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The repayment of a £2,076 electricity bill debit is making a massive difference in more ways than one to a customer.

Sorting out the muddle and ending the need for Diane Best to fill in more forms will ease the pressure on her too as she copes with life as a widow. 

++ If you've been affected by this issue or feel you've been a victim of injustice, please contact consumer champion Maisha Frost on [email protected] ++;

Yet another casualty of supplier Bulb’s chaotic management prior to its collapse in November 2021 followed by Octopus Energy’s takeover, Diane was still struggling with the fallout and

trying to set her account straight when she came to Crusader a couple of weeks ago. 

And like some others doing their best to read their meters and file usage numbers, she had slipped up in the past.

READ MORE: Mortgage misery forces widow to sell home and continue working into retirement

An Economy 7 customer, she had filed the same readings for day and night rates which had put her seriously out of sync with her direct debits. 

On realising her error in June last year, she sent in correct reads and meter photos. “But Bulb continued to make estimates,” Diane told Crusader. 

“Then from October until January before it moved to Octopus, they reduced my direct debit to £1 a month because of the credit they said I had. 

“But this was immediately followed by a statement from Octopus showing I was in £2,000 of debt. I explained to them that Bulb had not increased my debit despite my sending in correct

readings. It was all so confusing and unfair.

“The next I knew was last month when I saw I had been debited for the £2,076. I was then asked to complete another form for an affordability specialist. The worry has been terrible.”

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We sent the saga to Octopus, also pointing out Diane’s struggles and honest attempts to rectify matters before they got out of hand.

In a fantastic and fair outcome, Octopus has now agreed to return the payment so the debt is cleared. And, in a way it was unaware of when it made the decision, that has had even more impact

because of Diane’s particular circumstances. 

 “This is such a weight off my shoulders as I budget for a life living alone, thank you all,” was her heartfelt response.

You are no longer using gas, but where do you stand on any standing charge? We’re getting asked more often about this lately and it is something to keep an eye on in bills. The rule is if

your gas meter has been fully disconnected and the supply point removed or capped, something consumers probably usually pay for, then the supplier should no longer levy a standing charge. If

the disconnection is temporary, say for pipe work, then it is still payable. For more info about complaining to your energy supplier, visit www.ofgem.gov.uk

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