The 71-year-old of Middleton, Leeds, turned to us after a three-year dispute with energy firm npower.

Her complaint was that she had not been billed for electricity since April 2005. Npower stopped billing because it thought her house had been demolished.

Yet the great-grandma – unaware her account had been closed – continued to pay £10 a week, fearing she might otherwise be cut off.

Mrs Haines finally turned to the YEP when she suspected she had paid for more than she had used and was owed a substantial sum.

As it turned out, Mrs Haines was owed £1,255, which has since been returned to her by cheque after the YEP got in touch with npower in June.

"I couldn't believe that I had to wait nearly three years while I was ringing and getting nowhere," said Mrs Haines. "It was the YEP that did it in the end and I really am pleased."

Kelly Brown of npower said Mrs Haines would get her first quarterly bill in September once a meter reading had been taken. He said: "We are very sorry to hear about the problems she had had. Mrs Haines will not be charged for electricity used over the past three years."