Community hall faces closure as bills quadruple

Aida Fofana - BBC News, West Midlands
·2-min read

A community hall faces closure after its bills quadrupled following the installation of solar panels.

Credenhill Community Hall had installed the panels, which cost £20,000, in order to reduce costs.

Energy provider SSE said it was working with the hall to help find ways to reduce its bill.

Paul Oliver, the secretary of the hall, said: "With these huge payments coming out we just can't survive anymore, all the money made here is volunteer raised and it has happened because of something that isn't our fault."

Mr Oliver claimed SSE had admitted it had been charging for energy created rather than energy use.

The hall said it had not received a refund and was still being charged.

"Last year the average amount of electricity used was about £120 a month, suddenly when we had these solar panels put on we had a bill for £5,000 for one quarter," Mr Oliver said.

"They said they'd put in a new smart meter but if they have it has made no difference because the next bill was for £2,000 which is four times the amount we had previously been charged,"he added.

'Huge problems'

Credenhill Community Hall has served the community for 50 years providing a cafe, social and sports club run by volunteers.

Without the hall Mr Oliver said programmes that had been in the community for years were at risk and the knock on effect that would have would be heartbreaking.

"People come here and it's a huge community effort and without the hall here people will be in huge problems."

SSE Energy said it was working with Credenhill to "look at ways they can reduce their bills, including whether they are eligible for some form of VAT relief."

A spokesperson added: "The consumption meter is only measuring the electricity that is used by the Community Hall when the solar panels are not generating power."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

Related internet links

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Shell to take hit of up to $2bn on Rotterdam and Singapore sites

    Oil firm’s warning comes after it had to halt work on Europe’s largest biofuel project and sell refinery in Asia

  • I’m a Mechanic: My Dream Car Is $87,000 — But It’s Worth It

    If you ask a mechanic what their dream vehicle is, one might expect a flashy and luxurious choice. Vehicles like McLarens or Lamborghinis, far out of the average person's price range, immediately come...

  • Pongamia trees grow where citrus once flourished, offering renewable energy and plant-based protein

    An ancient tree from India is now thriving in groves where citrus trees once flourished in Florida, and could help provide the nation with renewable energy. As large parts of the Sunshine State’s once-famous citrus industry have all but dried up over the past two decades because of two fatal diseases, greening and citrus canker, some farmers are turning to the pongamia tree, a climate-resilient tree with the potential to produce plant-based proteins and a sustainable biofuel. For years, pongamia has been used for shade trees, producing legumes — little brown beans — that are so bitter wild hogs won't even eat them.

  • This Italian vacation hotspot is turning tourists away as it runs out of water

    Parts of Sicily have so little water they’re turning summer tourists away, unable to guarantee them a shower or a toilet that flushes after a day out in the heat.

  • Family Hears 'Huffing And Moaning,' Discovers Huge Bear Under Deck

    The 400-pound animal was safely relocated from the Colorado neighborhood — but it wasn't easy.

  • Record-setting heat will continue to torment millions of Americans this weekend

    The weekend is off to a sizzling start as more than one-third of US residents face heat advisories and additional cities are expected to see record temperatures Saturday.

  • Australia facing ‘prolonged’ wet weather as three separate rain bands and storms hit

    Bureau of Meteorology forecasts ‘showery weekend’ across the entire east coast of New South Wales and Queensland

  • Radioactive pellets are newest weapon in battle to save rhinos

    Radioactive pellets have been implanted into the horns of rhinoceroses in South Africa as part of a hi-tech battle against rampant poaching.

