Mum's horror as energy company turns up after 'house was used as cannabis farm'
A mum says she has just two week's worth of electricity after her energy company turned up at her home over problems with her meter stemming from previous tenants 'growing weed'.
Melissa Phillips says they turned up unexpectedly at the Leeds home which had allegedly previously been a cannabis farm.
When the single mum of two, from Leeds, noticed vans parked on her street on February 6, she initially assumed it was for one of her neighbours.
But as she went to check on her daughter, the 20-year-old heard a knock on her door and was met by SSE OVO, her electricity company, claiming her meter was unsafe.
Melissa told Leeds Live she had only recently moved into the home, with the problems arising from when the property had allegedly been used by previous tenants to grow cannabis plants.
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The energy firm insisted Melissa was in debt over unpaid bills for her home (Melissa Phillips)Melissa said she's now struggling to top up the pay as you go meter.
“They came out to take out the pre-payment meters, but then they set up smart meters and I cannot top up my electricity," she said.
Throughout all of this, Melissa says her son, who has high-functioning autism, has really struggled and she now doesn't want the same thing to happen to other families.
She added her son "has always struggled with people and loud noises".
“He had to be pulled out of nursery because I couldn’t leave the house take him.
“They put £30 credit on the meters to turn them on but still won’t come back out to fix the meters.
"I just don’t want other people to struggle the way they made me struggle, no human being should ever be put through that many problems for something that is not theirs, being a single mum of two kids is hard enough, never mind having all that show up on your doorstep.
“It is my first home, first experience with an electric company, trying to get help about has been ridiculous."
A spokesperson for SSE OVO said: “In November the DNO (area electricity distributor) was contacted by the police who attended the property and discovered the electricity meter had been bypassed.
"As this is a theft of electricity, a warrant was obtained to make the meter safe.
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"This warrant has nothing to do with debt but everything to do with safety.
"When Miss Phillips moved into the property, the meter was still unsafe due to the previous resident’s activity.
"Ms Phillips provided access to her property in February and an explanation was provided - confirming the visit was nothing to do with debt.
"She asked to have a pay as you go meter installed and followed up asking for a smart pay as you go meter instead.
"This has now been changed as per her request."
West Yorkshire Police was also contacted for comment.
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