Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Trading Standards Department are asking consumers who have electricity prepayment meters to check if they are paying more than they should be for their electricity.

A spokesperson said that they were aware of a local consumer who had a hefty debt wrongly added to the account on her prepayment meter.

“Each time the payment card was used to top up the meter, a proportion of the sum paid would automatically go towards paying off this non existing debt which meant that the consumer was getting less electricity than she had paid for.

Our investigations have subsequently shown that a faulty payment card was to blame.

Scottish Hydro Electric have told us that a batch of faulty cards were distributed to consumers and that they have taken up the matter with the card manufacturers.

Consumers who have any concerns about their prepayment meter account should contact their electricity supplier.”

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk