A CASH-strapped pensioner says she was told she would have to pay £75 for a British Gas engineer to turn out and re-light her pilot light.

Widow Mrs Frances Kelly turned to the energy giant for help when her hot water system went off.

The 63-year-old widow says she panicked and immediately rang British Gas. But she claims that she was told she would have to pay £75.

Frances said: "There is no way that I can afford to pay that. I rang my son and he came up and simply pressed a switch to re-light the pilot light.

"I want other pensioners to be aware of this. I'm worried other people are being over-charged.

"They could have easily given me advice over the telephone. But the man I spoke to was really off-hand."

A spokesman for British Gas apologised for any inconvenience but said that as Mrs Kelly did not have a service contract, an engineer was not bound to go out and visit her free of charge.

The spokesman said: "There is little a customer service adviser can do except to offer general advice.

"But we do offer special free services to pensioners in our Gas Care Scheme which includes advice on simple problems and a free safety check up.

"I will be dropping details of this scheme to Mrs Kelly in the post."

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