Hassled for gas payment, but I don't have gas supply

IT is easy to see how the gas and electricity companies make extra profits during recessions.

Last year I was hounded for many months by British Gas for payment of around £300 for gas they claimed I had received from them.

There is no gas or gas meter in this house and they had not got my name right.

I explained this over and over again, by telephone and letter, but the company refused to believe me and continued to press for payment.

I was threatened with the debtor's register, legal proceedings, bailiffs, etc, and I received abusive phone calls from their debt collectors.

Eventually, after they received several letters from my solicitor, the ridiculous demands stopped.

I did not receive an apology, and it cost me about £300 in solicitor's fees.

Later in the year, I received a letter from Scottish Power, informing me it was now supplying my electricity and thanking me for joining them.

It had the wrong name and I had never heard of the company, let alone arranged an online contract with it, as was claimed.

It eventually changed me back to my original supplier Eon.

However, I was charged for two weeks from November 27 for electricity it claimed to have supplied to me, about £80.

The house was empty during those two weeks, with only a refrigerator and a small freezer using any electricity.

Once again, I received threats of debtors' register, bailiffs, legal action, etc, and I paid up.

I have now received further bills from Scottish Power, claiming I am using its gas.

I wrote back saying there is no gas in the house. This has not had any effect and it insists that the gas meter on my premises was read in January this year.

There is no gas meter.

Where do I go from here?

One used to trust these supply companies, but now their bully-boy tactics seem to be in full swing and succeed in making the lives of innocent people a misery.

Name and address supplied.