less to live on and won’t be able to afford to heat their homes.
“That’s the reality that pensioners are facing today,” he said. “In a country which produces 98.4 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, this is a disgraceful state of affairs.
“Whilst I am not yet in the fuel poverty category it will certainly not be the case for long.
“There needs to be an enquiry into these rising costs, particularly in regard to those who are likely to be more severely impacted by this.
“The choice is no longer between heating and eating. It is between living and dying.”
Scottish Power was approached for a comment.
