Opus gives out pub's bank details

An energy company that has been slammed for its high bills has now come under fire for the way it handled a customer's personal details.

Gary Grant of The Trafalgar in Aldershot, Hampshire, called The Publican after his monthly bill from Opus Energy soared from £56 to £682.

Opus described the rise as being in line with the licensee's electricity consumption but when it relayed the information to thepublican.com​ it also disclosed recorded telephone calls with Grant that revealed his bank account details.

Grant said: "People could use that information to their own ends. I will be getting onto Opus to complain and to ask why they thought it was OK to divulge such personal details without my permission."

Energywatch spokesman Carl Brookes backed Grant's stance.

He said: "It simply beggars belief that a company that considers itself modern and progressive would be so careless to issue such private details.

"It raises serious questions about how careful they are with other consumers' data.

"I would be interested to see what possible explanation Opus could offer that this was ever an acceptable approach to resolving a genuine complaint."

And Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, added: "It makes you wonder - if you've got any details with a company like that, who are they going to pass that information on to? It's frightening."

Last year Opus said it had reviewed its processes after featuring on BBC's Watchdog programme but unhappy customers have continued to call thepublican.com​.

A spokeswoman for Opus refused to apologise for passing on the personal details.

She said: "Information was disclosed to a trustworthy party and was essential in Opus defending itself against the risk of The Publican​ running an inaccurate story based upon comments from a licensee."