‘I’m terminally ill and been threatened with legal action over 38p energy bill’

Scottish Power has threatened a terminally ill pensioner with legal action over an out-standing 38p energy bill.

Robert Walsh is fighting bone cancer but has been aggressively pursued by the energy giant for over a year leaving him feeling suicidal.

The 65-year-old has received several final demand letters for different amounts, legal letters, threats of court action and repeated calls from customer service staff.

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Robert – who is housebound, on benefits and currently awaiting an operation – accepts he may have fallen into debt with his energy bills.

But he is now frightened to answer the phone because of the “hounding” despite the company being unable to provide him with an accurate outstanding sum.

And Robert has claimed higher than agreed direct debit payments taken from his account have left him unable to afford to travel to vital hospital appointments.

The retired carer from Stirling, who was forced to quit work due to ill health, said: “It’s just been constant harassment. The stress caused has really affected my health.

“I‘ve a terminal diagnosis for bone metastasis where cancer has spread to the bone and I have hiatus hernia attached to my throat and sometimes stops me from breathing.

“I’m currently waiting to go into hospital for an operation when I’m well enough to have it and the stress of this is just unbearable.

“I’ve had final demand letters for different amounts, lawyers’ letters threatening legal action – one of them even demanding 38 pence.

“I’m now at the stage where at weekends I’ve had up to four calls a day from their customer service agents about payment and I’m scared to answer the phone in case it was them again.

“It’s a hell of a way of living and sometimes you feel really suicidal about it because of everything else going on and they are hounding you.

“Especially when the lawyer’s letter came in, that was the last straw. I thought ‘they are going to take me to court’.

“Scottish Power have never been able to send me an up-to-date, accurate bill. It’s only ever based on estimated readings. I’m still trying to get an accurate bill.

“We’ve agreed a re-payment amount and then they take it early, or take more, leaving me unable to afford to travel to hospital appointments.”

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Robert received a 38p “final demand for payment” letter from law firm Anderson Strathern on February 3.

They said they were acting on behalf of Scottish Power and warned of “court procedure being instigated” if the sum wasn’t handed over within the week.

Other letters have been received from Scottish Power detailed outstanding sums of £158, £825, £983, £879, £1085 and £737.

Robert is receiving support from Stirling Council’s Energy and Fuel Poverty Advisors.

In May 2025, it was discovered he was paying a set £11 direct debit to Scottish Power, not enough to cover gas and electricity standing charges.

In August, Robert entered into an agreement to repay £85 per month via direct debit.

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A standing order was agreed as a method of payment only for the firm to then reject it.

He said: “I agreed to pay a direct debit for £85 – being on benefits, that was all I could afford. But each time they’ve not kept to their side of the agreement and taken more.

“When they take out more money than agreed, I’ve got to phone the bank, cancel the direct debit and the bank have to get the money back. Then I get Scottish Power back on the phone, and they add late payment fees.

“So I set up a standing order. I was given confirmation from the bank that the money was leaving my account. Then they said they don’t accept standing orders, so I had to go back to direct debit payments.

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“They still can’t give me an accurate bill and told me they can’t communicate with the meter on the wall. The serial number they keep giving me is for a meter removed by engineers years ago and is sitting on my TV cabinet.

“I’ve called, emailed, complained, tried to explain so many times, and sent photos, but heard nothing back. They said they’d send engineers to investigate.

“I’ve cancelled hospital appointments, but they haven’t shown up. The last contact I had with someone from the complaints department was last month. They were supposed to get back in touch, but haven’t.”

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He complained to the Energy Ombudsman, which awarded him £150 compensation.

However he was told Scottish Power was entitled to backdate estimated gas bills for up to three years.

Stirling MSP Alyn Smith has been helping. He said: “Robert has fallen between the cracks in Scottish Power’s systems, but he has had a rotten time of it.

“I’ve contacted Scottish Power and been assured we can sort this, and I’m glad they’ve engaged so promptly to take the pressure off Robert and get him back on an even keel to focus on his health.”

Scottish Power said: “There have been issues with the installation and operation of smart meters at Mr Walsh’s property and are look-ing to resolve these as a matter of urgency.

“Our team are also working towards clearing the outstanding balance and resolving the account as quickly as possible and will keep him updated on progress until a full resolution has been reached.”

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THE Sunday Mail’s Lifeline for the Dying campaign is calling for poverty-stricken terminally ill Scots to be given help to pay rocketing fuel bills.

Our campaign which launched in March is demanding an end to the scandal of people being left to die in fuel poverty.

And we are backing watchdog Consumer Scotland’s recommendations for payments of up to £450 to help cover energy costs.

A shocking 7700 terminally ill patients have been plunged into fuel poverty, according to end-of-life charity Marie Curie – with bills likely to soar further due to war in the Middle East.

Victims often rely on essential medical and mobility equipment in the home and can need extra heating to manage pain, respiratory issues and other clinical symptoms.

This results in energy bills that are up to 75 per cent higher than the average household.

The Marie Curie charity and the mum of a severely disabled teen have backed our campaign.

Carolynne Hunter’s daughter Freya, 15, receives palliative care, has cerebral palsy and requires full-time oxygen from an at-home life support machine, resulting in soaring electricity consumption.

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The mum’s plight was highlighted in 2023 when actress Kate Winslet donated £17,000 to cover her annual bill.

The 52-year-old, of Tillicoultry in Clackmannanshire, said: “Nobody should be forced into poverty because they fall ill and fuel bills are one of the most likely things to wreck you finances.”

Consumer Scotland has produced a detailed report outlining proposals which could provide the most in need with help to pay fuel bills at a maximum total cost to the public purse of just £6million.