£3,947 electricity bill shock!

WHAT a shock . . . Fred Robinson with the monster electricity bill

Pensioner Fred Robinson blew a fuse when he got an electricity bill for £3,947.37p.

Mr Robinson (84) got the shock of his life when he opened the bill, from British Gas, for power used at his flat in Shaw,

He said: “I nearly dropped cork-legged. I have never, ever had a bill like this before in my entire life.

“It’s no wonder people go to an early grave.”

The 84-year-old immediately rang the number at the top of the bill to find out why the cost had rocketed from the £45 a month he pays by direct debit.

He said: “I finally got through to someone after listening to lots of messages and pressing this button and that button, then I had to go and read my own meter.

“They gave me every excuse under the sun.

“It turns out the meter reader got it wrong, but they put the onus on me to prove it.”

Mr Robinson added: “I asked for an apology and reimbursement for the long telephone call to sort it out, or some free electricity in exchange.

“They said they could arrange an apology, but they wouldn’t be giving any refunds or free electricity.”

The angry pensioner got another telephone call from the company after the Chronicle contacted British Gas.

Mr Robinson said afterwards: “After a lot of argy bargying, they promised to send me a cheque for £10 to pay for the phone call.

“If I had made £4,000 of a mistake when I was working I would have had my backside kicked, or got the sack. What I want more than anything is a letter of apology and to make sure the debt doesn’t go against my name.”

A British Gas spokesman said: “We apologise to Mr Robinson and for the stress this has caused him.

“His bill has now been corrected and we have sent him compensation to cover the cost of his calls.”