Business owners: blackout will cut our trade (From Worcester News)

Business owners: blackout will cut our trade

8:30pm Wednesday 15th July 2009 in

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HUNDREDS of people living near Malvern will be left without power this weekend, leaving shopkeepers worried about their livelihoods.

About 250 homes in the Cradley area are to be left without electricity for eight hours on Saturday after power firm Eon informed them of work they needed to carry out on trees in the area. Cradley butchers Peter and Linda Hodgkiss, who live at Galford Road in Malvern, are furious the work is being done on a Saturday between 8am and 4pm, their key business hours.

Mrs Hodgkiss, aged 45, said: “I could not believe it when I found out. My husband and I had been away on holiday and arrived home to find this waiting for us. Saturday is our busiest day by far, and to be without electricity is just not acceptable. I contacted Eon and the overall opinion from them was that there was nothing they could do.”

Mr Hodgkiss, 52, said: “The loss of business is bad enough, but the fact it is a Saturday is terrible. Without our Saturday trade I don’t think we could survive. I am having to rent generators as I cannot afford to close for the day. Cradley village is having a barbecue this weekend so it could not have come at a worse time and, unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to run everything normally with a generator.” After being contacted by your Worcester News, Eon agreed to compensate the family business for the cost of hiring a generator.

Andrew Barrow of Central Networks, Eon’s distribution business, said: “There is never a good day for us to knock people’s electricity off, but unfortunately it cannot be avoided. If the tree was left it may take out the power supply in the future, so to ensure this does not happen the work is necessary.

“We apologise for the disruption it will cause and encourage members of the public to get in contact if they have any problems.

“Eon understands the situation and makes the point that, for every tree we have to cut down, we plant three new saplings away from the power supplies.”

Mr Hodgkiss said he was happy to hear Eon was offering some compensation.

He said: “Its a nice gesture from Eon. However, even a £30 reimbursement does not take away from the fact that its a terrible day to do this. I just hope it will not cause as much of a problem for others as it has done for us.”