Another host has been sent a bombshell electricity bill — this time for £8,900 — after British Gas admitted under-estimating consumption.
An extra £500 per month has been added to Mike Yates's bill to make up the shortfall until it's paid. He fears it could force the pub to close.
Yates, of the Lamb & Flag Inn at Rhayader, Powys, said six months ago British Gas fitted a new meter, saying he'd only been billed for weekdays and not evening and weekend usage, for the previous 18 months.
The actual bill was almost £12,000 because it included around three months of unpaid bills while deliberations were on-going.
The £500 charge has been added to each monthly demand and last month Yates's total electricity bill was £1,200. The pub takes around £5,000 to £6,000 per week.
"I've never used that kind of electricity," said Yates, a tenant with Prosperity Taverns. "I pleaded for more information. [British Gas] kept saying it's not my
fault, but we have been undercharged.
"To be hit with a bill of
this size it makes me think about closing the pub."
A British Gas spokesman said: "We've apologised to Mr Yates for the metering error that caused the large bill and have agreed to spread the cost over 18 months to help make his payments more manageable.
"We've offered to send an expert to provide a free energy-efficiency audit of the pub to see whether we can help by reducing his ongoing energy usage as well."
Earlier this month the MA reported that licensee George Taylor was sent an £11,868 bill because consumption had been underestimated over six and a half years. British Gas agreed to reduce it by 20%, remove late-payment charges and spread it out over 22 months.