Higher energy bills follow host's protest
A licensee has been told he must pay Opus Energy an extra £1,813 over six months - after he complained about the supplier's excessive charges.
Martin Moylan is the latest in a long line of licensees to complain about Opus, which has been subjected to close scrutiny following an investigation by the BBC Watchdog programme last year.
Moylan, lessee of Frederic Robinson's Red Bull in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, has been paying Opus between £263 and £797 a month for electricity since last May.
Moylan said a cold-caller agent assured him that payment levels would be between £250 and £300.
Opus promised the MA it would look into the situation. This week the supplier agreed to a 10% discount and removed the 7.5% uplift in tariffs that was applied after Moylan cancelled his direct debit.
However, in a separate letter, Moylan was told he had been under-charged and must pay an additional £1,813 over six months - taking his monthly bills to £1,022 until September.
"This has been our biggest nightmare," said Moylan, who is tied into Opus for three years. "Opus has got it totally wrong with us and we are suffering."
Opus' head of customer services Andy Nash said the higher charges are realistic because they were calculated after the company's data collectors visited the pub to check the meter.
He also said that since last November, all discussions between agents and Opus customers are recorded to ensure brokers don't offer unrealistic tariffs.
Nash said he was happy to speak to Moylan and may be able to spread out the payment time of the higher
tariff.
Are you an unsatisfied Opus customer? Call John Harrington on 01293 610481.
DownYourWay
FARMERS ARMS
Combe Florey,
Somerset
Ambience: Family-owned 16th-century thatched pub close to the West Somerset steam railway line. A one-roomed narrow pub accommodating drinkers and diners alike. No machines.
Time and tempo: Thursday lunchtime. Reasonably busy with some customers even dining outside in the pleasant sunshine.
Food: Extensive menu backed up with a specials board featuring liver and bacon, cottage pie and so forth. Special weekly steak nights. Produce sourced mainly from local suppliers.
Drinks: West Country beers out in force, including Exmoor Ale and Gold, Tawny Bitter from the Cotleigh Brewery and St Austell's HSD.
Service: Efficient.
Toilets: Clean; unusually the gents is outside.
Return visit: Certainly.
