Couple hit with £13,000 energy bill after switching to smart meter
Couple switch to smart meter and are horrified to be charged £13,000 gas and electricity bill in one night
- Couple has expressed ‘horror’ after being hit with £13,000 energy bill overnight
- Stewart and Gayle Neely from Kilmarnock went from being in credit to huge debt
- Family believes problems started when they installed smart meter in October
- Supplier OVO energy apologised for mistake and topped up the couple’s credit
A couple has expressed their ‘horror’ at being hit with a whopping £13,000 gas and electricity bill after they installed a smart meter in their four-bedroom home in Kilmarnock.
Stewart and Gayle Neely usually keep a close eye on their bills and pay £156 per month for their gas and electricity, which went up to £177 last month.
But after checking his balance on supplier OVO Energy’s website, Stewart was shocked to find that overnight it had shot up to over £13,000.
When he logged on last Monday, the 54-year-old found his account had gone from £189.99 in credit to £13,037.71 in debt, the Daily Record reports.
Stewart and Gayle Neely usually keep a close eye on their bills and pay £156 per month for their gas and electricity, which went up to £177 last month
The couple eventually discovered that one of OVO’s agents had accidentally entered their gas reading instead of electricity, Gayle said
Stewart, a police officer, was again horrified when he called up the company to ask about the huge sum, with the handler asking him if he would like to settle the balance over the phone.
The father-of-one even claims that previous meter readings were adjusted in line with the higher bill.
The couple think the confusion began when they installed a smart meter just weeks before.
The couple think the confusion began when they installed a smart meter just weeks before
They eventually discovered that one of OVO’s agents had accidentally entered their gas reading instead of electricity, Gayle said.
The firm did not sort the error out until it was asked to explain the bill by Scotland’s Sunday Mail newspaper.
OVO apologised to the family and informed them they had fixed the error last night, and topped their account up with £150 credit as a good will gesture.
Stewart 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.’
OVO apologised to the family and informed them they had fixed the error last night, and topped their account up with £150 credit as a good will gesture
Gayle, 48, said she had received a ‘nice call’ from the supplier setting everything right after days of confusion.
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.’
It comes as families across Britain face soaring energy bills, with many keeping a close eye on their bills as the cost-of-living crisis continues and temperatures drop.
After becoming Chancellor last month, Jeremy Hunt announced the Government will drastically cut short the its support scheme from two years to six months.
The scheme, which aims to keep average annual household bills below £2,500 amid soaring energy prices, will be replaced in April, potentially forcing bills up for millions of households.
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