Woman receives €19,500 gas bill

Gas supplier Engie has sent a customer a bill for €19,500 - after her meter was misread for several years.

Before sending the bill, the company contacted the woman from Laon, Aisne, by phone to inform her that a private company employed to read meters in the area had consistently made a mistake with the readings for her supply since 2013.

The homeowner said that she had not confirmed the readings on her bill, trusting that whoever had read her meter had made an accurate note of the numbers, local newspaper L'Aisne Nouvelle reports.

It added that a the company and the woman had agreed a payment plan.