Couple left in the cold

Don Frame

September 09, 2008

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Audrey and Alan Pollard

A PENSIONER couple were found huddled in blankets with their fire turned off after being told their gas bill was going up from £23 a month to £130.

A concerned neighbour found them in the lounge of their bungalow in Salford, frightened to use the heating because British Gas said it was increasing their monthly direct debit by five times the usual amount.

Retired joiner Alan Pollard, 79, who uses a wheelchair after suffering a stroke, said he 'almost fainted' when he opened a letter from the power company telling him of the increase.

The out-of-the-blue demand told Alan and his wife Audrey they would have pay the astronomical rise from this month, but gave no explanation as to why the increase was so huge.

Neighbour Linda Fensome, whose father lives across the road from the couple, said she found them shivering in their bungalow, frightened to turn on the heat.

Price rises put pensioners at risk

End 'greed' of energy companies.

"I was absolutely horrified," she said. "All the power companies have announced huge price hikes, but to put up a monthly bill by five times the amount is incredible.

"Whenever I have been to see the couple before, the lounge has been like a hot-house but on this occasion it was very cold. Alan was wrapped up in a blanket to keep himself warm, and Audrey who normally wears a T-shirt or blouse, was wrapped up in a thick jumper."

Linda says she checked the couple's bills and could not see any arrears or reason for the increase, so telephoned British Gas.

"The person I spoke to was able to bring the figure down to £80 fairly rapidly," she said.

"What concerns me is how many other pensioners or vulnerable people would pay what was asked whether they were able to feed themselves or not."

Linda contacted the M.E.N. and within two hours British Gas had agreed to drop the direct debit by a further £20.

Spokesman Rhys Jones said: "We have spoken to Mr and Mrs Pollard and confirmed that their direct debit payment will be set at £60 per month. We apologise for any distress we caused."

Price rises put pensioners at risk

End 'greed' of energy companies.

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Mullet Vision (09/09/2008 at 07:08)

Disgraceful. Welcome to 21st Century 'Great' Britain.

synikal, Manchester (09/09/2008 at 08:22)

so their gas bill has gone up from £23 a month to £60. Even that is a disgrace.

Trudy, Bolton (09/09/2008 at 08:56)

Our pensioners go without - bet they worked all their lives. Those who live their lives on benefits get the money to pay it free. It's not equitable at all.

LittleMancMinx, Ashton Under Lyne (09/09/2008 at 12:21)

Its a disgrace!! I dont know how they can justify these price increases some one needs to step in before this gets way out of hand

Technobabble, Manchester (09/09/2008 at 13:05)

This shows up the main flaw of direct debits, especially where utilities are concerned. The companies automatically calculate the direct debits for the forthcoming period, usually a year, based on the recent readings that have been taken.

Unfortunately these "readings" can often be nothing more than estimates, and if these are wrong then so are the debits, which the companies are authorised to adjust at their discretion (check the small print). My water bills are always wong because the sub-contractors assigned to read my meter can't ever figure out where it is, so estimate my water usage, but they always over-estimate it by a factor af 10! United Utiites simply punch this figure into their computers and up my DD without any further checking. Telling them to completely ignore these riduculous estimates falls on deaf ears and thus for the second time in less than 3 years i'm over £150 in credit and have to claim a rebate.

I'd advise ANYONE who has seen an increase in their DD for gas or electricity to have the readings and/or estimates double checked. You may well be paying far more than you need to, or even be owed money.

Mr Manchester (09/09/2008 at 13:26)

I am owed money by one supplier as I pay by direct debit, and my bills were less than the sum accumulated. I asked for this cash back but was told it couldn't be reimbursed. My cash is now earning that company interest.

Black Flag: surely you'll advise me otherwise...

Black Flag (09/09/2008 at 13:51)

Mr Manchester, what you say sounds right to me.

I avoid that by using a tariff which takes a DD based on actual usage, rather than levelled estimated usage.

