UTILITY firm SSE overcharged Watchet Town Council by more than £5,500 for electricity and gas, despite being told the bills were wrong.

Town clerk Jo Grellier told councillors the invoices were for supplies to all of the council’s assets.

Ms Grellier said: “I alerted them the estimated invoices were extremely incorrect and there must be an error with their smart meter readings, and provided the actual readings.

“Even after informing them of the errors, they proceeded to take the original invoice charges via direct debit.”

Ms Grellier said she raised a formal a complaint but all the company did was to mark the balances owed as a credit on the council’s account.

She then pointed out it was taxpayers’ money which should not be in the firm’s account earning interest for it.

Ms Grellier said eventually after many calls the firm refunded £5,565.21 into the council’s bank account.