Sign up to the Lincolnshire Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A single mum near Lincoln has been left shocked after receiving an electric bill of more than £20,000.

Caroline Leitch, who quit her job as nurse in 2016 to look after her two children, initially contacted SSE after noting the her electric meter reading was lower than the figures being quoted on the estimate provided by the company.

The 55-year-old, who lives in a council house in Branston, believed that the £623.68 bill she had been quoted would go down as a result of this.

However, the mum-of-two was left stunned when she logged into her account to see the figure owed was now a whopping £20,348.39.

Miss Leitch insists she has no idea where a figure that high has come from, but is also concerned as she says she will have no way of repaying it.

“I was shocked because I have no money to pay the debts,” she said.

“Paying a £20,000 electric bill is not going to happen - I laughed because of the shock.

“I am really struggling. I am a single parent of two children and I have no idea how I am going to pay.”

(Image: Submitted)

Ms Leitch says she has emailed the company head office but after two days still hasn’t had a response.

The former nurse says she had no option but to leave her role as her two kids were both experiencing issues and says she had to “choose to put my kids first” over doing the long hours.

The latest development has left her fearing she will be financially ruined as she has no way of paying off the debt and she admits the timing couldn't be worse with Christmas also on the horizon.

“If it can’t be changed I will have to go bankrupt – I can’t pay it,” she said.

“It has been a constant battle this year with debts.

“I have just had to struggle.”

She added: “It is not great, especially as it is near Christmas.”

SSE has been contacted for comment.

UPDATE - it has since revealed what happened. Any bill-payer will want to know what they had to say. Read it here.