The amount is less predictable that way and I get bigger bills in winter, but at least I know I'm always up to date.

Jay B, oldham (09/09/2008 at 14:59)

and the countrys debts continue to rise!
so why do we want to be plundered into more and more debt.
surely we should be learning from the mistakes that the credit crunch has put us in.
if these two where younger and unemployed claiming benefits i bet they wouldnt be as worse off.
we seem to be funding scroungers who've never done a hard days work in their lives in this counrty and forgetting the people who have already worked hard for this country.
its a disgrace!
scrap benefits and get the lazy brits back to work!

Womble_Lancs (09/09/2008 at 15:49)

This comes as no surprise to me. Another supplier once put my direct debit up from £38 to £92, even though I was over £300 in credit. When I complained, they told me they couldn't reduce it, and that it was important for me to build up a credit over the summer months, to tide me over the winter months when I would use more gas.

At the time, I just put up with it, but eventually I complained again, got a cheque for £300 in the post and had the direct debit put down to £40 per month.

Ten days later, I got another letter telling me they were putting up my bill to £62 per month, so I phoned them up again. They weren't interested in my complaint, so I told them that I would cancel the direct debit and pay by standing order instead. The 'customer service' person had the cheek to tell me I was being very foolish, because I would lose my £5 discount for paying by direct debit. I didn't care. Now, I only pay for what I actually use, rather than lining their pockets.

mirt b, bury (09/09/2008 at 16:51)

ALL SHOUD TAKE HEED,
scrao your dir-deb,
pay only when one gets there bill,
dir-deb is no good to old age pensioners,
stop them taking MORE than thay should;
susie.

Melandra (10/09/2008 at 10:46)

If their gas is £60 per month, electricity around £30 without any other bills like water rates, insurance, travel expenses, clothing imagine how much is left out of their pension to feed them, its appalling the government should step in and tax these companies making HUGE profits and pass it on to pensioners. Young people can go out and do a few more hours to earn extra cash, these people obviously cant.

Black Flag (10/09/2008 at 12:22)

Melandra, the government does tax the utility companies' profits, through corporation tax.

MsD, Manchester (10/09/2008 at 14:29)

If this couple have their heating on like a "hothouse" as described, seven days a week, I would not be surprised their bill has jumped up so high. I am not justifying this. It's a disgrace that elderly people have to sit in blankets in the winter and people will die from the cold this winter as they always do. How long are we going to accept this in a rich western country like ours ?

I agree with what a poster below said. We need to stop subsidising the workshy. Get them out to work to pay their way and subsidise the people like this couple who either cannot work or are too old to work.

Martin Broughton (10/09/2008 at 15:01)

Having just received a letter from British Gas which in real terms equated to a 222% increase in our gas bill, then it is long overdue for an enquiry into pricing structures of our energy companies. How many of these are actually companies registered in the UK? How much of our hard earned is going to the continental energy companies?
And when asked to explain the 222% increase in our bill, we were told that it was due to a 35% tariff increase. So 222% is to pay a 35% price hike. License to print money? License to give the old hypothermia? I leave it with the energy companies and their shareholders to look at.

Melandra (10/09/2008 at 15:41)

Black flag. I am aware they pay corporation tax approximately 28% their huge profits run to millions so put the tax up - or make sure the rise in tax is passed to their customers and not the government. The government made these "Fat cats" allowed these massive profits to be made so they need to sort it out betweem themselves. I dobt expect to run my heating 27/4 for free but keeping warm isnt a perk, we are in the 21st Century for goodness sake.

Black Flag (10/09/2008 at 15:58)

Melandra, you could put the tax up, but then investors would just get out of the UK, leaving less competition and probably higher prices.

If you don't like suppliers making a profit, then switch to a not-for-profit supplier. It might make you feel better, but I doubt you'll find it any cheaper, which tends to indicate that the level of profits aren't the problem.

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