'Enough is enough' says owner of Craigavon restaurant as photo of £9,362.62 electricity bill goes viral

Number Seven Rushmere in Craigavon’s Rushmere Shopping Centre, posted the electricity bill on social media at the weekend showing the bill as £9,362.62.

The photo of the bill has been shared more than 1,000 times and many of the thousands of comments shared solidarity with the restaurant’s owners, voicing shock and anger at the rising cost of electricity.

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In a post on Facebook, a spokesperson said: “How are we supposed to get through the winter when our Summer Electric Bill for only 1 month is over 9k???

"Electric is normally twice as much for the winter months as well.

"Our kitchen appliances and heating is gas as well. Enough is enough!!!”

One of the managers, who preferred not to be named, said they used electricity for their ovens, fridges, freezers, dishwashers and lighting.

"We have gas heating and cookers and I can’t wait to see that bill next month,” she said.

The popular restaurant is the largest in Rushmere and has been open for 14 years. “We are never empty,” she said, but added they did have a problem recruiting staff recently.

Another restaurant, Squires, closed earlier this year.

The manager said the soaring bills were a concern but they had no plans to close. “No one is going to have spare money to buy a coffee at this rate. We have had zero support.

“People are nervous as they don’t know what is down the road,” she added.

She said: “Enough is enough. There needs to be a government cap on energy. People in the small business community need help.”

She added that larger businesses within Rushmere are also suffering the effects of high energy costs.

Hopes are high that the new Prime Minister Liz Truss might put a freeze on energy bills. However prior to her appointment as the new PM, she has

consistently refused to explicitly set out what she would do to combat soaring energy costs.

She has not ruled out a government-imposed freeze on bills, as proposed by Labour.