I opened dream bakery but got £18K energy bill...due to cannabis farm

by · Mail Online

A mother of one who fulfilled her dream of opening a bakery found herself landed with an £18,000 energy bill after an illegal cannabis farm was set up next door.

Camelia Gonciulea, who has a daughter aged four, was shocked to discover the criminal operation was operating day and night in the same building behind her premises in Smethwick in the West Midlands.

Just months after opening her outlet named Twisty Pretzel, Miss Gonciulea was incorrectly landed with the massive electricity bill.

It took her almost two years to clear her name - during which time she was hounded by debt collectors threatening to take goods from her home, she has now revealed. 

And as she struggles with the stress of the ordeal, those who were responsible for the illegal farm next door remain on the run.

Camelia Gonciulea found herself ordered to pay £18,000 in energy costs which were caused by an illegal cannabis farm behind her bakery named Twisty Pretzel in the West Midlands
The criminal operation was uncovered when West Midlands Police were called to reports of a burglary at the base in Smethwick earlier this year

Police uncovered £435,000 worth of plants when they raided the cannabis operation - based in a separate unit behind her premises - in January this year.

Officers found electricity had been 'bypassed', with Miss Gonciulea given a crime reference number for the 'abstraction' of her energy.

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After months of wrangling with energy firm Unicom - as well as getting help from the energy ombudsman and Citizens' Advice - Miss Goncilea has now finally had the £18,000 debt cancelled by the energy providers.

Yet £5,900 in 'interest' accumulated from the incorrect bill remains. Miss Gonciulea's most recent letter from debt collectors threatened to 'take control of goods.'

She has pleaded with the energy company to close her account, remove the interest and stop the enforcement action.

A Unicom spokeswoman said the firm was working with Miss Gonciulea to find an 'amicable solution', but she says nothing has yet been agreed.

She was initially alerted to the issue in 2022, when told by Unicom to pay £18,000 for electricity generated.

Miss Gonciulea said of her bakery: 'This was my dream but over time, it's become a nightmare because I don't know why this company doesn't understand.

'It's affected my life. I have mental issues, I ask for help, but I don't have any help. I have demonstrated it's not my meter, but they can't demonstrate it's my debt, they just say it's my debt.

Miss Gonciulea had to battle for almost two years to clear her name and persuade the energy providers that the meter running up the bill was not hers

'The first debt was £18,000 from June to July. When I received this bill, I contacted them straight away because even the usage on the bill was night time, day time use. - so I know it's a mistake because I don't work at night. Anyway it's huge - it's not possible.'

The serial number on the bill was different to her own, she said, and this was provided as 'proof' to Unicom.

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But she said the company later instructed debt collectors, with multiple letters send instructing her to pay the amount plus interest.

Miss Gonciulea added: 'I don't know how they found out, but this year the police found they made illegal activity, they made a cannabis factory. I didn't know about this activity.

'I received a letter from the debt collection, saying to pay the bill - if not they're going to go to court. From £18,000, it became £24,000.

'This business is my income and I've lost a lot of money and my business now is going bad because of this situation.'

After providing the crime reference number from police, and confirming the power had been cut off to that premises, Miss Gonciulea said the energy company investigated and found it was not her bill to pay.

A spokeswoman for Unicom said: 'We remain in communication with Miss Gonciulea about this matter. The background to this matter is complex, but we are working with Miss Gonciulea to reach an amicable resolution.'

Camelia Gonciulea, who has a daughter aged four, described setting up the bakery as her 'dream' - only for her suffer stress due to the battle over the wrongful electricity bill

West Midlands Police urged anyone with information about the cannabis farm to come forward with information. 

A statement from the force read: 'We were called to reports of a burglary on Bearwood Road, Smethwick on Monday, 29 January in the early hours of the morning.

'When officers arrived, they discovered a cannabis grow at the address over two floors totalling 435 plants.

'The electricity meter had also been bypassed to power the grow. Anyone with any information is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website or call 101 quoting 20/183529/24.'