‘Quite shocking’: why was a vulnerable customer sent a £8,400 energy bill?

‘The urgency of the letter caused him significant distress and he felt he had no choice but to pay the full amount on the spot,’ the customer’s daughter said. Photograph: Posed by model; Halfpoint/Getty

The energy bill from ScottishPower sent Richard Palmer into an immediate panic. It said he had to pay more than £8,400 straight away or risk his credit history being impaired for years.

The 76-year-old felt he had no option so he paid the bill, using half of his savings to do so, even though it amounted to nine times what his annual payment would normally be.