Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Food hub in energy giant fight
KIRRIEMUIR Food Hub chiefs say they feel like they have been “held hostage” by energy giant SSE in a yearlong electricity battle at a former town bank branch.
It centres on the hub’s efforts to get new meters for the former RBS building in Bank Street.
The charity also wanted to switch suppliers after being landed with a bill for thousands from SSE.
In June 2023 the food hub moved into the old bank building to join forces with Kirrie Rotary Club’s clothing bank.
Prior to the move a new electricity meter was put in since the bank had been closed since 2015.
But it was the wrong meter.
Due to SSE not updating the meter details, the hub was unable to agree a contract or move supplier.
Food hub treasurer Jenny Lilja has been involved in months of wrangling to get the problems sorted.
“As well as the meter problems we got a bill for nearly £4,000,” she said.
“We wanted to change supplier to get a much better deal but couldn’t do that because of the issues with the meter.”
So she raised the matter with the energy ombudsman.
It backed the hub volunteers with a series of demands to SSE to resolve the fiasco.
It included telling the firm to write a letter of apology to the hub and compensate it with £300.
Jenny added: “That was in March and they have done absolutely nothing. “We’re at our wits’ end.” A spokesperson for SSE said: “We’d like to say sorry to Jenny, Lindsey and all the volunteers at the Kirriemuir Food Hub for not having resolved this issue sooner.
“We are reaching out to them today to get things sorted and to pay the compensation owed.”
The firm said it accepted the ombudsman’s findings.