A Dumfries pensioner is celebrating after electricity giant Scottish Power scrapped the £22,000 bill they said he owed – and actually refunded him more than £2,500.
Retired marine engineer Bill Glasson said he got the shock of his life when he was hit with three electricity bills for more than £22,000 each within the space of a week.
Despite numerous attempts to address the matter with the company and find out what was happening, the frustrated 85-year-old said he was “getting nowhere” and was “stressed up to his eyeballs”.
But after the Standard stepped in, Scottish Power backtracked and admitted Bill and wife Margaret, 81, had actually overpaid by more than £2,000.
And the company also agreed to give the Glassons a further goodwill payment of £500 as well as an apology for the “failures in the service provided”.
Thrilled Bill said: “I’m over the moon and feel like all the stress has just gone.
“My wife was carted off to the hospital last Wednesday morning after we got the last bill so when I phoned her and told her the good news, she said it was great and she’d be able to buy the new suite she’s wanted for a while.
“I suppose that’s where the money will be going.”
He added: “When we got the last bill for £22,600 I’d had enough but didn’t know where to turn to next for help.
“After years of problems with Scottish Power it was all sorted within hours after I contacted the Standard.
“I can relax now and buy the suite my wife wants which is great.
“I hope other people who might be going through the same thing don’t just accept it if they know their bill is wrong.
“I’d hate to think of people paying thousands of pounds they don’t owe just because they’re scared and don’t understand what’s happening.”
A Scottish Power spokesman said: “We’re very sorry for the significant errors with Mr and Mrs Glasson’s energy bills and the poor customer service they experienced following a change to their electricity meter in 2014.
“The billing issues should have been picked up and addressed much earlier and we failed to do so, which is unacceptable.”
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