British Gas has apologised after mistakenly billing a 79-year-old man, John Spink, £2,500 following the installation of a smart meter in his south-east London home.
Despite Mr Spink’s efforts to dispute the bill, British Gas notified him that his details had been sent to a debt collection agency.
However, following intervention by BBC Money Box, British Gas confirmed Mr Spink’s account was in fact balanced and he would receive a £500 goodwill payment.
Initially, Mr Spink received a bill exceeding £4,000, which escalated to £6,700 by Christmas.
Mr Spink, who lacks internet access or a telephone, relied on his neighbour Angela to assist in addressing the issue with British Gas.
This incident comes after similar controversies involving British Gas and their handling of billing errors in recent months.
An Ofgem spokesperson told Energy Live News: “We expect suppliers to act compassionately, and have toughened up the rules they must follow, requiring them to proactively identify any customer who may be struggling to pay their bills and offer them further support.
“While allowing households to build up unsustainable amounts of debt isn’t the right thing to do, we expect suppliers to exhaust all other options before resorting to any debt collection method.
“If consumers are struggling to make payments, they should contact their energy supplier as soon as possible to discuss the support available to them.
“If they are unhappy with how their supplier handles this, they should escalate their complaint to the energy ombudsman.”
Energy Live News has contacted British Gas for comment.
Make sure you check out the latest Net Hero Podcast episode:
Net zero is a way to cut your costs and help the planet, so what’s stopping you? Often, it’s just the right help and advice. That’s what we will provide at the Big Zero Show this July. Workshops, expert speakers, case studies and exhibitions. Plus, networking with 1500 peers and potential customers. Register for free now.
