Ipswich café owner hit with £6,000 energy bill for a month

Zoe Hayman-Cox opened Sweet William's Bakery and café in 2021 and is questioning bills demanded by independent energy supply company BES Utilities. 

The bakery, which operates out of the former bowls club in Chantry Park, has been threatened with disconnection and issued various different bills, but the amount and period of time has still not been clarified.

Ms Hayman-Cox set up the bakery in memory of her first child, who sadly passed away just two hours after birth in August 2017, after being diagnosed with a rare condition known as Edwards Syndrome.

The now mum-of-two discovered in October that a payment of more than £6,000 was due to be sent by direct debit to the company.

She logged on to her online portal and found she had not been invoiced between March and October.

Sweet William’s Bakery founder Zoe Hayman-Cox with ten-month-old daughter Lucy. (Image: Zoe Hayman-Cox)

She went through the complaints process, and eventually was able to contact the company's payments department, and was told she had to pay 50% of the bill before they would investigate.

Ms Hayman-Cox refused to do this and became suspicious. The company later admitted that the amount was not for one month, but for six months.

She said: "That was still absurd, as I had my daughter in May and would have been using considerably less electricity in that period. I also had not even received a bill between March and October.

Read more: MP fights on behalf of Sweet William's Bakery, Ipswich

"After many emails, calls, and threats of disconnection, they sent someone on a 'pre-disconnection' visit, where I then found out they were trying to bill me for a different billing period - 2021 to 2023."

The business owner eventually paid a fourth version of the bill, amounting to £2,900, as she was told she would be cut off immediately if she did not pay this.

MP Tom Hunt said he is saddened and angered by the situation. (Image: Tom Hunt)

Ms Hayman-Cox works with ten-month-old baby Lucy, in between taking five-year-old daughter Emilia to school.

She added that the situation has had an "awful" impact on both her personally and professionally: "I have been so in fear of this bill that I have been making everything physically with my hands rather than use electrical equipment.

"I have had to close my counter to focus on deliveries. I only have half the lights on. I come in every day and fear if they have turned off my supply - checking if everything has been spoilt - and breathe a sigh of relief when it has not.

"I work seven days a week. I have one oven. I set up my business after my son passed away.

"I am hand to mouth, just trying to keep the business going, and when something like this happens it has an enormous financial impact and does call into question the longevity of any business.

"I've had hideous nightmares, and have been in tears, had sleepless nights, and wondered if this is the end of the business.

Sweet William’s Bakery makes cakes for occasions. (Image: Zoe Hayman-Cox)

"This is my blood, sweat and tears. It is so personal. I sacrificed paying myself to pay this bill, which seems so unfair."

Her fight has been picked up by Ipswich MP Tom Hunt who has written to the minister for affordability and skills.

Mr Hunt has called out the "callous practice" of faceless corporations. 

Mr Hunt said: "It pains me that Zoe has felt she has no option but to close. The way these faceless energy companies are able to operate is totally wrong.

"To say she has been messed around would be an understatement. I’ve again raised with appropriate ministers and I’m determined that the company in question pay a price for what they’ve put Zoe through.

“Lots of local businesses across the town have been struggling with high energy costs but things are made far harder when you get inconsistent and incomplete information.

"It causes huge anxiety. There is no excuse for what has happened here.”

Calls have been made for the regulator Ofgem to investigate BES Utilities last year following the jailing of Andrew Pilley, the owner of BES utilities 

Pilley, who was the owner of Fleetwood Town Football Club, was jailed for 13 years on fraud charges.

The charges involved targeting small business owners and deceiving them into signing long-term energy contracts between 2014 and 2016.

BES Utilities was contacted for comment, but none was received.