// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
Thames Water apologises after £145,000 customer billing mistake
Thames Water has apologised to a customer after trying to take £145,000 from his bank account due to a meter reading error by the company.
Adam Bainbridge, a teacher from north London, discovered while routinely checking his accounts on Thursday morning that Thames had debited £145,562 from his bank account.
His wife Julia told the PA news agency that Adam "got the shock of his life" and had trouble paying bills that morning as a result.
Thames Water said the money had been returned to his account and that he had been offered "a gesture of goodwill".
The company confirmed to BBC News that it had returned the money to Adam's account and had apologised to him personally.
Julia told PA that the debit took Adam's account "considerably" into overdraft.
She said: "It was pre-8am when we looked ... obviously then you try to do some ring rounds, no one's online, no one's answering any phones.
"We're a family rushing around looking after a three-year-old trying to get ready for the nursery run and all the rest of it."
Julia said Adam initially could only speak to a Thames chatbot, which said the error would be rectified in the next payment. He then contacted his bank and the money was returned to his account.
"As it was this morning, Adam had some bills he wanted to pay off his card and things that were due out of his account and everything was blocked.