02 February 2024 , 19:01
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A frail gran says a bill mix-up with British Gas has made her so ill she is unable to leave the house.
Widow Margaret Griffin, 82, told her story as the energy giant prepares to announce bumper profits of more than £800million.
A customer of the firm and its predecessors for 60 years, Margaret regularly settles her bill by automated phone. In December she accidentally pressed one too many zeros and paid £1,000 instead of £100. And despite a stream of phone calls and emails, the cash hasn’t been returned.
Margaret, whose late husband worked for British Gas, said: “It’s been horrendous.” She added that the stress of being hundreds of pounds out of pocket had worsened a lung condition, ruined her sleep and left her unable to go to the shops. The fiasco also sparked overdraft charges from her bank.
Margaret with daughter Sarah (Reach Commissioned)Andrea Clements, 60, one of Margaret’s three daughters, said: “It ruined her Christmas. It stopped her doing the shopping she wanted. She’s always been a good customer of British Gas but their service has been absolutely appalling. The stress has made her breathing worse because she panics and now she won’t go to the shops.”
8 money changes coming in February including Universal Credit and passport fees
Ex-newsagent worker Margaret, of Warmsworth, South Yorks, has five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She said: “Not being able to sleep has made it worse. I don’t know what I would have done if I had not had my family to help.”
British Gas' letter of apology (Reach Commissioned)
Margaret's daughters say her health has suffered (Reach Commissioned)She added that during the saga they have been given contradictory information in various phone calls and emails. The last message stated that a cheque had been sent on January 16 but it has yet to arrive.
British Gas apologised and said it couldn’t reimburse Margaret by bank transfer due to her method of payment. A cheque would arrive soon. It would also pay her bank charges and make a goodwill payment.
The company, privatised in 1986 and owned by multinational Centrica, is the UK’s biggest energy supplier serving 7.5 million customers. Last month a Which? poll ranked it the worst in the country. It was singled out for everything from customers being unable to get in touch to value for money.
Centrica boss Chris O’Shea (PA)In 2022 it made £72m profit, lower than in 2021 because of soaring energy costs after Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine.
But watchdog Ofgem has allowed it to claw back money through higher bills and banks expect a big turnaround when Centrica reports its group results on February 15. Investec predicts £816m profit. Rival UBS says £895m.
And Centrica boss Chris O’Shea is set for another big payout after getting £4.5m in salary and perks for 2022.