The Telegraph has learnt that energy providers cannot force meter readers to use passwords or stop visiting at unearthly hours, upsetting some elderly customers.

Maureen Waters has suffered from diabetes for 40 years. The 74-year-old is dependent on insulin to go about her daily life – and on rising each morning her husband, Fred, tends to her needs. So when gas meter readers began calling at their home in Havant, Hampshire, at the crack of dawn, it was a major inconvenience for the elderly couple. Despite his best efforts Mr Waters, 76, was unable to stop these nuisance knocks, with meter readers, purportedly working for his energy provider E.On, hassling him every few months at around 8am.

The Waters' frustrations are yet another example of how bungling energy firms have allowed customer service to slip to unacceptable levels. Energy regulator Ofgem says bungled meter readings and inaccurate bills are responsible for 50pc of the complaints about power companies. Customers are frequently sent astronomical bills they do not deserve. In addition, some companies increase estimated bills in the winter months to account for increased usage, The Telegraph has learnt. This is against best practice and can lead to wild swings in direct debit payments, which must then be corrected by meter readers.....Read more HERE