Derbyshire Pub Faces Closure Following Tenfold Electricity Bill Increase

The tenant landlord of a pub in Derbyshire has stated that he faces the “impossible position” of needing to close the establishment due to a sudden tenfold surge in his electricity costs. Trevor Howis reported that he “couldn’t believe his eyes” when the utility charges for The Miners Arms in Brassington escalated from an average of £400 per month to £4,000 in 2023. He informed the BBC that despite his attempts to dispute the rise, a court order has determined that the supplier is now authorized to disconnect the power due to the outstanding balance. Valda Energy communicated to the BBC its inability to comment on individual customer accounts. Mr Howis, who resides at the property with his partner Julie and his 85-year-old mother, is required to vacate by 16 December. The pub is scheduled to cease operations for customers on Tuesday. “We’ve created something – before I came the pub had 14 landlords in seven years so stability was the name of the game,” he said.”We’ve managed to get to three years but unfortunately the electricity bills have gone above what the pub is taking so we’ve had to make the difficult decision in closing the pub.”We love what we do but we’ve been put in a impossible position.” Mr Howis, aged 59, indicated that the pub had been operating successfully with manageable expenses, even amidst a decline in business, but he was astonished upon receiving the £4,000 bill. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it – it didn’t make sense,” he said.”I rang them and the operator even said it didn’t look right.” He stated that he arranged for a meter reading, escalated his complaint to the Energy Ombudsman, and maintained payments of the prior £400 monthly sum. Nevertheless, Mr Howis reported that Valda Energy notified him via correspondence that it had obtained a court order to disconnect the electricity, though he, as the landlord, was still anticipating the formal court decision. “It’s really sad… I feel like I’ve let the village down. It doesn’t just affect me, the staff are hit by this as well,” he said. “The pub is a place for people to come and meet up – it’s more than a pub, it’s a community space.” A spokesperson for Valda Energy commented: “We understand the concerns raised by Mr Howis and take all customer issues very seriously. “We have contacted the customer directly to obtain their consent to us sharing information about their account in our response. “Due to confidentiality and data protection regulations we are unable to discuss specific customer accounts publicly without such consent.” Readers can follow BBC Derby on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or through WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the material on external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.