My vulnerable mum was horrified after British Gas sent her a letter saying her bill would be increased to £7k a month | The Sun
A MAN'S vulnerable mum was left horrified after British Gas sent her a letter increasing her bill to £7,000 a month.
Sylvia Dea, 78, from County Durham, received the shocking notice from the energy provider in December.
The grandma, who suffers with health issues and memory problems, struggled to understand the £87,000 annual bill she was hit with.
Getting help from her son Jon, 50, at the time, she passed it to him.
Describing the letter as a "mistake" and something which could have led to "tragic circumstances", Jon rang British Gas to query it.
He claims he was put on hold before the call was then disconnected.
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He told TeesideLive: "I'm lucky that she hasn't understood it.
"She's quite vulnerable, she suffers with, well we thought it was dementia but it's actually onset memory issues.
"She's still functional but she gets checked in by somebody every single day."
Jon explained the family were struck with devastation a few years ago when his auntie committed suicide because of debt.
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He added: "How would I feel if my mother had committed suicide because she thought she was now laboured with £87,000 a year through this."
British Gas admitted the letter was sent in error and corrected her monthly payment to £241 a month.
A spokesperson for the company said: "We’re sorry that we made a mistake when calculating Mrs Dea’s bill.
"This was quickly corrected and her new monthly payment is £241.08 per month.
"We have reached out to Mrs Dea to confirm this, and to apologise for the error.
"We had an opportunity to resolve this sooner when Mrs Dea’s son called us and are sorry for any distress this may have caused."
However Jon doesn't understand why such a huge figure was logged in the computer.
Questioning why the letter was ever sent out, he doesn't believe the response from British Gas has been adequate enough.
How to query direct debit payments
If you receive a bill you're not happy with or don't think is right, you can query it.
However, you should first use an energy calculator to double check your usage costs.
If you're still not happy you can take it to the independent Energy Ombudsman to dispute.
But first, your supplier must explain why it's chosen that amount for your direct debit.
If mistaken, your supplier must refund you or explain exactly why they're not going to – Ofgem, can fine suppliers if they don't.
If you are disputing a bill, taking a meter reading is a must.
You can find out more here.
Contact the Samaritans
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, contact The Samaritans on 116 123.
They are available for free at anytime.
Or email https://www.samaritans.org/
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
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