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Beth Kojder faced an ongoing struggle with British Gas after moving out of her one-bedroom flat in southeast London in October 2024. Despite providing meter readings and repeatedly requesting a final bill along with a refund of her remaining credit—amounting to over £1,500—she did not receive a resolution for more than a year. Her frustration increased as she gave birth during this lengthy wait while still waiting for British Gas to process the refund. Although the energy ombudsman ruled in her favor in February 2025, instructing the company to settle the matter, British Gas did not comply promptly. It was not until just before her case was about to be heard in a small claims court that the company finally made an offer to refund the money.
The energy ombudsman serves as an impartial entity to resolve disputes between consumers and energy suppliers. Consumers can escalate complaints to the ombudsman if unresolved by their supplier after eight weeks. While energy suppliers must participate in this independent dispute resolution scheme, the ombudsman itself lacks statutory powers to enforce decisions legally. In 2024 alone, the ombudsman handled 93,000 complaints and ruled in favor of customers in about 70% of cases, with suppliers typically expected to act within 28 days. However, in many instances, including Beth’s, deadlines were missed or complaints left unaddressed, prompting government consideration to strengthen the ombudsman’s authority.
In Beth’s specific situation, the ombudsman issued four resolutions in February 2025. British Gas complied promptly with three smaller requirements, such as issuing a written apology and crediting £100 as goodwill for service shortfalls. However, the instruction to complete her final bill based on the meter readings she provided was ignored for nearly 11 months. Feeling desperate, Beth prepared to pursue legal action through the small claims court, describing the entire ordeal as utterly exhausting and draining. She expressed disappointment that it took so many months and a high level of personal involvement to get British Gas to comply, calling the delay “absurd.”
After BBC Radio 4’s Money Box contacted British Gas in early December, the company suddenly responded late on a Thursday evening with an offer that met Beth’s demands, which she accepted with relief. British Gas issued an apology for the prolonged process and confirmed that the ombudsman’s remedy was being implemented. Meanwhile, Jackie Gehrmann, Ofgem’s deputy director of retail compliance, emphasized the importance of suppliers acting swiftly on ombudsman rulings, noting that £27 million had been paid in fines and voluntary payments over the past year related to consumer issues. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) stated they are working to enhance the ombudsman’s powers to ensure consumers receive timely resolutions when decisions go in their favor
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