One man was left more than £1,000 out of pocket due to an advisor error at British Gas.
Albert Taylor was owed £1,089 by the energy giant because of a faulty gas meter.
However, getting his refund back was not easy due to a “mistake made by one of our [British Gas] advisors”.
Taylor spent nine months trying to get the cash and numerous calls to different people – who all said they could not help.
The great-grandfather from Middleton knew there was something wrong when his energy bills suddenly saw an increase.
Between September 1 and October 25, Taylor paid £1,074 into the defective pre-pay metre via the Post Office.
Taylor paid £1,074 into the defective pre-pay metre via the Post Office
GETTY
He made repeated calls to the customer services desk at British Gas, and said this, as well as all the “running around” between the Post Office and the bank, had left him “worn out”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It was costing me so much, I knew something was wrong.
“They finally admitted the metre was faulty, and I started trying to get my money back, but I couldn’t get them to pay me. It was honestly like banging my head against a brick wall.“
“Losing that money meant I was short of money over Christmas and I was unable to buy presents for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“And the amount of running around I’ve had to do, going into the bank and the Post Office has really worn me out. It’s been very traumatic.“
British Gas explained the company “made a mistake“ on Taylor’s case and has started the refund process.
A spokesperson for the energy provider said: “Due to a mistake made by one of our advisors, Taylor’s concerns weren’t escalated when he recently contacted us.
“For clarity, it would be misleading to say that British Gas was refusing to refund him, the problem was caused through advisor error.
“We appreciate it’s been difficult for Taylor, we’ve spoken with his stepdaughter to say sorry, have reassured her that this has now been resolved, and confirmed that a refund plus a goodwill gesture is on its way.”
Citizens Advice explain that if a bill has suddenly gone up and people weren’t expecting it, it’s worth finding out why it’s happened.
There are several reasons why one’s bill might be higher than expected.
It might be because:
- you’ve been sent an estimated bill that is wrong
- your energy supplier has put their prices up
- you’re being charged for the wrong meter
- your meter is faulty
- your energy supplier has made a mistake and overcharged you
