Tamanians are being urged to check their energy bills after a Prospect couple found an unwelcome surprise on a recent payment notice. Having paid just $302 for energy across winter 2022, pensioner Bev Catlin and her partner were shocked to receive an $880 bill for the 2023 winter billing period. Believing there to be a mistake, the pair made a phone call to Aurora Energy, where Ms Catlin says she was offered a $70 rebate. On a trip to Hobart, she took up the matter at Aurora's offices and received a $303 credit. "Staff in the Hobart office were absolutely fantastic - we had a very friendly person who was talking to us and I'm very grateful for her," Ms Catlin said. "She apologised to us and said it was a glitch in the system." Labor MP Michelle O'Byrne said the situation was a "cautionary tale" for homeowners to inspect their bills thoroughly, particularly when many are struggling with finances. "We've had a lot of people saying, particularly over the winter, that their energy bills were incredibly high," Ms O'Byrne said. "They expected them to go up a little bit, but they've gone up quite a lot. "We'll be calling on Aurora to do a full audit of their bills to ensure that people haven't been overcharged, because most people [may] have just assumed as power prices are going up that this is a normal thing. "We know there are people disconnecting their power because it's too expensive, and maybe it's because some of them got this kind of bill this winter." An Aurora Energy spokesperson assured customers there was no systemic billing issue. "In rare cases where an overcharge occurs, customers will receive a credit on their account or refund in full," the spokesperson said. "Customers can contact Aurora Energy's local team on 1300 132 003 (Monday to Friday from 8am-6pm) or visit auroraenergy.com.au" Aurora Energy has employee offices in Hobart and Launceston, but like many bigger companies, does not have a physical customer service centre. Ms Catlin said it was important service providers could respond to customers - particularly elderly customers- face-to-face. "It's fine on the phone if you can hear or listen properly, but if you haven't got the paperwork in front of you and somebody explaining it to you as well, that's too hard."