Energy company sent distraught widow a CD of her dead husband’s voice to get her to pay bill
Scholasticah Rowland distressed by recording of her husband Robert's phone call to EDF
A GRIEVING widow has claimed an energy company sent her a CD featuring her dead husband's voice - to get her to pay a bill.
Scholasticah Rowland had been married Robert for 17 years when he died last August aged 57.
Ever since his death, Mrs Rowland, 54, has been fighting EDF Energy over an unpaid bill of £292 and says the struggle is "killing her".
EDF allegedly tried to get Mrs Rowland to pay the money by sending her a recording of her dead husband's voice as evidence that she was also responsible for the bills.
She has been unable to listen to the recording all the way through because it was too upsetting.
The mum-of-three from Crayford, South East London, said: "These people care more about making money rather than people's emotions.
"Instead of mourning my husband's death, I'm constantly thinking of EDF.
"It's like cutting my wound which is already open. I can't carry on like this."
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The bereaved mum said she contacted the Energy Ombudsman Services and that they said EDF should write a letter of apology and pay £50 into her account.
She changed her energy supplier in December as she believed the bills were too expensive for a newly-single mum to pay.
Mrs Rowland said: "Last month EDF sent me a CD with a recorded message of my husband's voice from July last year.
"The only reason why he phoned them was to put my name in our account because it only used to be in his name.
"I'm so distressed because this is killing me.
"To them he was just a customer but to myself and my family he was a family man who we mourn and miss.
"I never denied being jointly responsible for the account, all I asked was for the final bill to be written off as a gesture of goodwill for the distress EDF has put me through during this difficult time.
"When I received the CD, it was psychological and mental torture - I'm having sleepless nights."
EDF have since agreed to credit Mrs Rowland's account with the full amount owed for the bill.
A spokesman said: "We are very sorry for Mrs Rowland's loss and understand that this is a difficult time for her.
"Mrs Rowland's name was added to the account prior to the death of her husband as requested by them.
"At that time we explained to both Mr and Mrs Rowland that they would have joint responsibility for any account balance.
"Although Mrs Rowland is liable for payment, as a gesture of goodwill we have today credited the account with the full amount and there is no need for Mrs Rowland to take any further action."
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