A pub owner who owns three Bristol pubs has spoken out about the “blatant profiteering” of gas companies during an energy crisis. Stephen Wallace was handed a bill of more than £7,000 after his three-year contract for the Golden Guinea in Redcliffe came to an end in January.
The gas company said he had accrued a debt of £2,994.62 as his monthly payments of £341 - measured by a smart meter - had not been covering his bills. Stephen was on a fixed-price contract that ended on December 3, 2022 and was subsequently placed on an out-of-contract rate until he moved suppliers on January 16.
“They charged just over £4,000 for six weeks in the period before they released me to move to another provider. Six weeks electricity only in a pub with only 40 covers,” Stephen explained.
