Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

The Guardian - UK

Business

Anna Tims

Bills you don’t owe, menacing debt collectors: the terrifying world of energy company customers

MP Scottish Power British Gas Octopus Ovo Observer

A calculator on a pile of bills displaying the word 'help' on its screen — Customers scream out for help when pursued by energy companies determined to make them pay …even if they are not a customer. Photograph: Tommaso Altamura/Alamy

Periodically, I electrify readers with a drama about energy bills. Before you switch off, let me assure you that utilities companies are masters of suspense. Read on if you dare:

Act I

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

German court orders detention of former intelligence chief after spying arrest

German court orders detention of former intelligence chief after spying arrest

August Hanning, 80, appears before judge after being accused of treason and espionage on behalf of foreign state

The Guardian - UK

Denny Hamlin had 'no idea' that he gave Kyle Larson the wave-around by pitting

Denny Hamlin had 'no idea' that he gave Kyle Larson the wave-around by pitting

Hamlin inadvertently gave his main title rival the wave-around early in the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas, and still didn't know about Larson's early struggles when he spun out

Vegas woman wins $29.5M settlement after spending 15 years in prison based on murder evidence fabricated by cops

Vegas woman wins $29.5M settlement after spending 15 years in prison based on murder evidence fabricated by cops

Kirsten Lobato was arrested for murder when she was 18 and later jailed, spending nearly 16 years behind bars

The Independent UK

Christa Pike’s lawyer says request to unshackle her from hospital bed denied as he confirms she is speaking ‘limitedly’ – live

Christa Pike’s lawyer says request to unshackle her from hospital bed denied as he confirms she is speaking ‘limitedly’ – live

Judge grants emergency motion to preserve evidence from execution attempts after Pike wakes up in hospital

The Guardian - US

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Trump administration sued over plans to send election monitors to voting sites

Trump administration sued over plans to send election monitors to voting sites

NAACP files lawsuit after head of DoJ’s civil rights division says she hopes to send election monitors to polls

The Guardian - US

Michigan woman accused of hiding $1.66 million after reporting $39,960

Michigan woman accused of hiding $1.66 million after reporting $39,960

A Michigan woman admitted filing federal tax returns that understated her income by more than $1.6 million, with prosecutors saying the money included cash taken from her employer and gambling proceeds. According to the IRS, Erin Patti-Coveyou of Moran, Michigan, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a federal…

The Times of India

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

German court orders detention of former intelligence chief after spying arrest

German court orders detention of former intelligence chief after spying arrest

August Hanning, 80, appears before judge after being accused of treason and espionage on behalf of foreign state

The Guardian - UK

Denny Hamlin had 'no idea' that he gave Kyle Larson the wave-around by pitting

Denny Hamlin had 'no idea' that he gave Kyle Larson the wave-around by pitting

Hamlin inadvertently gave his main title rival the wave-around early in the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas, and still didn't know about Larson's early struggles when he spun out

Vegas woman wins $29.5M settlement after spending 15 years in prison based on murder evidence fabricated by cops

Vegas woman wins $29.5M settlement after spending 15 years in prison based on murder evidence fabricated by cops

Kirsten Lobato was arrested for murder when she was 18 and later jailed, spending nearly 16 years behind bars

The Independent UK

Christa Pike’s lawyer says request to unshackle her from hospital bed denied as he confirms she is speaking ‘limitedly’ – live

Christa Pike’s lawyer says request to unshackle her from hospital bed denied as he confirms she is speaking ‘limitedly’ – live

Judge grants emergency motion to preserve evidence from execution attempts after Pike wakes up in hospital

The Guardian - US

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Trump administration sued over plans to send election monitors to voting sites

Trump administration sued over plans to send election monitors to voting sites

NAACP files lawsuit after head of DoJ’s civil rights division says she hopes to send election monitors to polls

The Guardian - US

Michigan woman accused of hiding $1.66 million after reporting $39,960

Michigan woman accused of hiding $1.66 million after reporting $39,960

A Michigan woman admitted filing federal tax returns that understated her income by more than $1.6 million, with prosecutors saying the money included cash taken from her employer and gambling proceeds. According to the IRS, Erin Patti-Coveyou of Moran, Michigan, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a federal…

The Times of India

Our Picks

That Cute Squishy Toy Contains Water Beads — CPSC Says Stop Using It

A colorful squishy toy that looks like an innocent stress reliever may hide something parents cannot see: expandable water beads. About 37,000 Squishy Dumpling and Crazy Squib Ball toys were recalled on October 1 after regulators determined that their water beads could expand beyond federal limits and create a potentially…

Kids Ain't Cheap

103-year-old World War II veteran still runs a basement bar in Maryland that would be illegal to open today

At 103, World War II veteran Irvin Koch is still behind the counter at Irv’s Basement Bar in Maryland, a watering hole he has run since 1963. But there is a surprising reason his unusual home-based bar has survived for more than six decades: modern zoning rules would make it…

The Economic Times

Travis Barker hospitalised

Travis Barker has shared photos from hospital, where his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, and daughter, Alabama Barker, were by his side.

Man goes to Tim Hortons and sees some Harry Potter-themed donuts. Then he takes a closer look: ‘I was deeply concerned’

Those are definitely not going to the Hogwarts feast!

We Got This Covered

Ex-Dunkin’ worker says her paycheck was withheld. Then she airs alleged dirty laundry about drinks, creamers, and more: ‘When you’re not looking’

She allegedly was treated differently after getting a new job

We Got This Covered

Ultraprocessed Meal Raised Insulin More Than a Calorie-Matched Whole-Food Meal in Small Virginia Tech Brain Imaging Trial

Two 300-calorie meals with matching nutrients drew different insulin and metabolic responses in a small Virginia Tech trial. Here is what it means.

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play