A dad has hit out at Scottish Power after the firm served him with an energy bill in excess of £7,000 for seven months of heating and powering his humble semi-detached house. Imran Zafar has been ordered to pay £7,443.21, which he says he cannot afford and refuses to believe is correct.
Imran, 43, is also cutting back on his heating use, despite the chilly weather drawing in, leading to his amputee mum getting ill and needing a hospital stay. The dad-of-four told Derbyshire Live he now only keeps the heating on for three hours a day, turning it on and off as he needs it.
His heating use is so low that his house is "cold and damp", causing health issues for his kids as well as his mum. He said: "I just feel let down. It's caused a lot of stress considering I've got little children and vulnerable parents."
He added: "It's always in the back of my mind. Do I buy extra food or pay my bill to get them off my back? I just feel like I'm being bullied in a way. It's not a nice feeling at all."
Imran says the problem started in April as energy prices began to rise. He claims he rang up his providers to ask how much his bill would now be. But instead of being told a price, he claims Scottish Power asked him how much he could pay – setting off alarm bells.
After contacting them again multiple times for an explanation, an agent told him he'd speak to a superior and came back with the price of £1,000, after which Imran hung up the call. At that point he cancelled his direct debit. A few months later, when it became clear that the issue wouldn't resolve itself, he brought in the ombudsman, which is continuing to investigate.
Imran added: "It was always passed on from one person to another and never resolved. I've lost count of how many times I contacted them. Eventually I just gave up."
Since then the amount owed has rocketed, leaving him £7,000 indebt. He's continuing to be billed automatically every month and receives regular text messages reminding him of how much he owes.
He said: "They can't justify it and have just told me it is what it is. They asked me where I live. I told them: 'I don't live in a factory, it's not a commercial building, it's residential'.
"Obviously. I've had no joy with them. With a bill like this, you'll get paid and most of your income is gone. I've got a mortgage to pay. How am I going to survive?"
He contacted the energy ombudsman in late July to raise his complaint but the investigation is still ongoing. The next update is due on December 28.
Scottish Power and the ombudsman were both approached for comment by Derbyshire Live. Both said they were unable to comment due to the ongoing investigation.
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