Single mum receives electric bill for more than £20,000
Caroline Leitch says she doesn't know where a figure that high has come from and doesn't know how she'd repay it
Ashley Franklin
Victoria Jones
(Image: lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
A single mum says she is "shocked" after receiving an electric bill for more than £20,000.
Caroline Leitch lives in a council house and quit her job as nurse in 2016 to look after her two children.
The 55-year-old initially contacted energy company SSE when she saw her meter reading appeared to be lower than the figures being quoted on the estimate provided by the company.
So she was stunned when she logged into her account to see the figure owed was now a whopping £20,348.39, Lincolnshire Live report.
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Miss Leitch says she doesn't know where a figure that high has come from, and doesn't know how she'd repay it.
"I was shocked because I have no money to pay the debts," she said.
"Paying a £20,000 electric bill is not going to happen - I laughed because of the shock.
"I am really struggling. I am a single parent of two children and I have no idea how I am going to pay."
Ms Leitch says she has emailed the company head office but after two days still hasn't had a response.
The former nurse says she had no option but to leave her role as her two kids were both experiencing issues and says she had to "choose to put my kids first" over doing the long hours.
The latest development has left her fearing she will be financially ruined as she has no way of paying off the debt and she admits the timing couldn't be worse with Christmas also on the horizon.
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"If it can't be changed I will have to go bankrupt – I can't pay it," she said.
"It has been a constant battle this year with debts.
"I have just had to struggle."
She added: "It is not great, especially as it is near Christmas."
SSE has been contacted for comment.