British Gas has apologised after wrongly taking more than £20,000 for a church heating bill in Leicester.
Canon Barry Naylor, from St Andrew's Church, in Jarrom Street, said the cash was debited despite him pointing out an error in the bill.
He said that the problem arose because the company had recorded the meter reading incorrectly - this has since been confirmed by British Gas.
Canon Naylor said that he was told by a
representative from the firm that the church owed nearly £21,000.
He said: "I thought that couldn't possibly be right. Our usual Winter bill comes to about £1,000 and we only ever have the heating on a few days a week, but in the back of my mind there was always a worry.
"I explained that the meter, which began with a zero, was quoted as two on the bill, and that's where the problem could be, but despite this, several other phone calls and ignored emails later, the matter still wasn't being resolved.
"Finally, I was given the number of the firm's main complaints department by Citizens Advice and spoke to someone there. I told him I had a photo of the meter reading and he asked me to send it through.
"Within 10 minutes he told me the problem was the mix up between the zero and a two and the matter was resolved."
Canon Naylor said that after spending many hours on the phone he had hoped for a "miracle".
"It was incredibly frustrating and as I was waiting for a pacemaker to be fitted it really wasn't ideal."
The money has now been repaid and the correct bill is in the process of being issued.
Canon Naylor said: "A donation to the church for the problems caused would be very much appreciated."
Leigh Franks from British Gas said: "We should have acted immediately when Canon Naylor first raised concerns with us about the meter at St Andrew's church. We took a large payment in error, based on incorrect readings, which is totally unacceptable. We've now completed a thorough review of the account and put matters right. We've contacted Canon Naylor to apologise for any distress or inconvenience caused."
She added that British Gas would be offering him a gesture of goodwill.
