British Gas customer spent seven weeks trying to return £38,611 error
A British Gas customer experienced an astonishing seven-week ordeal due to a clerical error resulting in a £38,000 overpayment. The lack of clear recovery procedures from customer service compounded the issue. Similarly, another homeowner faced bizarre phantom gas bills lingering for months after the removal of their meter. These situations underscore significant administrative shortcomings…
A British Gas customer named DT from Sale endured a seven-week ordeal after the energy company mistakenly paid her £38,611.59 due to an incorrect meter reading. Upon noticing the unusual deposit, DT reached out to customer service multiple times, only to discover that staff lacked a clear process for returning the money. The situation left DT feeling embarrassed and fearing potential fraud.
The huge overpayment occurred when an agent entered the incorrect solar meter reading, causing the company to approve a payment without conducting an automated check. British Gas finally removed the excess money from her account on 14 July, but initially failed to confirm the recovery and also failed to provide the original £300 solar payment.
The case highlights administrative lapses within major utility companies, which often struggle to detect unusually large payments or credits. British Gas eventually offered DT £500 in compensation for the disruption.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
