The Meriden Fish Bar’s co-owner claims to have had a “stress attack” due to the shop’s £17,700 electricity bill.

Donald Langford detailed how the rise in costs of utility and food bills has affected his mental health and wants to “walk away” from the business he has ran since 2000.

His admission comes only four months after the shop reopened following its 2021 closure because of the Meriden estate’s regeneration project.

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Mr Langford has claimed that British Gas, the company that supplies the shop’s electricity, has billed the business £13,000 from May 2022 to December 2022.

And £4,700 from October 2021 to April 2022, the months the shop was not open.

British Gas confirmed it's aware of his concerns and wants "to help and find a way forward".

But Mr Langford said: “I don’t know how we are going to pay that bill.

“It has really affected my mental health. A few weeks ago, I came over feeling really dizzy and like I was going to be sick. I couldn’t drive.

“The doctor said I had a stress attack.”

Mr Langford said he believes the bill is more than double what it should be and whenever he has called British Gas, he speaks to a new person each time.

The problem has become so severe that he has gone to the Advice Bureau and been in contact with the ombudsman.

It is not only the electricity bill that has been a problem.

Mr Langford explained how the cost of food has doubled and there are fewer customers going into the shop now because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Watford Observer: Donald Langford (left) co-owns the shop with Ferhat Cicek (right). Picture: Donald LangfordDonald Langford (left) co-owns the shop with Ferhat Cicek (right). Picture: Donald Langford (Image: Meriden Fish Bar)

He added: “I love all my customers, but I kind of want to walk away from it now.

“It has been a horrible experience from the word go.

“At the end of the day it is not a money-making business, we are just trying to keep afloat for the future when things hopefully get better.”

A British Gas spokesperson said: ‘We’ve tried to reach out to Mr Langford a number of times since June to discuss his concerns with his bill and the meter reading used to start his account.

“We’ve not received any payments for some time, we know things are difficult and we want to see what we can do to help and find a way forward.”