AN electricity customer blew a fuse when he was thrown off a budget payment scheme - despite being nearly £100 in credit!

Long-distance lorry driver David Guffogg, 57, says he is disgusted at the treatment doled out by Norweb.

On Wednesday he received the letter which told him he had been removed from Energi's budget scheme and he would now have to pay at three-monthly intervals.

Since moving into his council flat in Roseneath Road, Great Lever, Mr Guffogg has paid his bill every seven days, handing over £10 a week at a post office.

He admits he missed a couple of payments in recent weeks as he recovered from illness, but was still £94.73 in the black.

And the single man says he was astonished to receive a letter telling him he would no longer be allowed to pay on the budget scheme.

He said: "I have missed a couple of bills, but I'm £94 in front with my payments. I can't believe they have done this. Their behaviour is atrocious."

The Norweb letter stated that the £94 would be knocked off his next payment, due in three months time.

A spokesman confirmed that Mr Guffogg had been removed from the scheme because he had failed to pay on time on two occasions.

The spokesman added: "This is standard practice and, if the customer contacts us, he should be eligible to enrol on a similar payment scheme.

"It does not matter whether a customer has credit or not. They sign an agreement which states they must pay on time. If that fails to happen, the agreement can be cancelled."

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