Grandfather considering cutting off power over electricity bills

An enraged man who is “sick to his stomach” and “scared” of his electricity bills is considering a wild step to save power.

A grandfather is considering going off the grid as his heated feud with one of the country’s largest electricity providers continues over his power bills.

Bryn Lawson, 55, has accused AGL of using incorrect power meter numbers at his northwestern Sydney home, with his latest bill coming in at more than $1200.

AGL has apologised to him for the issue and offered credit, but the mistakes keep happening.

“Fix it AGL. Get your s*it together and fix it mate,” an enraged Mr Lawson told A Current Affair.

Bryn Lawson tells AGL his power meter numbers each month, but he is still being billed incorrectly. Picture: A Current Affair

“I’m watching you AGL … stop f***ing me around.”

The exorbitant bills led Mr Lawson to take the extraordinary step of getting rid of his fridge.

He replaced it with a small camping Esky that only holds a few bare essentials to get him through the day.

He also shivers at night through cold temperatures because he does not want to use his heater.

Mr Lawson, who said he was “sick to his stomach” and “scared” of his electricity bills, is ready to cut the power off.

“I'm just banging my head up against a brick wall with these guys,” he said.

Mr Lawson shivers at night because he is too scared to turn on the heaters. Picture: A Current Affair

“All I’m gonna get is a bad debt and a big bill I gotta pay off.

“I have no problem at all putting my swag out there, putting my solar panels, my battery and running that fridge out there and living out there.”

But the issue has cost him more than just money, with Mr Lawson saying it helped lead to the downfall of his 35-year-old marriage.

“It is a part of the decimation of my marriage to my wife of 35 years,” he said.

“Because I’d come home and the lights would be on, the power would be on and the power bills are high. I’d be saying, ‘What have you got the lights on for, what’s this on for, why’s the heater on’?”

He takes a picture of his power meter every month. Picture: A Current Affair

But even after his wife left, leaving Mr Lawson as the only occupant of the home, his power bills still remained high, ranging anywhere from $900 to $1200.

He takes a picture of his power meter every month and sends the information to AGL three days before his bill is due, but he is still being overcharged just a few days later.

An AGL spokesperson said they were working with Mr Lawson to resolve his issues.

“AGL sincerely apologises to Mr Lawson for his experience,” they said.

“We are committed to working with Mr Lawson to resolve his concerns.

“In the past we have offered to install a free smart meter that doesn’t require manual readings, and to make an appointment with the network for an actual meter read.

“We have reached out to Mr Lawson again.”