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Kent pub owners dispute £55,589.77 energy bill they blame on faulty smart meter

The owners of the Chequers Inn in Lamberhurst, Kent, say a faulty smart meter is behind a £55,589.77 bill from Yorkshire Gas and Power that could close the pub. The energy ombudsman has told the supplier to inspect the meter within 28 days.

2 outlets · 1L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Daily Mirror
Image: Daily Express

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The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2The owners of the Chequers Inn in Lamberhurst, Kent, say a £55,000 energy bill could force the pub to close. Mixed · 2Supplier Yorkshire Gas and Power (YGP) says the owners owe £55,589.77. Becky Gomery and Rich Spicer dispute the amount and blame a faulty smart meter. The pub is described as 612 years old, and its 20 staff would lose their jobs if the bill is not rescinded. Mixed · 2The couple say they paid YGP around £2,000 a month for a year, based on the smart meter's usage figures and similar to the previous owner's rates. They were then asked to share meter readings and told in April this year to settle an extra £38,000 in backdated fees. The sum has grown to £55,589.77 after being sent to collections.

Right · 1Ms Gomery says she asked the supplier to check the readings again and did not get a reasonable response. She says a meter inspector and an independent electrician both found the meter faulty. Mixed · 2The energy ombudsman said it was "not satisfied that YGP investigated the apparent mismatch between the meter registers and the three-rate billing arrangement adequately or promptly", and told the supplier to send an engineer to inspect the meter within 28 days. Right · 1According to Ms Gomery, nobody from the supplier has yet inspected the meter. She says debt collectors "aggressively entered the pub, demanding to look at the meter".

Left · 1Ms Gomery says that without electricity the business and their home would end: "That will be the end of the pub." The owners say margins are "very tight" and the cheapest pint of lager is £4.50. Right · 1A YGP spokesperson said the company takes customer concerns seriously but cannot discuss individual accounts or the substance of the dispute while the ombudsman reviews it. The spokesperson confirmed that enforcement and debt collection activity on the account has been suspended during the review. Right · 1The Express places the case within wider pub closures. It cites the British Beer and Pub Association estimate of about 360 closures by the end of 2026 and 5,000 job losses.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
The Mirror tells the story from the owners' side, with 'catastrophic' and 'faulty smart meter' in quotation marks in the headline. It says YGP had been contacted for comment.
Emphasis
The owners' quotes, the threat to jobs and the debt collectors' visit.
Leaves out or plays down
No YGP response and no mention that debt collection has been suspended. No wider pub-closure context.
Charged language
“catastrophic”“ballooned”
For example
“Yorkshire Gas and Power have been contacted for comment.” — Daily Mirror
“The amount has now ballooned to £55,589.77 after being sent to collections.” — Daily Mirror

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
The Express leads with the risk of closure for a historic pub after a 'shock' bill. It carries the supplier's statement and places the case within the wider pub-closure trend.
Emphasis
YGP's statement, suspended enforcement and BBPA closure and job-loss figures.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not give the pub's cheapest pint price.
Charged language
“shock £55k energy bill”“whopping”“call last orders for the final time”
For example
“The amount has now grown to a whopping £55,589.77 after being sent to collections.” — Daily Express
“We can confirm that enforcement and debt collection activity has been suspended on this account” — Daily Express