Deli had to shell out £2,000 in just five weeks for electricity

BUSINESS WAS PUT ON A PRE-PAYMENT METER WITHOUT ITS KNOWLEDGE, SAY OWNERS

- By JOSHUA HARTLEY

A DELICATESSEN in Cornwall has branded a Nottingham energy company “disgraceful” after being charged for a year’s worth of electricity for five weeks of use.

Yü Energy, based in Mellors Way, Strelley, has been accused of incompetence by Martyn Jay, who runs the Jaybird Deli in Portreath.

Mr Jay has slammed the Nottingham company, which provides electric and gas to tens of thousands of UK businesses, but has come under fire in recent weeks from customers appalled by what they have described as chaotic billing and the fitting of prepayment meters without consent.

Mr Jay, who opened his deli in May, said he had no idea who his supplier was as he had no letters, emails or bills.

He only found out when his power was cut off without warning in June. “We lost a full day's trading, two commercial freezers full of stock, and hundreds of pounds in income,” Mr Jay, 35, said.

“After hours on the phone being passed between Clear Business and Yü Energy, we finally discovered we'd been put on a prepayment meter one we were never told about - and we were topping it up at an absolutely extortionate rate. In five weeks, we paid over £2,000 for electricity - that's more than our estimated annual usage.”