An energy company kept billing a homeowner after her flat in Glasgow’s west end was destroyed by fire.

EDF claimed Marie Ferguson, 58, owed more than £700 - and when she didn’t pay up a debt collection company threatened to break down the door of the gutted property and cut off the power supply.

READ MORE: Politician's bed set on fire and home trashed as thugs steal late wife's jewellery

But Ms Ferguson insists the flat in Ripon Drive has been empty since the blaze on March 1 last year which could have killed her son who lived there at the time.

He escaped the fire - which is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault - along with a flatmate and several other people in the building.

Two women and three girls were treated at the scene by paramedics and Ms Ferguson’s son suffered shock.

She said: “He was just standing there in silence, staring into space when I got there. It was like a scene from the television programme Casualty. I could not believe it. I was absolutely stunned.

Glasgow Times:

“Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.”

Ms Ferguson said her insurance company was “very good” in the weeks after the fire but EDF were less helpful.

She said: “They decided to charge for the entire year because they just hadn’t taken cognisance of the fact there was a fire. The flat was a shell. There wasn’t any power in the building.”

The 58-year-old was being treated for breast cancer at the time of the blaze and believes her health has worsened during the dispute with EDF.

READ MORE: Politician's bed set on fire and home trashed as thugs steal late wife's jewellery

“The fire has been extremely stressful, not least because I was a recovering cancer survivor during this period,” she said.

“The constant stream of communications from EDF – including the threat by a debt collection agency to break down the door of my burnt down property – have compounded that stress.

“I have spent countless hours dealing with EDF.”

After a year of battling the energy supplier Ms Ferguson received some money back but EDF has refused to write off the bill.

She said: “They gave me a goodwill credit of £75. They then apologised for the letter from the debt collector.

READ MORE: Politician's bed set on fire and home trashed as thugs steal late wife's jewellery

“But this is still ongoing and I can’t understand why. It seems to be some sort of communications breakdown.

“And the problem with these big companies is they go after the little people like me and have tried to wear me down.

“It’s unjustified and increasing my stress levels at an already difficult time.”

A spokeswoman for EDF Energy said: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or distress that was caused to Ms Ferguson during this difficult time.

“We have removed the electricity charges that were applied in error while there was no meter at the property.

“In recognition of the shortfalls in customer service Ms Ferguson experienced we have also credited her account with £121 as a gesture of goodwill.”