A married couple have been left 'living in a fridge' and having to wear their dressing gowns at all times after encountering a problem trying to top up their gas supply. John and Julie Murphy, 63, have not been able to top up their gas like they usually do and are too afraid to put the heating on as they are anxious they will fall into debt.
They have been trying to contact British gas for a week now but keep being 'fobbed' out and left without an explanation, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Julie, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is 'vulnerable' to the cold and has been left in tears numerous times over the situation. John explained: "We always use an app on our phone to top up the gas but when I went to do it last week it wouldn't let me, the gas tab had just disappeared off the app.
"I then went to three shops to try and top up with the card and that wouldn't work either. It looks like we have been put onto emergency credit because of this, which they do when your money runs out, but ours hasn't run out - it just won't let us top up."
The couple, from Speke, have been too scared to turn their heating on during this period as they are worried they will run up debts they can't afford. John said: "The meter already says we owe them money, we don't want to be in arrears, in 43 years we have never been in arrears with British Gas."
He added: "We have been living in a fridge, it is freezing in the house. We have been using blankets and wearing our housecoats to try and keep warm.
"Julie has got COPD so she is vulnerable to the cold, it's not good." The couple have also not been able to have their young grandchildren over because of the cold temperature in their home.
They have slammed British Gas for their 'diabolical' treatment as they said 'it could be 7 to 21 days just to get a reply' from the energy provider. John and Julie who have been married for 43 years are also currently facing difficulties with an uncertain situation at their work.
They both have jobs on the shop floor for Halewood-based car parts firm IAC and this week it was announced that as many as 87 redundancies could be made at the plant. Members are currently voting on potential strike action and the couple are both waiting for news on how they will be affected.
John added: "The work situation is a worry, it has just topped everything off really." Of the few times, the grandparents have made contact with British gas, the couple said they were told by the company that they had tried to cancel their gas supply.
"We have never tried to cancel it in 43 years, this is their mistake and we are worried we will end up paying for it. We would like an explanation and to have our normal gas supply put back on.
"We certainly don't want to owe them money, after all this they should owe us really." British Gas has been contacted for a response.
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