Collin Dickinson received a British Gas bill for £32,000 after receiving one for £1,900.
The 53-year-old was in shock after receiving his huge bill.
He couldn’t believe the massive amount he supposedly owed the energy provider, especially as he had always been in credit.
The £32,000 came after they sent a bill for £1,900 around Christmas 2022.
British Gas resolved the issue but Collin claimed he struggled to get in touch with customer services to resolve the issue.
The Acomb resident claimed: “The £32,000 was entirely wrong but the £1,900 could have been more realistic. It did make me worried.
“When British Gas installed my smart meter they messed all the readings up and didn’t register it with the national database.
“I had taken photograph evidence of the meter readings to give to Xoserve as proof as I am apparently in dispute with them.”
Mr Dickinson explained his frustration with the energy provider as he could not get in touch with them.
He continued: “The issue with British Gas is you can’t write an email of complaint. It is an absolute joke for an energy provider, especially for elderly people.
“I’m medically retired, but if I was working full time and had kids I would have been ripping my hair out trying to deal with this.
“I had taken pictures of my meters and of the dates to give them. The whole procedure is designed to benefit them.”
Even after the dispute was closed, and Mr Dickinson had moved energy suppliers, he still received a bill from British Gas tell him he owed them £2.94. He paid this and his account was closed.
British Gas said the issue was due to an “erroneous meter reading” being taken by an advisor. The issue was resolved last summer and Collin was given a £50 goodwill credit.
A British Gas spokesperson said: “We resolved this for Mr Dickinson in July last year and sent a revised bill as the amount was clearly wrong.
“We’re sorry for the trouble Mr Dickinson experienced when trying to reach us and have apologised for any upset that the bill may have caused.”
