UK customers given checks for £2.3 trillion
Energy distributor Northern Powergrid sent 74 customers checks for £2.3 trillion – each – last week. The firm was issuing compensation to thousands of homes which were left without power when Storm Arwen hit Britain with record wind speeds in November.
Northern Powergrid confirmed that 74 checks with the incorrect figure had been disseminated and thanked customers who were “honest” about the faux pas.
One recipient, Gareth Hughes, took to Twitter asking whether the company could really afford the whopping compensation figure shown on her check.
Thank you for our compensation payment @Northpowergrid for the several days we were without power following #stormarwen Before I bank the cheque however, are you 100% certain you can afford this? #trillionpoundspic.twitter.com/z5MNc2Nxl1
— Gareth Hughes (@gh230277) February 12, 2022
The supplier thanked Hughes for bringing the matter to their attention.
Hughes told Sky News: “I knew straight away it wouldn't be honoured, but it was nice to dream for a couple of minutes.”
The company is still sending out compensation checks to thousands of customers who experienced power cuts when the “once in a generation” winds swept across the UK in November.
A spokeswoman for Northern Powergrid confirmed that once the clerical error had been realized, the company issued orders to ensure the checks could not be cashed.
“We have been investigating how this error happened and carrying out checks of previous payments. All indications are that this was an isolated incident,” she added.
