Metering out punishment

Dear Sir, FIRSTLY, I would like to say that I am not one of those ex-pats who constantly compares (unfavourably) Majorcan and English laws and culture, but have lived here, very happily, as a wife, and now a widow, for over 20 years. As a fit pensioner, it has taken this battle with the electricity supply company, Gesa, to “knock me sideways.” Electricity meter is moved from inside my house to outside by the front door, at the request of Gesa. I saw the meter man come and read it at least twice. Thereafter, bills paid by direct debit through my bank here. MARCH 2006 Received a bill from Gesa for 3'588.29 euros, and nearly had a heart attack! I visit the Gesa office in Manacor who give me two conflicting and contradictory pieces of information: POINT 1 All recent bills have been estimada (estimated), and that the large “extra” bill is money that I owe them for 8 or 9 back years. POINT 2 They destroy all records after 3 years. They then tell me, initially, that this big bill must be paid in full, by Christmas this year. POINT 3 Gesa send someone to my house, to check that my meter is working properly. The meter passes the test, but they give me no answer when I ask what the point is of examining a meter which has not been looked at, by them, for 8 or 9 years. I am amazed, that it is quite legal, here, to present estimated bills over such a long period, but it is. POINT 4 I take all the documents to my lawyer who does his best for me with Gesa. Final outcome so far? As I am a pensioner, my lawyer, hopefully, talks them into allowing deferred monthly payments through my bank either along with, or separate from, my normal electricity bills. Big deal. POINT 5 If I do not start paying the extra money soon, they will “cut me off” in spite of the fact that I have continued to pay all my normal bills to them through my bank as usual. Gesa has a monopoly here. My hands are tied. POINT 6 Finally, how was their final figure worked out? At what cost, per kilowatt, will I be paying? All of it, at today's price or some of it at the price of 7 or 8 years ago? I do not want anyone else to suffer as I have and hope that this saga serves as a warning to the public at large. The law should be changed to disallow estimated bills after 3, or more non-reading of meters.