My £18,000 dip in fortune: Swimmer hit with massive electricity bill for outdoor pool

Pensioner Mike Smith from Aultbea in Ross-shire

Widower Mike Smith’s dream of having a daily swim in his own heated swimming pool turned sour when he was hit with electricity bills for more than £18,000.

The 72-year-old had the 20ft by 12ft enclosed pool installed in the garden next to his two-bed cottage in 2015.

Mike, 72, from Aultbea, Wester Ross, said: “My late wife and I always wanted our own swimming pool.”

But he was stunned when the following January his electricity bill of £80-a-month suddenly jumped, with a bill for another £5,824.

“This is a two-bedroom cottage and at that point the pool was being heated solely by Calor gas, so there is no way the bills should have been that high,” he said.

In 2017, the annual electricity bill at the cottage jumped to £6,208.

Pensioner Mike Smith is in a dispute with his power company SSE after his electricity bills at his small cottage have shot to £13k a year after he had a swimming pool installed in the garden.

As a result, Mr Smith had a survey conducted by a local electrical firm who said the heat pump should not cost that amount to run.

After he complained to SSE, a customer liaison officer was sent to check the property in June 2017. The company concluded the meter was working but Mr Smith should have moved to a cheaper tariff.

However, Mr Smith believes there was a problem with his supply – after SSE billed him for £18,785 of electricity last year. He already paid £13,617 for 2018 and has now been asked for £5,000.

In February, Mr Smith changed to Foxglove Energy and said his bill for 2019 is on target to be £3,000.

“I refuse to believe I used almost £19,000 worth of electricity in a year, swimming pool or not. The bills were excessively high even before the heat pump was put in.”

An SSE spokesperson said: “We informed the customer the heat pump had been wired to the peak rate of the meter and could be wired into the off-peak rate but the customer would have to arrange for this to be done by an electrician. Unfortunately, the customer has stated he didn’t take this advice until recently.”

SSE said it has offered Mr Smith £68.71 as a “goodwill gesture” and has put a hold on his account until a suitable repayment plan is agreed.

Mr Smith said he remains unsatisfied and is refusing to pay the outstanding £5,000.

Stephen Booth, director of Forfar-based swimming pool specialists Aquality Leisure, said electricity costs of £3,000-£4,000 a year were typical for a pool like the one Mr Smith has.