A WATCHDOG has criticised energy providers after the North-East came top in the UK for complaints.

Since April last year, Energywatch North-East has received 400 complaints from customers using prepayment meters for gas and electricity - nearly twice the number in other high-scoring areas.

Over the same period, there were 208 complaints from the South and South-East, 206 from the North-West, and 153 from the Midlands. Scottish customers made 92 and 128 came from Wales.

The North-East complaints included one from a woman in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, who after moving house, tried to pay off an outstanding debt to British Gas through the prepayment system.

She began paying instalments of £4 a week, but found that she was being overcharged.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I have been in ill health and I was so stressed out.

"The last contact I had with British Gas was a letter saying they owed me £25, but I'll believe it when I see the cheque."

Other dissatisfied customers, receiving energy from a range of suppliers, included a Darlington woman who was threatened with court action for a debt she had not accrued.

A Stockton customer discovered an outstanding balance of £400 had not been registered on her meter, and a Chester-le-Street man found that a £93 debt had been added by mistake.

Energywatch North-East director Carole Pitkeathley said: "We are receiving far too many complaints."

A British Gas spokesperson said: "We resolved this matter a while ago and are very sorry for the problems we caused the customer. The vast majority of our customers do not have any problems with their account and are billed correctly."

Customers who are dissatisfied with their supplier's handling of a problem can contact Energywatch on 0845 906 0780.