A word of caution to all consumers of electricity out there. Apparently, if your circumstances change in any way, say, your parents die, the children grow up and leave, etc., you have to let Enemalta know.

I am being chased for €1,700 because I did not use the same amount of units in one period as in the previous period. This was because my son left to attend University in the UK for three years and I myself work abroad on a five-weeks-on-five-weeks off rotation and my wife works full-time. So, of course, my consumption went down drastically.

For another period they say the meter must have been tampered with as the consumption was zero. This too can be explained because we had left the property a month before. Yet, it seems we have to prove to Enemalta that my son went to University and that I work abroad and my wife works. I thought the idea of a meter was to pay for the consumption used and not what Big Brother thinks you should pay.

Surely, if the meter has been checked and found to be in good working order then Enemalta would have to bill you as per what the meter says! I thought it was also said that one is innocent until proven guilty. Enemalta seem to think one is guilty until one manages to prove otherwise.

The moral of the story is that if you have a big family or you have any changes in your circumstances please let Big Brother know or you will be dragged to court to prove your innocence at your own cost. I am not speaking about the subsidies for each occupant here as there weren’t any at the time.

Watch out, Big Brother is watching you (well, not in this case).