A former Harris Tweed weaver – who is unable to work because of an injury – is still having to pay water charges for his empty premises.
Eric Brierley, 52, used to weave the world-famous tweed at his ‘Loom with a View’ commercial property situated at Kirkibost Pier, Bernera, on the Isle of Lewis.
Mr Brierley, who took up weaving after a series of heart attacks, developed a cyst on his shoulder and had to give up operating his loom.
But even though he his now on benefits, and the empty building is up for sale, he is still having to pay the water charges.
And he was shocked to discover that the pipe size at his premises has been increased too – meaning his annual bill will rocket by almost £300.
Mr Brierley said: “When I first became unable to operate the loom, I found out that the government had a policy to exempt water charges on unused commercial properties.
“But then this was stopped and the charges were passed back to the individual.
“However, when I received my bill, I couldn’t believe it when I saw that my pipe size had increased from .78 of an inch to .98 of an inch which means that my charges jump from £140 to £425 per year.”
Mr Brierley explained that the annual fee depends on the size of the meter and pipe. There is also a fee for the amount of water used which is also dependant on the size of the pipe.
“All my bills from 2008-2014 show that the pipes in my building are .78 of an inch.
“I don’t understand why the size has increased. Why would the company change it?
“I’m on benefits of £72 per week and I find it disgusting that I have to pay for something that I’m not using.”
He added: “There must be an awful lot of other people in a similar position to myself. It’s just not fair. I’m not standing in the middle of the desert – I don’t need this water, so why should I have to pay for it?”
Edinburgh-based Business Stream, part of the Scottish Water Group, is the supplier to Mr Brierley’s empty property on the island.
Jo Mayes, Commercial Director at Business Stream said: “We’re sorry to hear that Mr Brierley has been unhappy with the service he received from us. Our team are working with him currently to resolve all matters. We will keep Mr Brierley regularly updated on the progress of our investigation.”