Janet McLaughlin has been locked in a power struggle for two years as energy firms battle over her electricity account.
The mum-of-seven has no idea who her supplier is after her meter was transferred without her consent or knowledge.
The power companies don’t seem to know either and neither does the Ombudsman.
Janet, 81, said: “I am worried sick and losing sleep at the thought of a huge bill. I want to pay my way but can’t because no one will take my money.”
Janet and husband John, 83, had been SSE customers for 15 years when their electricity bills suddenly stopped in April 2017.
The couple’s account was subject to an “erroneous transfer” and was mistakenly moved to another supplier.
Janet said: “I called SSE and they told me I’d switched, which was news to me.
“I later discovered a neighbour had a smart meter installed around that time. Our addresses are similar and I wonder if that caused a mix up.”
She spent hours on the phone to various suppliers over a period of months but no one would claim the account.
Janet tried to resolve the problem by changing supplier herself.
But her new firm told her it couldn’t take on the supply.
Janet said: “It told me I’d been supplied by British Gas until June 20, 2018, when Bulb took over. My daughter and grandson contacted these firms but the companies could find no record of our account.”
She wrote to the Ombudsman last July but was told it couldn’t help unless she had raised a complaint with her supplier.
That’s when Janet, of Bishopton, Renfrewshire, called me in.
She said: “I’m being passed from pillar to post. Please help.”
SSE and British Gas said Janet wasn’t a customer. But Bulb solved the mystery.
A spokesman said: “We took on the supply erroneously when a neighbour signed up.
“Janet and the neighbour’s details are incorrect on the national database.
“We’ve agreed a solution with Janet and we’ll update the database.”
