A couple’s energy bill went from being in credit to more than an astonishing £13,000 in debt overnight.
Stewart Neely, 54, usually pays £156 per month for gas and electricity to supplier OVO Energy via direct debit but found his account had gone from £189.99 in credit last Monday to £13,037.71 in arrears the next day.
He also claims previous meter readings and bills were altered to reflect the higher bill.
The dad of one and his wife Gayle believe the problem began when a smart gas and electric meter was installed at their four-bedroom detached house in Kilmarnock at the start of October. It was just weeks later that the huge bill came in.
Stewart contacted the firm and was shocked when the call handler asked if he would like to settle the balance over the phone. The couple’s direct debit payment had already been increased from £156 to £177 last month.
But last night, only after the Sunday Mail asked Ovo to explain the bill, they got in touch with the family to fix the error and offer a £150 bill credit.
Stewart, who is a police officer, said: “We changed to OVO energy for my gas and electricity supply last year after they took over SSE. We are always in credit on our account but I have been keeping a close eye on the bills and usage due to rising costs. Last week I checked my online account and it was £189 in credit, as expected.
“However, last Tuesday I checked my account and to my horror discovered I was £13,000 in debt.”
When approached by the Sunday Mail, an An OVO spokeswoman said: “We’re very sorry to Mr and Mrs Neely. We have corrected the error and they’ve accepted a goodwill amount in apology for the inconvenience caused.”
Gayle, 48, said: “I got a nice call from OVO to say everything was sorted and to say a £150 credit had been added to our account as a good will gesture.
“It turns out if had been one of their agents that had entered an electricity reading as a gas one.
“I’m in no doubt we wouldn’t have had it resolved as quickly if the Sunday Mail hadn’t got involved.”
OVO was launched in 2009 by former City trader Stephen Fitzpatrick and supplies energy to 4.5million customers.
In July, it was ranked the second worst energy supplier for customer service by Citizens Advice.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
