A PREGNANT young mum has hit out at an energy giant after she was left with no gas for two days.

Lauren Watson, 19, who is 39 weeks pregnant, said she was unable to cook, bathe or heat her home because the meter was left in debit by a previous tenant.

Miss Watson said she contacted npower who told her a representative would visit her home in Brunswick Street, Nelson, on Saturday to credit the meter, but nobody came out.

She said: “My little boy has gone without gas, and I’m 39 weeks pregnant.

“It’s the fact they said they would send someone out on Saturday, but I waited until 2am.

“They said there was no-one available to come out to me, but they’d said I was priority because I was 39 weeks pregnant and had a two-year-old.”

She said she had been putting money in the meter on the understanding that npower would give her the credit back, but by Saturday she had run out of money.

She said: “When I moved in the meter was in debt so every time I topped up, the meter took my money.

“I’ve been walking half an hour every day with my little boy in the rain to get credit. They said ‘when you run out just ring us’.

“Then when I rang them they asked me to borrow money off someone.”

A spokesman for npower said that it was not company policy to ask customers to borrow money.

Miss Watson said she also contacted National Grid and Transco when she was left without gas, but was told that the problem would have to be fixed by the supplier. The meter had been credited by Monday morning, but Lauren said she was unhappy with the £20 per day compensation npower had offered her.

She said: “They’re saying they won’t give me any more compensation. I’ve put in a complaint already, but I have to wait nine or ten days to hear back.

“They’ve given me a cheque, but it’s not enough. I’ve been without food, not able to have a bath, or heat my house.”

An npower spokesman said it was investigating.