Northern Powergrid has been forced to apologise to dozens of customers after accidentally issuing compensation cheques for £2.3 trillion.
Following the aftermath of the “once in a generation” Storm Arwen – which back in late November and early December, left thousands of homes in the north of England and widespread parts of Scotland without any electricity during some of the oldest months of the year – Northern Powergrid is currently in the process of paying compensation to tens of thousands of customers who suffered power outages.
But it didn’t all go to plan for the energy distributor.
In a now-viral tweet, one customer took to social media to share a picture of a compensation cheque showing the eye-watering sum of £2.3 trillion, and asked if the company are “100% certain you can afford this?”.
Cheque recipient Gareth Hughes wrote on Twitter over the weekend: “Thank you for our compensation payment Northern Powergrid for the several days we were without power following Storm Arwen.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Before I bank the cheque however, are you 100% certain you can afford this?”
Mr Hughes told Sky News the letter “just made me laugh”.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I knew straight away it wouldn’t be honoured, but it was nice to dream for a couple of minutes,” he comically added.
Within hours of sharing the photo of the hilarious mistake, the tweet went onto amass tens of thousands of likes, retweets, and comments from people unable to believe the situation had happened, wishing they’d got a cheque with that sum too, and telling Mr Hughes they “so would have banked it” if it was them.
It turns out that Mr Hughes wasn’t the only one to have received a cheque with an accidentally-inflated sum though, as other people have since come forward to say the same happened to them, and the energy supplier has also confirmed that 74 of its customers had been given compensation cheques with an incorrect payment amount.
ADVERTISEMENT
The company thanked those who were “honest” about the error.
After the tweet went viral, Northern Powergrid were forced to reply to Mr Hughes to apologise for the incident, explaining: “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Please DM us your contact details including address and postcode so we can correct this oversight.
Hi Gareth, Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Please DM us your contact details including address and postcode so we can correct this oversight. thanks, Phil.
In response to another customer in the same position, who called the company out for its “staggering level of incompetence”, Northern Powergrid said: “There have been some cheques issued with the incorrect amount for which we are sorry [and] our team are going to re issue the correct cheques early next week.”
They also asked for the customer to confirm their details so that the situation “can be processed as quickly as possible.”
A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said following the incident: “As soon as we identified the clerical error, which was caused by the electricity meter reference number being incorrectly quoted as the payment sum, we ensured all 74 customers’ cheques were stopped so they could not be cashed.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We have been investigating how this error happened and carrying out checks of previous payments.
“All indications are that this was an isolated incident.
“We thank those customers who were honest and contacted us and we have been making contact directly over the weekend with all 74 customers affected to make them aware, apologise for the error and reassure them that a correct payment will be issued to them on Monday.”
Featured Image – Wikipedia Commons
Trending
Festive Bakes return as Greggs unveils its Christmas menu for 2024
Emily Sergeant
Greggs has unveiled its Christmas menu for 2024, and that means the Festive Bake is back again in all its glory.
The UK’s most-popular high street bakery chain has officially revealed the first round of its festive food and drink offering for the 2024 season, and there’s a few brand-new goodies joining the lineup this year, along with the return of some undeniable fan-favourites.
And of course, nothing spells Christmas at Greggs quite like the Festive Bake, right?
The chain’s classic crumb-coated pastry filled with chicken, sage and onion stuffing, and sweetcure bacon in a creamy sage and cranberry sauce goes down an absolute treat each year, and is a serious fan-favourite, so it’s no surprise it’s made a comeback for 2024.
‘Tis the season! Get ready to taste a ‘rapturous riot of flavour’ declares @Nigella_Lawson because the Festive Bakes are returning!
Thankfully for plant-based foodies, the Vegan Festive Bake has also made a comeback this year after being absent in 2023.
Another returning Greggs festive favourite this year is the Christmas Lunch Baguette, which is a freshly-baked baguette “jam-packed full of festive flavours”, alongside the brand-new Festive Flatbread with sage and onion-style chicken, sweetcure bacon, mayo and cranberry and red onion relish.
