A small church in the Peak District has seen its energy bills skyrocket from just £15 a month to over £1,000, despite only operating for one hour a month.

The church, with a regular congregation of six, uses electricity only for a brief monthly service, relying on ten small heaters to warm the space.

Yet its electricity charges, managed by Utility Warehouse, have fluctuated wildly, with bills as high as £1,172 in March and £568 in February.

Over the past year, Saint Mary and Saint John Berkhamsytch believes it has been overcharged by £3,000.

The situation began after the church installed a smart meter, which the energy company claims is working correctly.

However, the readings have been inconsistent, prompting church treasurer Pam Ramsay to repeatedly contest the charges.

Despite an engineer’s visit last summer, no explanation for the erratic bills has been provided.

The church uses around 12kWh of electricity a month, translating to an approximate cost of £8 for the energy usage.

However, the standing charge has surged from 41p to £1.26 per day, adding an additional £39 to each month's bill.

The church has no running water or plumbing, and electricity is switched off after services to prevent extra use.

Concerns have also been raised about potential signal issues affecting the smart meter’s readings.

The church’s remote location may cause interference with the signal sent to Utility Warehouse, possibly leading to errors in the recorded usage.

Smart meters, installed in two-thirds of British homes, automatically transmit energy usage to suppliers, but they have faced widespread issues, with one in ten meters going "dumb" and requiring manual readings.

The rollout of the £13.5 billion project has been plagued by signal problems and technical difficulties.

Utility Warehouse has apologised for the inconvenience but maintains the smart meter is recording energy usage accurately. They have offered to discuss the situation with the church to arrange a manageable payment plan.