A grandmother said she feels violated after her energy supplier entered her home to change her electricity meter while she was out.
Tracey Miller said her home was entered by an SSE representative who replaced her meter with a more "expensive" one, reports the Daily Record.
The 48-year-old, who lives in East Lothian, Scotland, owed the company £690 for an unpaid bill, but believed the issue had been resolved after she agreed to pay the sum in weekly chunks.
Tracey, who was staying with a friend at the time said: “It has been a terrible experience knowing that someone has been in your house.
“I feel violated. I do not have a clue how they managed to get in without breaking the lock or damaging the door.”
While there was no obvious signs of a break-in, the gran was told by SSE that they had obtained a court order to enter her home.
The National Debtline says that if no agreement is made to pay your debt on energy bills, a supplier can apply for a warrant from the magistrates’ court.
But, they added: "They will usually tell you when the magistrates' court hearing will take place.
“You should contact a local advice agency to see if you can get support at the hearing if you want to stop the warrant."
Tracy, who is on a low income and helps look after her grandchildren, claims SSE officials had switched off her electricity, spoiling all the food in her freezer.
After receiving a warning letter from the company about an unpaid bill at the end of July, Tracy said she agreed to have a smart meter installed, and pay back her bills in weekly instalments of £4.80.
In, August 12, the company entered her home after the water tank in her house burst.
Tracy, who suffers from the lung condition emphysema, was staying with a friend and didn’t return until September 21.
She said: “They told me that the employee I had spoken to in July had no right to cancel the planned entry to my property.
“I was offered £20 as a goodwill gesture which I haven’t received.
“SSE claimed they had no record of me making arrangements to repay the bill, which I had. I have been treated abysmally and the whole experience has been very stressful.”
Peter Kelly, director of Poverty Alliance, said: “Prepayment meters must only be installed by force using a warrant obtained by a court order as a last resort.
“If customers have a payment plan, there can be no excuse for installing a prepayment meter.”
Energy firm OVO, who manages SSE’s electricity supplies, confirmed that a warrant was issued to enter the property and replace the meter to a Pay As You Go.
A spokeswoman said: “As Ms Miller hadn’t made any payments since May 2021 our team tried to reach out multiple times ahead of changing her meters to PAYG.
“We will continue to try to reach Miss Miller next week to discuss her case and support available.”
Speaking on the issue of unpaid bills, Citizen's Advice said: "If you’re struggling to afford your gas and electricity bills, contact your supplier to discuss ways to pay what you owe them.
"Your supplier has to help you come to a solution. You should try to negotiate a deal that works for both of you.
"If you don’t try to negotiate with your supplier, they might threaten to disconnect you."
