Observer helps out over gas shock

Scottish Power first billed the Warners of Meadow Crescent in February.

The family thought it would be easy to prove they did not owe any money as they had been using a gas card meter.

The bill related to a year spent in a mobile home in Buxton Drive while their council house was being demolished and rebuilt by the housing association.

The Warners - a family of five including mum Theresa, dad Robert and children Sarah, 15, Kimberly, 12 and Daniel 10 - were paying a steady 3 into the metre each week.

With no record of this, it wasn't easy to prove they did not owe anything. Phone call after phone call only delayed the debt collectors.

The Citizens Advice Bureau were able to help get the bill reduced to 865, but the Warners were still determined to prove they did not owe a penny.

"They have now reduced the amount to 865 as they say we have already paid part of it. We hadn't so there was obviously a mistake. We had paid with a gas card."

The last straw came on Wednesday.

"We had another letter this morning saying we have to pay within five days." said Theresa.

The Observer contacted Scottish Power after numerous phone calls from Theresa and housing association Rother Homes had no luck in clearing the debt.

After some investigation, Scottish Power rang Theresa.

"Apparently now I don't owe them any money." said Theresa. "They checked their records and apologised for the mistake and offered to pay 30 for the inconvenience caused."

Theresa was thrilled and relieved at the result, after feeling desperate at the constant demands and fear of debt collectors arriving.

Scottish Power spokesman Jane Hearne said: "We apologise to the Warners for the mistake, we were at fault.

"When the meter was installed we started it with a meter reading - lets say for arguments sake it was two thousand units - but started billing from one unit.

"We have written off the amount now.

"We will give them 30 for the inconvenience caused by this."