A mum from Hartlepool was charged £336,865 for one month’s electricity by EDF.

Emma Martin, a school worker, told reporters when she was able to speak to someone on the energy company’s online forum, she was asked if she wanted to split the payment over 36 months.

She said: “When I first saw that number, I had a bit of panic because it is not what you expect to see when checking your monthly bills.

“I instantly knew there had been a mistake but no one from EDF would reassure me the problem would be sorted out.”

An EDF spokesperson told ELN: “When setting up the Direct Debit online, the customer submitted an incorrect electricity meter reading.

“This resulted in the higher monthly Direct Debit. Mrs Martin has never received a bill for this amount, we have tried to call Mrs Martin to let her know that we have corrected the meter readings, so her ongoing Direct Debit is now £112 per month.”