Swimming pool shares its vast electricity bill and asks: ‘How can we survive?’
One of the top swimming pools in North Yorkshire says it is struggling to survive after its energy costs have rocketed.
Tadcaster Community Swimming Pool shared its latest electricity bill on its social media channels.
The charity-run pool’s charges nearly trebled when its fixed contract ended in October, from £4K to £11K a month.
They said: “We want to share copies of our electricity bills from September and October.
“The bills show an increase of £7,191 in one month, based on similar consumption and is only going to increase!
“This is happening at the majority of businesses across the UK, but is particularly difficult for community swimming pools like us.
“How are UK swimming pools going to survive?”
Speaking YorkMix Radio, manager Chris Porter said the pool was facing a £50,000 loss over the next year funded from its reserves. “It’s just a huge increase for us as a small community swimming pool.”
Under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme the pool gets £2,000 a month from central government towards its energy costs. But that is due to end on 31 March.
“So not only might we be facing £7,000 plus a month just on electricity, if the government decide not to keep that beyond March next year, that will cost us an extra £2,000 per month.
“So then you’re looking at £9-£10,000 extra each month going forwards.”
The pool is a vital community asset which helps people’s health and wellbeing. But these bills are putting it under threat.
It receives no income from the council or sports bodies and had been forced to raise admission prices and the cost of swimming lessons.
Chris said: “We’re extremely worried.
“Another major concern is our gas contract expires on 30 September next year. If the gas goes up four times like the electricity has, we will be in a really difficult situation at the back end of next year.”
He urged people to sign the Save Our Pools campaign, launched by Swim England.