![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/i-have-cancer-and-felt-bullied-by-british-gas-to-get-a-smart-meter-unless-i-paid/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/susan-brown-vulnerable-british-gas-842483160.jpg&description=Exclusive SAY WATT Published : 8:07, 7 Sep 2023 PENSIONER Susan Brown who's living with cancer and considered vulnerable was left horrified when British Gas tried to charge her for a replacement electricity meter. The 77-year-old from Hackney said she felt "bullied" into installing a smart prepayment meter after her legacy meter broke. 1 Susan Brown was left horrified when British Gas tried to charge her for a replacement electricity meter after a power cut Credit: Dan Jones Images But Susan, who struggles with her health and vision asked to have her legacy meter replaced like-for-like which only requires a key to top-up. To her shock, British Gas said they wouldn't do that unless she agreed to pay £139. This amount would be repaid in the form of a debt applied directly to her new meter. This was despite Susan being on the priority service register , which is meant to protect vulnerable customers. It all started on Saturday, August 26 after a power cut that affected over 3,000 households across East London. As a result of this, Susan's legacy prepayment electricity meter went blank - something that commonly occurs with these devices after a power outage. Luckily for the 77-year-old, she'd had over £200 worth of credit on this meter before it went blank - meaning she had enough cash on there to stop her from being disconnected . But Susan who lives with her son-in-law Paul Smith, 57, told The Sun: "I'm furious with British Gas - I've been a loyal customer for decades and I am on the priority service register." "It felt like they were coercing me into having a smart meter by saying that they'd place a debt on a brand new traditional prepayment electricity meter." "I was insistent on keeping a key top-up meter as my eyesight is poor and switching to a smart meter which is topped up via an app is far too complicated for me." To make matters worse, a British Gas engineer failed to turn up and resolve the issue even though they promised to come out on Thursday, August 31){kind=link}
PENSIONER Susan Brown who’s living with cancer and considered vulnerable was left horrified when British Gas tried to charge her for a replacement electricity meter.
The 77-year-old from Hackney said she felt “bullied” into installing a smart prepayment meter after her legacy meter broke.
But Susan, who struggles with her health and vision asked to have her legacy meter replaced like-for-like which only requires a key to top-up.
To her shock, British Gas said they wouldn’t do that unless she agreed to pay £139.
This amount would be repaid in the form of a debt applied directly to her new meter.