  • Texas coast prepares for potential hit by Beryl, which is expected to regain hurricane strength

    Tropical Storm Beryl is targeting the Gulf Coast of Texas after dealing a destructive blow to several islands in the Caribbean and the resort coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Beryl caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean islands earlier this week. Texas officials Saturday were urging coastal residents to brace for a potential hit by Beryl as the storm is expected to regain hurricane strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.“We’re expecting the storm to make land

  • Rail cars carrying hazardous material derail and catch fire in North Dakota

    Rail cars carrying hazardous material that derailed early Friday were still burning more than 12 hours later in a remote area of North Dakota, but officials said no one was hurt and the threat to those living nearby appeared to be minimal. Twenty-nine cars of a CPKC train derailed around 3:45 a.m. in a marshy area surrounded by farmland that's about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Fargo, said Andrew Kirking, emergency management director for Foster County. The cars were carrying anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, said Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality.

  • Hurricane Beryl leaves Jamaican homes without power

    The powerful storm has passed, but torrential rain has prompted new warnings.

  • Long-running heat wave expected to break more records with over 130M under advisories

    The heat waves that broke records across the nation over the last month are showing no signs of stopping, as more than 130 million people remain under advisories of extreme heat — and temperatures are expected to be 15-30 degrees higher than average into next week Oppressive heat and humidity may lead to temperatures above…

  • Talen asks US regulators to reject challenge to Amazon data center deal

    NEW YORK (Reuters) -Talen Energy has asked U.S. regulators to reject a challenge to its recent Amazon data center deal, which is being opposed by a group of electric utilities that say the agreement could raise power bills for the public, according to a filing on Friday. Talen said the challenge, brought by utilities including American Electric Power and Exelon, was inaccurate and that its interconnection agreement for the Amazon data center site would not cause spiking power costs for utility customers or grid reliability problems.

  • More than 10,000 sea turtle eggs were rescued from Mexico’s beach ahead of Hurricane Beryl

    Hurricane conditions can sweep turtle eggs out to sea, where they can’t hatch

  • Dangerous heat continues to bake areas of the West from Washington to Arizona

    Over the upcoming days, all-time record high temperatures will be challenged across portions of the West. Daytime highs from Washington to Arizona can range upwards of 100 F, with some Desert Southwest locations soaring above 115 F daily. Factors such as a recent lack of rainfall, low relative humidity levels and stifling temperatures will create an elevated wildfire threat. The harsh conditions can dramatically raise the risk for heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

  • Peat bog fire still smouldering in Foxley River after nearly 3 weeks

    A fire burning at a peat bog operation in Foxley River, in western P.E.I., continues to smoulder. The fire started June 17 at Gulf Island Peat Moss, north of Tyne Valley. Two days later, crews had managed to control the fire around its perimeter. Now, officials say they hope to have it extinguished soon. "By monitoring the fire and acting when needed, we are not allowing the fire to grow into open flames," officials with the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action said in a statemen

  • Group takes boat to watch Stromboli eruption in Italy

    STORY: :: People take a boat trip to witness the dramatic volcanic eruption of Stromboli, in Italy:: July 4, 2024:: Near Stromboli, Italy:: Marco MalaspinaEruptions at Italy's Mount Etna and the smaller Stromboli volcano spewed hot ash and lava, raising alert levels on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and forcing a temporary shutdown of Catania Airport on Friday (July 5).Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has seen intense activity in recent days, lighting up the sky near the city of Catania, while Stromboli off the northern Sicilian coast has spilled lava into the sea.Italy's civil protection agency issued its top, red alert for Stromboli, warning the situation could deteriorate.

  • Massive drought in Italy threatens to destroy Sicilian tourism

    A severe drought in Sicily, Italy is prompting hotel owners to turn away guests, threatening the region's tourism-driven economy.

  • Eight dead, two million affected by Bangladesh floods

    The death toll from floods in Bangladesh this week has risen to eight, leaving more than two million affected after heavy rains caused major rivers to burst their banks, officials confirmed Saturday."More than two million people have been affected by the floods.

  • Deadly tornado rips through China’s east

    Dramatic video shows a tornado sending debris into the air in China’s Shandong province on Friday. At least five people have died and at least 88 more have been injured, according to authorities.