Sun, 18 Jan 2026

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 British Gas took 15 months to refund me £1,500. It's absurd

Beth Kojder said it was frustrating it took so long to get her money back, given the ombudsman had ruled in her favour nearly a year ago.
A woman, Beth Kojder, has received a final bill and refund from British Gas after a 15-month wait, despite an energy ombudsman decision nearly a year ago requiring the company to do so. Beth had moved out of her flat in south-east London in October 2024 but struggled to get a final bill or refund from British Gas. The energy ombudsman ruled in her favour in February 2025, but as it has no legal powers to enforce its decisions, Beth was forced to threaten court action before finally receiving the offer of her money this week. The £1,500 refund and final bill were what Beth was owed after asking British Gas for a final reading using the meter readings she provided. She had asked them to repay £1,700 less a few hundred pounds she expected to owe for her final bill. British Gas said it was "very sorry" for the length of time it took to resolve the issue and that they were "implementing the ombudsman's remedy". Beth described the process as "absurd" and "completely draining". The energy ombudsman has highlighted a need to strengthen its powers, with around 70% of cases ruled in favour of consumers taking over 28 days to resolve. The Department for Energy is looking at ways to improve this. In response to the case, British Gas said it was finalising a resolution to Beth's claim and that they were sorry for the length of time it took. Ofgem's deputy director of retail compliance also commented on the need for suppliers to implement ombudsman decisions quickly.
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