I opened my dream bakery but was hit with a £18,000 energy bill... because an illegal cannabis farm set up shop next door

[bongme]

hi

 

I opened my dream bakery but was hit with a £18,000 energy bill... because an illegal cannabis farm set up shop next door

 

A mother of one who fulfilled her dream of opening a bakery found herself landed with an £18,000 energy bill after an illegal cannabis farm was set up next door.

Camelia Gonciulea, who has a daughter aged four, was shocked to discover the criminal operation was operating day and night in the same building behind her premises in Smethwick in the West Midlands.

Just months after opening her outlet named Twisty Pretzel, Miss Gonciulea was incorrectly landed with the massive electricity bill.

It took her almost two years to clear her name - during which time she was hounded by debt collectors threatening to take goods from her home, she has now revealed. 

And as she struggles with the stress of the ordeal, those who were responsible for the illegal farm next door remain on the run.

 

 

 

Police uncovered £435,000 worth of plants when they raided the cannabis operation - based in a separate unit behind her premises - in January this year.

Officers found electricity had been 'bypassed', with Miss Gonciulea given a crime reference number for the 'abstraction' of her energy.

 

After months of wrangling with energy firm Unicom - as well as getting help from the energy ombudsman and Citizens' Advice - Miss Goncilea has now finally had the £18,000 debt cancelled by the energy providers.

Yet £5,900 in 'interest' accumulated from the incorrect bill remains. Miss Gonciulea's most recent letter from debt collectors threatened to 'take control of goods.'

She has pleaded with the energy company to close her account, remove the interest and stop the enforcement action.

A Unicom spokeswoman said the firm was working with Miss Gonciulea to find an 'amicable solution', but she says nothing has yet been agreed.

She was initially alerted to the issue in 2022, when told by Unicom to pay £18,000 for electricity generated.

Miss Gonciulea said of her bakery: 'This was my dream but over time, it's become a nightmare because I don't know why this company doesn't understand.

'It's affected my life. I have mental issues, I ask for help, but I don't have any help. I have demonstrated it's not my meter, but they can't demonstrate it's my debt, they just say it's my debt.

 

'The first debt was £18,000 from June to July. When I received this bill, I contacted them straight away because even the usage on the bill was night time, day time use. - so I know it's a mistake because I don't work at night. Anyway it's huge - it's not possible.'

The serial number on the bill was different to her own, she said, and this was provided as 'proof' to Unicom.

 

But she said the company later instructed debt collectors, with multiple letters send instructing her to pay the amount plus interest.

Miss Gonciulea added: 'I don't know how they found out, but this year the police found they made illegal activity, they made a cannabis factory. I didn't know about this activity.

'I received a letter from the debt collection, saying to pay the bill - if not they're going to go to court. From £18,000, it became £24,000.

'This business is my income and I've lost a lot of money and my business now is going bad because of this situation.'

After providing the crime reference number from police, and confirming the power had been cut off to that premises, Miss Gonciulea said the energy company investigated and found it was not her bill to pay.

A spokeswoman for Unicom said: 'We remain in communication with Miss Gonciulea about this matter. The background to this matter is complex, but we are working with Miss Gonciulea to reach an amicable resolution.'

 

West Midlands Police urged anyone with information about the cannabis farm to come forward with information. 

A statement from the force read: 'We were called to reports of a burglary on Bearwood Road, Smethwick on Monday, 29 January in the early hours of the morning.

'When officers arrived, they discovered a cannabis grow at the address over two floors totalling 435 plants.

'The electricity meter had also been bypassed to power the grow. Anyone with any information is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website or call 101 quoting 20/183529/24.'

 

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13957337/I-opened-dream-bakery-hit-18-000-energy-bill-illegal-cannabis-farm-set-shop-door.html

 

Bongme

[Shumroom]

Evil weed growers 

[Rigsby]

8 hours ago, bongme said:

Police uncovered £435,000 worth of plants when they raided the cannabis operation

 

I would love to know how they come up with their figures or who gave them the guidelines to go on...

 

8 hours ago, bongme said:

I have demonstrated it's not my meter

 

There's more to it than this.

 

8 hours ago, bongme said:

if not they're going to go to court

 

This is exactly what she wants. To prove her innocence...  

 

edit: why didn't she get a meter reading before moving in to the premises?

Edited 19 hours ago by Rigsby

[Slippy One]

This is fucked up, they cancel the charges but keep the interest payments. Fuck everyone and everything involved in this dumphuckery. 

[Boojum]

12 hours ago, Shumroom said:

Evil weed growers 

 

 

Innit, when it's clearly the electricity company being cunts, that should be the headline and the angle of the article.