British Gas customers face bill nightmares

E.ON is not the only utilities giant licensees have been having problems with.

Since The Publican ​highlighted issues licensees have been facing with inflated bills, British Gas electricity customers have come forward with similar tales.

Carl Austin, licensee of the Bricklayers Arms in Shamley Green, Surrey, is currently negotiating a repayment plan with the company after the ombudsman intervened and his bill was reduced from £18,000 to £11,000.

"We were told that their engineers had been reading the meter as a five-digit meter instead of a six-digit meter," he said. "This was over a period of three-and-a-half years and included seven visits to the pub where the reading was taken by their representatives."

Carl is also angry that the money owed is based on a VAT rate of 20 per cent, when some of the bill dates back to when VAT was either 17.5 or 15 per cent.

Meanwhile, Stewart Jackson at the Rose & Crown in Stelling Minnis, Canterbury, Kent, has seen huge fluctuations in what British Gas claimed he owed. Last November he was sent a bill for £3,000, then three days later he was sent one for £30,000, then a day later one for £50,000. This then went down to £20,000 in December. The situation has yet to be resolved. Asked why he thought there was such a difference in the bills, Stewart said: "I've no idea. They won't accept the meter readings, but then they won't send anyone to read the meter."

British Gas said it was looking into the causes and was unable to comment further until it had spoken to the licensees involved. A spokesperson added: "Both the Bricklayers Arms and the Rose & Crown cases are being investigated and we hope to agree a solution with the customers very soon."