Latest news with #energybill
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Pensioner told to pay £24k energy bill for ‘empty' second home
A pensioner has been hit with a 'crazy' £24,000 energy bill on her holiday home despite it being empty for most of the year. Lin Lawler, 70, who owns Grange Farmhouse in Hainford, Norfolk, claimed her monthly electricity bill shot up from less than £200 a month to more than £2,000 due to a faulty smart meter. Her energy supplier, Smartest Energy, is now chasing her for £24,010 and has ordered her to repay £2,000 a week. This is despite the homeowner claiming her five-bedroom 50-acre property with adjoining annex is only used for around 100 days a year when let out as a holiday rental. Ms Lawler said the property's energy use was typically modest, with an average electricity bill of around £200 a month and said the debt had pushed her to the brink of financial ruin. She said: 'I just can't afford it. They've got their hands around my throat and their hands in my pocket.' Ms Lawler said she was stunned when she started receiving monthly bills totalling thousands of pounds. In February, the company charged her £3,217 for a month's worth of electricity. The pensioner said she complained numerous times to Smartest Energy's customer service team, and alleged a call handler 'slipped up' by admitting the company was unable to communicate with their smart meter. Ms Lawler said: 'One of them said the readings were like that of a factory and I should only be paying about £200 a month, not thousands. 'He said he was condemning the meter as it was faulty and not communicating properly.' She added: 'I just can't afford it. They've got their hands around my throat and their hands in my pocket.' Ms Lawler claimed that when she replaced her meter in March, her bills immediately dropped. Her bill for May was £183, compared to £1,675 the year before. She contacted the Energy Ombudsman. However, the adjudicator ultimately ruled in Smartest Energy's favour due to a lack of evidence that the meter was over-recording. Successive governments have pushed for all households to have a smart meter fitted – the Tories had hoped that all homes would have one by 2020. The target has since been downgraded to 74.5pc by the end of the year. The rollout has stalled amid reports that the technology is prone to faults, and that some are unable to send readings back to suppliers remotely, leading to customers being sent sky-high bills that do not reflect their usage. The National Audit Office said in 2023 that 37pc of smart meter customers surveyed by Smart Energy GB, the company tasked with rolling out the devices nationally, reported having issues with their smart meter, including no automatic readings, inaccurate bills, and the connected handheld device not showing any information. Smartest Energy is still demanding £24,000 from Ms Lawler. Broadland and Fakenham MP Jerome Mayhew said Ms Lawler's situation was 'a crazy case' and pledged to support her. He said: 'I have contacted Smartest Energy to make sure that this case is properly investigated and my team will continue to support Ms Lawler until she gets a successful resolution.' A spokesman for the Energy Ombudsman said: 'The Energy Ombudsman offers a free and independent service to help resolve disputes between energy suppliers and consumers. 'In the initial complaint, we determined that usage at the property was relatively high, but there wasn't enough evidence to show the meter was over-recording. 'We therefore recommended that Ms Lawler request a meter accuracy test. 'Following the completion of the remedies, it is clear that Ms Lawler remains in dispute with the supplier and therefore we're now going to look at the matter again.' A Smartest Energy spokesman said: 'We continue to speak directly with Ms Lawler and the Energy Ombudsman to reach a resolution with the present case. They added: 'While the Energy Ombudsman originally concluded that there was not sufficient evidence of over-recording with Ms Lawler's energy meter, we recognise that a new case has been raised. We will continue to work with all necessary parties to resolve the issue and will be guided by the Energy Ombudsman's decision.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warm home discount to be extended to 2.7 million more households
Energy bill discounts of £150 will be extended to another 2.7 million households to help with fuel costs next winter. This brings the number of households eligible for the warm home discount up to just over 6 million, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed after a consultation. The changes remove some restrictions on eligibility and mean every bill payer on means-tested benefits will qualify. Some 900,000 families with children and 1.8 million homes in fuel poverty are set to benefit from the payment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill. 'Providing security and peace of mind for working people is deeply personal to me as Prime Minister and foundational for the Plan for Change. 'I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference.' Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Millions of families will get vital support with the cost of living this coming winter, demonstrating this government's commitment to put money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change. The Conservatives criticised the move, saying energy prices are expected to keep climbing overall. Andrew Bowie, the acting shadow energy secretary, said: 'Labour promised to cut everyone's energy bills by £300 but they have increased by £280 and are forecast to keep going up. 'Energy bills need to come down but this announcement will cut bills for just a quarter of households whilst increasing them for everyone else. 'Kemi Badenoch and I have been clear that net zero by 2050 is impossible without bankrupting Britain and making hard-working families worse off.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Energy Debt with Iona Bain
Here are some handy links with more information on managing your energy debt:Here, external is a link to Citizens Advice where you can find a list of grants that are available from different energy providers. Here, external is a link to a USwitch guide on how to read you energy bill, including where to find the amount of energy you've used.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warm home discount to be extended to 2.7 million more households
Energy bill discounts of £150 will be extended to another 2.7 million households to help with fuel costs next winter. This brings the number of households eligible for the warm home discount up to just over 6 million, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed after a consultation. The changes remove some restrictions on eligibility and mean every bill payer on means-tested benefits will qualify. Some 900,000 families with children and 1.8 million homes in fuel poverty are set to benefit from the payment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill. 'Providing security and peace of mind for working people is deeply personal to me as Prime Minister and foundational for the Plan for Change. 'I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference.' Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Millions of families will get vital support with the cost of living this coming winter, demonstrating this government's commitment to put money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change. The Conservatives criticised the move, saying energy prices are expected to keep climbing overall. Andrew Bowie, the acting shadow energy secretary, said: 'Labour promised to cut everyone's energy bills by £300 but they have increased by £280 and are forecast to keep going up. 'Energy bills need to come down but this announcement will cut bills for just a quarter of households whilst increasing them for everyone else. 'Kemi Badenoch and I have been clear that net zero by 2050 is impossible without bankrupting Britain and making hard-working families worse off.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Warm home discount to be extended to 2.7 million more households
Energy bill discounts of £150 will be extended to another 2.7 million households to help with fuel costs next winter. This brings the number of households eligible for the warm home discount up to just over 6 million, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed after a consultation. The changes remove some restrictions on eligibility and mean every bill payer on means-tested benefits will qualify. Some 900,000 families with children and 1.8 million homes in fuel poverty are set to benefit from the payment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill. 'Providing security and peace of mind for working people is deeply personal to me as Prime Minister and foundational for the Plan for Change. 'I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference.' Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Millions of families will get vital support with the cost of living this coming winter, demonstrating this government's commitment to put money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change. The Conservatives criticised the move, saying energy prices are expected to keep climbing overall. Andrew Bowie, the acting shadow energy secretary, said: 'Labour promised to cut everyone's energy bills by £300 but they have increased by £280 and are forecast to keep going up. 'Energy bills need to come down but this announcement will cut bills for just a quarter of households whilst increasing them for everyone else. ' Kemi Badenoch and I have been clear that net zero by 2050 is impossible without bankrupting Britain and making hard-working families worse off.'
