Licensees vow to take electricity supplier to court

Two licensees are planning court action against controversial electricity company Opus Energy after disputes over thousands of pounds.

On a busy Friday lunchtime in July bailiffs sent by Opus turned up at the Avon Brewery Inn in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

When owners Esme Bennett and Paul Boyland refused to settle a £3,511 bill they believed should have been £59, the bailiffs cut off their electricity.

Opus then told the stunned licensees it would be £5,500 to turn the electricity back on and it would take six days.

"We paid a man £20 to reconnect us immediately. They knew how a delay would impact our business," said Esme.

The couple are now preparing to go to court to claim £2,000 compensation for lost trade from the company.

An Opus spokeswoman said: "With accruing debts dating back to June 2007, Opus Energy was forced to take legal action through the appropriate channels and the customer has been provided with all the paperwork related to this for an independent audit, should they so wish."

Meanwhile Iain McMaster, licensee of the Middle Ruddings, in Braithwaite in Cumbria, received a call from Opus demanding £13,000.

He said: "The previous year they called me to say I owed £5,000, and after I asked for several reconciliations it ended up they owed me £3,600. I thought it had all been resolved but I was wrong."

The licensee paid £7,000 without prejudice to end his Opus contract but is now planning to calculate the amount he actually owed and then will start proceedings against the company.

An Opus spokeswoman said: "The matter has been concluded with the customer. This final bill has been paid and the customer has now switched suppliers."

Last year Opus promised to improve revamp its billing policy and sales team following a series of complaints from licensees.