Charity with no gas supply handed huge energy bill
BBCA charity which provides day care and support for adults with disabilities said it was "devastated" after being landed with a gas bill of more than £17,000.
Lifelong Ability North East (LANE) moved to its base in Wallsend, North Tyneside, in July and said the gas meter had been capped before it moved in.
But despite having no gas supply, the charity continued to receive bills from energy company Engie, which now total £17,506.73.
LANE's trustee Gill Gray said every month when a bill arrived she also received a call from a debt collection agency. A spokesperson for Engie said it had investigated the matter and apologised for any "negative consequences".
Ms Gray said: "Engie says I now have to give them evidence that the meter wasn't there, otherwise I'm liable for all these bills.
"It just doesn't make sense."
LANE's CEO Danny Wilson said the situation was "depressing".
"It's very sad as well that they don't understand what they're putting not just me or the other staff members, but the clients through as well," he said.
"It affects what we can purchase and how we can continue to grow."
Trish Marr works for the charity and her son David has been using its facilities since it opened.
She said he used to have "some serious mental health problems" before coming to the charity but now he had been "signed off" by the mental health nurse.
"Every day it's a joy to be here," she said.
A spokesperson for Engie said it had investigated the matter and "immediate action was taken to rectify the issue".
"We regret and apologise for any concern and negative consequences this has caused," they said.
However, the charity said it was yet to hear from the energy company about the dispute.
