Son’s plea to energy firm: ‘stop billing my terminally-ill father’
A driving instructor whose father could die ‘any day’ in hospital has hit out at the energy company which refuses to close his account – despite him lying comatose in a hospice.
Deucalion Mcgregor-Sims, whose65-year-old-fatherPeter Sims has a terminal brain tumourandisinanunresponsive state, has hit out at electricity and heating provider Ovo Energyforitsrefusaltostopcharging Peter.
Deucalion, from Fratton, said that other companies have been compliant, but Ovo’s policy would require him to have power of attorney to fulfil his request. He feels that charging
Peterforbillsathisformerresidence, an assisted living facility in Waterlooville, is ‘unethical’.
HetoldanOvospokespersonin a phone call: ‘I just need you to stop charging him’.
Deucalion said: ‘My father never had a will or any kind of documentsinplace.Wethought hehadalotmoretime.Whenhe found out he had this tumour, he was told he could have a few more years still and in the last six weeks he got really bad. He was still coherent and mentally aware, and then he just kind of fell off the face of the earth.
‘You couldn’t get anything out of him, you couldn’t medicate him, you couldn’t even get him awake. He was very quickly notinapositiontomakeanydecisions.Asitstands,myfatheris still being charged by Ovo for a service he is not using in an accommodation he has not been living at for six to eight weeks.
‘ I offered to provide proof that I was his son. I offered to get some form of document or letter from a hospital or a doctor,orthehospicetoprovewhat state he was in.’
The30-year-oldsaidthatapplying for power of attorney, as he has been instructed, would cost more than would be saved ifhemanagedtocancelthepayments.
He added: ‘It would just be nice if they just stopped charging him and maybe reviewed theirpolicytomakethiskindof thing easier.’
Responding to the situation,anOvospokespersonsaid: ‘We’re sorry to hear about Mr Simsandourthoughtsarewith the family. We’ve advised Mr Sims’ son that he requires Power of Attorney and provided information on how to set this up online. We’ve referred the case to Citizens’ Advice who will be able to offer guidance.’
The spokesperson added that the bills are for ‘minimal’ gas usage and around one kilowatt-hours of electricity a day for appliances on standby, alongside standing charges.