WHEN Chris Fox heard he was having a new electricity meter installed he thought the price might go up by a few pence a day.

What the 49-year-old, of Charles Street, Trowbridge, was not expecting when he checked his shiny new meter was a 400 per cent increase.

Mr Fox, who lives with his wife Kerstin and three of their children, said: "I was just totally shocked. I did expect maybe an extra 50p a day if the old meter was a bit slow but it's gone up by 400 per cent.

"Before we were using about nine units a day, now it is 28. When I spoke to Southern Electric they said the older meters ran a little bit slower and the new ones are more efficient."

He said he was completely baffled as to why the unit usage had increased so much simply because a new meter had been installed.

"The young lady in the call centre was quite pleasant and said we must be using more electricity but we're not. We had a few more lights up over Christmas but that was it," he said.

"You would think they'd know if we were using 20 units a day and only paying £1 but no one did."

After questioning the increase, a workman from the company visited Mr Fox's home to check on the meter but could find no fault with it.

"He said the meter is absolutely fine but it's still showing a huge increase. The only thing they say is that the old one was running slow but if that's the case surely someone would have noticed before. We had the old meter for 15 years. There is nothing we can do. When you speak to someone in the call centre they say the same.

"I've spoken to several people since they had their meters changed and they've all had a big increase so maybe it's a problem on the mains."

Sharon Miller-McKenzie, from Southern Electric said: "We have spoken to Mr Fox and he understands the meter is correct and he is now happy with it. He also understands he was in a rare situation where his meter was running slowly in the last couple of years."

She said the meter had been tested and Mr Fox would not have to pay back the money he has been undercharged.

Mr Fox is asking other residents who may be facing a similar problem to get in touch with him on (01225) 751791.