Village shopkeeper slams ‘cowboy’ utilities firm after receiving £7,000 bill for just one week’s electricity
- Sian McDowell, 42, was told her store in Wales used 16,000 kilowatts in a week
A village shopkeeper was stunned to get a £7,000 bill for just one week’s electricity and slammed the ‘cowboy’ utility firm responsible.
Sian McDowell, 42, was told her discount store Allsortz in St Clears, west Wales, had used 16,000 kilowatts over seven nights, the equivalent of boiling a kettle 6,400 times or putting 3,500 loads through the tumble dryer.
The mother-of-four was handed the bill by BES Utilities – whose fraudster boss Andy Pilley was jailed for 13 years in July on unrelated charges.
The company later admitted Mrs McDowell’s bill had been issued in error, but not before she was hounded by demands for money for the huge sum.
Mrs McDowell said: ‘I was in disbelief when I opened the bill. In the two years we’d been with BES we’d paid £9,000 for our electricity, so there was clearly a problem.
Sian McDowell, 42, (pictured) was handed the bill by BES Utilities – whose fraudster boss Andy Pilley was jailed for 13 years in July on unrelated charges
The village shopkeeper was stunned to get a £7,000 bill for just one week’s electricity and slammed the ‘cowboy’ utility firm responsible
The mother-of-four was handed the bill by BES Utilities – whose fraudster boss Andy Pilley (pictured) was jailed for 13 years in July on unrelated charges
‘It’s awful how they think they can just do something like this. They’re cowboys.
‘Luckily I had cancelled the direct debit so they didn’t take the money automatically.
‘They left nine messages over five days on the answer phone telling us to make a payment or the bill would go up and sent threatening emails.
‘It was horrible.’
BES boss Andy Pilley – the former chairman of Fleetwood Town FC – was jailed for systematically duping businesses in a multi-million pound fraud last month.
His firm was subjected to a huge Trading Standards probe.
Mrs McDowell’s husband Mathew, 37, who runs a sister shop in nearby Whitland, said: ‘It was terrible when I saw that £7,000 bill. That could make small businesses go bust.
The company later admitted Mrs McDowell’s bill had been issued in error, but not before she was hounded by demands for money for the huge sum. Pictured: Mrs McDowell outside her store, Allsortz, in west Wales
Sian McDowell, 42, was told her discount store Allsortz in St Clears, west Wales, had used 16,000 kilowatts over seven nights, the equivalent to boiling a kettle 6,400 times or putting 3,500 loads through the tumble dryer
Mrs McDowell’s husband Mathew, 37, who runs a sister shop in nearby Whitland, said: ‘It was terrible when I saw that £7,000 bill. That could make small businesses go bust
The matter was resolved when Mathew appealed to Ofgem for help. The energy regulator contacted BES Utilities on Mr McDowell’s behalf and a revised bill of £125 was sent
‘They kept ringing and ringing and ringing saying we owed it. Horrible.’
The matter was resolved when Mathew appealed to Ofgem for help. The energy regulator contacted BES Utilities on Mr McDowell’s behalf and a revised bill of £125 was sent.
BES Utilities claimed the rogue bill was sent because Mr McDowell submitted a manual meter reading which interfered with the shop’s smart meter reading.
A BES spokesperson said: ‘We regret there was a billing discrepancy caused by manual customer provided meter readings, which caused a larger than expected invoice.
‘We are pleased to confirm the issue was rectified swiftly, Mr McDowell’s complaint has been resolved and the correct, accurate bill amount, was deducted from his bank account.’
However, Mr McDowell disagrees. He said: ‘I 100 per cent did not give any meter reading to anyone.’
Mrs McDowell also raised concern with the way BES recruited her when she moved into her shop in January 2021.
She explained: ‘When we moved in someone from BES Utilities arrived and said we were going to be cut off unless I signed right away, so I did.
‘Obviously, I regret that now.’
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