When it comes to sweet treats, the second round of the Greggs’ festive menu set to be released in late November is expected to feature lots more goodies, but for now, the yummy Toffee Fudge Muffin, and the indulgent Chocolate & Hazelnut Flavour Doughnut have both returned to satisfy your sugar cravings.
Greggs has unveiled its Christmas food and drink menu for 2024 / Credit: Greggs
The festive drinks lineup this year includes some sweet new additions, alongside the popular Mint and Orange mochas and hot chocolates, and the Salted Caramel Latte.
Gingerbread is the new flavour for 2024, and you can get Gingerbread Lattes both hot and iced, as well as a Gingerbread Flat White.
All drinks are topped with whipped cream, and come with a range of festive sauces and toppings.
The 2024 Greggs Christmas menu is now available to tuck into across the UK from this Thursday (7 November).
Featured Image – Greggs
Trending
How to look after your cats and dogs this Bonfire Night
Thomas Melia
Bonfire Night may be a blessing for some families who can take advantage of the beautifully lit sky and incredible views, but for those who own cats or dogs, this isn’t necessarily the case.
When it comes to your furry friends then simply turning to their owners is usually the best point of call, but sometimes it’s still good to have a quick refresher on how to spot when your pet is in distress.
Luxury clothing retailer, Joules, is one of those leading research this year as they provide a list of tips and tricks on how to notice a change in your dog’s behaviour, soothe your cat’s stress and just generally make things more manageable for your four-legged companions.
72% of cat and dog owners see a change in their pets’ behaviour over this season, with 68% saying that they are frightened by the loud noises. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips on how to take care of your cats and dogs this Bonfire Night.
How to create a safe space for pets on Bonfire Night
Cover your windows where possible
Closing the curtains is always a good start; although this may not reduce the noise fully, it will help to block out the flashes from those pesky fireworks and even dial those big bangs down slightly.
In order to combat sudden light changes, dog owners are advised to keep their lights on, this way the animals are used to this setting and there are no drastic differences.
The simplest thing you can do is just make sure you’re there for your animals; much like us humans, they don’t like to deal with things on their own and sometimes it’s nice to have a helping hand by their side for reassurance – especially when that includes some always welcome petting.
It’s also good to keep their minds occupied by playing games and interactive activities with them to distract their cute little faces from all the madness outside.
Stay calm yourself
It might sound a little self-involved but it’s also important that alongside keeping your dogs and cats company and playing with them, make sure to keep calm yourself, much like your children and little ones you know, dogs are very reactive and can pick up on emotions easily.
As much as this information may be handy, you still know your pet best, so reacting to their behaviour and catering to their needs is definitely a must.
There are also some easy ways to spot something’s up…
Joules worked with animal behaviourist Kimberly Grundy to help develop these helpful Bonfire Night tips cats and dogs.They are one of many retailers that stock comforting cushions and blankets that are perfect for these occasions.
The best way to spot any changes in your dog or cat’s behaviour is to look for these nine surefire signs – if you spot them, they’re most likely feeling unsettled by the celebrations.
Whining or barking – this will include whimpering, crying, barking, and growling.
Clinginess – i.e. more than normal.
Excessive panting or drooling – can signal anxiety and distress instead of the usual excitement.
Hiding or trying to find a safe space
Trying to escape – make sure your doors and windows are locked and dog/cat flaps are covered.
Trembling and shaking – soothing strokes can still work wonders.
Pacing or restlessness – if you can get them to just sit with you that’s a step in the right direction.
Loss of appetite – but don’t try and force them to eat though, the goal is to help them relax.
Dilated pupils
Whether you’re cosying up to your cat or dog, or venturing out to a bonfire, make sure you stay safe this November and most importantly have fun!
You can find all the rest of the events happening for Guy Fawkes Night 2024 here:
Emily Sergeant -
14th February 2022 
