A Scottish man who was hit with a £12,000 energy bill has been told to pay it back at £500 a month.
Bryan Leadbetter, 38, was told to pay the huge fee by Scottish Power earlier this year. Just over three years ago, in 2020, Mr Leadbetter’s account was £400 in credit.
Since then, he has paid around £2,000, but after submitting a meter reading earlier this year he was told to pay £12,434.
Following the incident, Falkirk councillor Claire Mackie-Brown has written to the power company asking for answers.
The massive energy bill came as a surprise to Mr Leadbetter who reportedly rarely spends time at his two-bedroom property.
The Daily Record reported that Mr Leadbetter lives on his own, spends most of his time at his parent’s house, and only uses energy for heating his home.
Mr Leadbetter, who privately rents his home, uses Scottish Power’s Weathercall meter.
According to Scottish Power, using Weathercall means “the meters are controlled remotely by your energy supplier. The weather forecast for the following day automatically determines the periods your home is heated for”.
Scottish Power has claimed that the high bill is because Mr Leadbetter did not turn his heating off, something Cllr Mackie-Brown says contradicts their own information.
Cllr Mackie-Brown said: “The type of heating Bryan has you don’t turn it off. Scottish Power does not understand the Weathercall stage heating or the tariff they supply. So him not turning the heating off is not the issue.”
Following the latest bill, Mr Leadbetter has said that despite financial support from his parents, that he is worried he will be unable to pay the money owed.
Mr Leadbetter has also reportedly asked Scottish Power, who are asking for £500 a month, for a breakdown of the charges, but claims they have not given him any extra information.
Cllr Mackie-Brown has written to the company saying they should be clearer about their charging.
Cllr Mackie-Brown said: “This is another example of the questionable billing and debts being applied to customers of Scottish Power.
“I firmly believe that the Upper Braes ward is a cash cow for Scottish Power. It is being allowed to charge obscene prices that are forcing far too many people into debt or working just to put money into a meter.
“My constituent has done everything he possibly can to get answers as to why the bill is so high, but again Scottish Power refuses to provide such information. My question is, why?
“Why should my constituent be forced to pay a bill he is questioning and be hounded for payment?”
In response, a spokesperson for Scottish Power said: “We are in contact with Mr Leadbetter and have undertaken a full review of his account.
“We will provide a full breakdown of the bills to Mr Leadbetter as requested and, having installed a check meter to ensure the accuracy of readings, can confirm the usage and subsequent bills are correct.
“We have arranged for a Customer Liaison Officer to visit him at his property to offer advice on energy usage.”
