A CWMBRAN woman says she has had to move back in with her ex-husband - because she cannot reach an electricity meter in her own home.

Pamela Prosser, 59, who suffers from asthma, moved into a privately rented flat on Two Locks Road, Cwmbran in July, but moved back out in September.

Up until then her ex-husband Kenneth and her son and grandson had been visiting her and were putting tokens in the existing pre-payment meter. But with the onset of colder weather the meter required regular top-ups and her relatives were not always available. Mrs Prosser says she asked British Gas, who supply the electricity, to replace the meter with a quarterly meter.

She said: "I asked for a quarterly meter but they did a credit check and found I owed a £300 bill. I made an offer to settle but they won't accept and now they won't give me a quarterly meter.

"They have offered to move the meter down a bit but that's going to cost me £70 which I cannot afford and I don't think my landlord will let it be done."

Mrs Prosser said she cannot live in the flat without heating which she says is electrically controlled.

Mr Prosser, 63, of Britannia Court, Pontymister, said he had remained friends with his wife despite the divorce and brings her to the flat a couple of times a week to check everything is alright.

But he said: "I want to see her in her new place so she can have a life of her own." A spokeswoman for British Gas said: "We do sympathise with Mrs Prosser and we have been in touch and tried to offer alternative solutions to her problem. We will be contacting her again to discuss alternatives. We value her custom and hope we can come to an agreeable arrangement."