Pub to close after tenfold electricity bill rise

Trevor Howis and his partner Julie took on the pub more than three years ago

A tenant landlord of a Derbyshire pub says he has been put in the "impossible position" of having to close the venue following a sudden tenfold increase in his electricity bill.

Trevor Howis said he "couldn't believe his eyes" when his utility bill at The Miners Arms in Brassington leapt from £400 a month on average to £4,000 back in 2023.

He told the BBC he has tried to challenge the increase but a court order has ruled the supplier can now turn off the power due to the unpaid amount.

Valda Energy told the BBC it was unable to discuss specific customer accounts.

Mr Howis lives on the premises with his partner Julie and his 85-year-old mother and will have to be out by 16 December.

The pub will be closing its doors to punters on Tuesday.

Mr Howis said the energy supplier could not explain why his bills had increased so much

"We've created something - before I came the pub had 14 landlords in seven years so stability was the name of the game," he said.

"We've managed to get to three years but unfortunately the electricity bills have gone above what the pub is taking so we've had to make the difficult decision in closing the pub.

"We love what we do but we've been put in a impossible position."

Mr Howis, 59, said the pub had been running fine and costs were manageable - even with a downturn in trade - but he was stunned when the £4,000 bill landed on his doormat.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I read it - it didn't make sense," he said.

"I rang them and the operator even said it didn't look right."

He said he had the meter read, took his case to the Energy Ombudsman and continued paying the previous amount of £400 a month.

'More than a pub'

However Mr Howis said Valda Energy informed him by letter it had secured a court order to turn off the power - although the landlord said he was still awaiting the official court ruling.

"It's really sad... I feel like I've let the village down. It doesn't just affect me, the staff are hit by this as well," he said.

"The pub is a place for people to come and meet up - it's more than a pub, it's a community space."

A spokesman for Valda Energy said: "We understand the concerns raised by Mr Howis and take all customer issues very seriously.

"We have contacted the customer directly to obtain their consent to us sharing information about their account in our response.

"Due to confidentiality and data protection regulations we are unable to discuss specific customer accounts publicly without such consent."