We trace how our village hall uncovered mislabelled “refunds,” challenged erratic post-fire electricity bills, and unlocked an £8,600 correction by fixing VAT status and metering. Calm persistence, clear records, and a smart meter turned chaos into £14 monthly bills and new capital repairs.
• the hall’s role as a community hub and user groups
• solar installation, electrical fire, and meter replacement timeline
• erratic billing pattern identified via printed statements
• misposted credits acting as charges
• supplier refusal to investigate due to “no debt”
• ombudsman requiring a deadlock letter
• VAT rate review from 20% to 5% and resulting refund
• smart meter install and final reconciliation
• practical steps to challenge bills with data
• reinvesting the refund into annex and shed repairs
