Abbi Murray
A young couple were left shell-shocked after discovering they had consumed £1.9 billion worth of gas in just one morning.
Sam Mottram and Maddie Robertson were astonished to learn they had racked up the hefty bill in a one-minute period.
The amount was actually equal to 15 percent of the total household expenditure on gas and electricity for the whole of the UK, which is £12.1 billion.
It is also enough energy to power over 2,700 football matches at stadiums.
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The pair, both 22, live in a two-bedroom flat in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and typically spend around £1,300 a year on their gas and electricity under new price hikes.
However, after a routine check of their Shell Energy app, they spotted the absurd amount.
Teacher Maddie immediately questioned her boyfriend, stating he must have read the numbers wrong.
However, she also received the shock of her life after seeing the figure covering the length of his phone screen.
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Car mechanic Sam said: “Maddie thought I’d got the numbers wrong, she thought I was being daft.
“But yeah, it is funny.
“I got a notification on my phone saying I need to update my direct debit and thought that was a bit weird.
“I knew prices were going up but I didn’t think that much!”
Shell’s mobile app helps the pair stay on top of their energy bills but they never imagined they would open it to see a £1.9billion charge.
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Shell promised the couple that they won’t have to pay the nine-figure sum and assured them it is likely a technical glitch.
A Shell Energy spokesperson said: "This was an error in our app that affected a small number of customers, and we don't expect Sam and Maddie to pay for the world's supply of gas. Any customers with the same app error can be assured that it won't have any impact on their direct debit payments."
Record high gas prices are pushing up bills for households across the country.
Next month, energy prices are set to increase by more than 50 percent, or close to £2000 for the average household, which may plunge many families around the country into further financial struggle.
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The energy price cap, which is the maximum amount that a utility company can charge customers, will be rising from £1277 to £1971 on 1st April, which will affect millions of Brits now on variable tariffs.