A pensioner was pursued by a plague of monster electricity bills despite fleeing Sussex to escape them.

Rita Downing, 78, was horrified when a bill for £1,033 landed on her doormat in Wales - weeks after bungling energy company npower had promised to stop sending her whopping charges for money she did not owe.

She thought she had seen the end of her on-going dispute with the company, which initially charged her more than £3,800 for electricity she had not used at her home in Essex Place, Newhaven.

The problem began after she changed her supply from Southern Electric to npower, then received a bill for £3,735.32 in May.

She refused to pay and it was followed by two more bills for £3,821.91 and £3,816.19.

The company told The Argus the problem appeared to stem from an incorrect estimated meter reading and promised to resolve it.

However, Mrs Downing moved to Bridgend, thinking she would leave behind the vast bills but a new bill arrived on her doormat days after moving.

The notice of payment for £1,033 for her old flat was dated December 17 - the day she moved out.

It was followed by another bill, dated three days later, for £1,061.

Mrs Downing said: "I only had five lightbulbs but by the size of this bill they are serving all of Newhaven through me.

"I contacted them again and said I was not going to pay it. I am getting a bit nervous. I am an old age pensioner. I am not going to draw out £1,000 for them."

To her horror, she also discovered npower supplies her new home and had already sent her a gas bill for £45 dated from November - before she lived there.

Mrs Downing has arranged to change her supplier.

The company has now calculated Mrs Downing's correct electricity bill - just £240.

Staff contacted her to get a correct reading for the gas bill, which was produced from an estimated reading.

A spokeswoman said: "Achieving a high standard of customer service is very important to npower, therefore it is unacceptable we have continued to send incorrect electricity bills to Mrs Downing.

"The problem occurred after a meter exchange was not recorded on our systems. This has now been fixed and a correct bill is being sent to Mrs Downing.

"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.

"We have also contacted the customer to arrange suitable compensation."