Utility bill ‘glitch’ means Cambridge pub charged for 2021 energy at 2022 prices

The Old Spring prides itself on providing a warm welcome but a sudden demand from its energy supplier, Pozitive Energy, to pay £11,524 within 10 days got a chilly reception from owner Joanna Coulton.

The payment was to cover underpayments: although meter readings from the Cambridge pub were emailed – with a photo – regularly to the energy supplier, they weren’t being inputted to the system because of what Pozitive’s customer care team called ‘a glitch’ – and the result was that they’d undercharged the Ferry Path pub for its energy use for 15 months.

“The last meter reading they accepted was for February 18 to March 18, 2021,” she says. “Pozitive Energy were ignoring all the meter readings I sent in after that.

“When I called them I was told they were making estimates. They said: ‘There must have been a glitch and we’re going to cancel all bills from March 2021 and work out the average usage per month’.”

But when the bill arrived on August 19, the energy was being charged at the 2022 rate, rather than the rate it was when the energy was used in 2021, leaving Joanna firstly incredulous and then exasperated as the 10-day window for payment loomed on August 29.

“The bill they’ve sent me, for £11,524, is for the additional usage charged at today’s rates,” says the owner of the popular independent pub – established in 1868 – on the corner of Ferry Path and Chesterton Road.

Joanna has calculated that if the bill was charged at the rates they were when the energy was consumed, the bill would be reduced by £3,479. A significant amount – and the way the bill was presented did the energy supplier no favours.

“The invoice was issued at 5.25pm on August 19 and their office closes at 5.30pm – and I was given just 10 days to pay it. I know I owe them money but the amount is wrong and demanding full payment in 10 days is wrong too.

“I am trying to negotiate but nobody is coming back to me with the correct answers.”

With Pozitive Energy not proving slow to accept the miscalculation Joanna, who took on the pub in 2019, had to do something.

“I’ve cancelled the direct debit,” she says. “They can take me to court, this is outrageous.”

A request was made to Pozitive Energy to talk to a press officer. A customer care representative replied: “We would like to inform you that there is as such no press department in Pozitive Energy, but if you have any concern you can elaborate and we can connect you to the relevant department for that.”

Following a second email, a Pozitive Energy spokesperson replied: “Based on your request I would like to inform that we have a complaint process.” An email for the customer complaints department was supplied.

Ofgem, the government-appointed gas and electricity regulator, was contacted to establish if there is any legislation requiring an energy company to co-operate with the press. An Ofgem spokesperson told the Cambridge Independent: “Our Service Level Conditions (SLCs) do not cover an expectation on a suppliers’ organisational structure. It’s not included in any of the recent ‘stress test’ activity in the market – it does refer to a ‘board’ in a number of places, but no reference to detailed roles like requiring a press officer.

“A supplier being obligated to answer media questions is not in any current SLCs.” However, the spokesperson added: “As Pozitive appears to have already accepted this [incorrect invoice] is their fault, it is their responsibility to correct this and rebill the customer accurately.”

At the time of going to press, Pozitive Energy had granted a five-day extension to the due date for the disrupted invoice pending further investigation. Once it’s sorted Joanna can carry on with the running of the pub, and is looking forward to getting a new patio extension to increase the amount of outdoors space for customers.

“Probably it’ll be done in January and February – ‘Dry January’ is usually quiet,” she says. “It would be good to have it ready for Easter.” ‘

Manager Katerina Pikasi added: “We know it’s going to be a difficult winter but you’re always assured of a warm welcome at the Old Spring.”