Photographer takes on 'arrogant' energy company and wins £3,000

A man who represented himself when taking on one of the "Big Six" energy companies after he was wrongly charged £450, walked away with a total of £3000.

Barry Payling, 62, brought two cases against Npower in four years after the "arrogant" energy company started charging him for electricity he had not used.

The photographer's problems with Npower started when tenants living in his late mothers house, which he rents out, moved out in July 2013 leaving an outstanding bill of £450.

Read: Npower given two months to solve billing errors

Barry then began receiving threatening letters from Npower demanding he pay them back the money racked up by tenants which he refused to do.

After spending £80 on the phone arguing his case, Barry summonsed Npower for £450 - only for the energy firm to fail to turn up to court.

Northampton County Court granted in Mr Paylings favour in January 2014 and the firm duly paid him the £450 he had requested in compensation.

Read: Npower 'most complained-about energy provider'

However, a few weeks later he paid a visit to his late mother's house and found another letter from the bailiffs demanding around £450 owed to Npower.

The letter said he was due to attend court on that same day.

Barry had a big job booked for that day, and after taking lost earnings, hassle and stress into account, he then summonsed them for £2,500.

Once again Npower failed to turn up to represent themselves in court and Mr Payling won the case.

This time Npower failed to pay so in May he instructed the sheriffs to redeem the compensation awarded to him through the courts.

The enforcement officers turned up at Npowers head offices in Wiltshire demanding the money or threatened to take equipment amounting to that sum and after further stalling the red-faced company finally coughed up.