British Gas refund of over £4,000 not received

rincelex

I am the executor for an estate in which a property was sold in May 2025, the property had been empty since April 2024 and the gas had been turned off since then. I had been ringing them and giving meter readings between April 2024 and May 2025 but they continued to send estimated bills (none of which I paid as no gas was used). Following the final meter reading in May 2025 I then received a bill for over £3,000 saying that they had had to go back to July 2023 as this was the last time that the meter had been read by an official, I argued this unsuccessfully and in the end paid the money from the estate. I then received another bill in October 2025 saying that the account was £4,118.62 in credit and I would receive a refund in 10 days. I rang in November to be told that no refund had been issued and one would now be raised and a cheque would be sent out.

I forgot about it until January and realised that I had not received any cheque. I rang on the 28th Jan to be told that a cheque had been raised and sent on 17th Dec, after much discussion they agreed that the cheque had gone missing and would cancel and raise a new one and it would take 20 days. I then rang on the 24th Feb to be told that the new cheque had been sent on 8th Feb and once again they offered to cancel the cheque and send a new one, I asked for it to be sent registered post and they said yes that would be a good idea.

Still no cheque but today I received another bill from BG where a credit of £737 (??) had been made to the account and a debit of around £9,324 has been made to the account and I actually now owe them another £4,431.

I rang them up only to be told that there was a mistake on the account and it was being reviewed which would take around 14 days.

I am at the end of my patience now and I was so angry at them I ended up in tears. They refused to send the credit to the executors bank account that I have as they say that the BG account is in the 'estate of' and therefore has to be a cheque.

I am not sure what to do next. I have by the way each time I have spoken with them confirmed the postal address for the cheque and they have the correct one.

Netexporter

You (the estate) are liable for the energy account until the property is sold. Even if no energy is consumed you are still liable for the standing charges. You can only get a final settlement when the property is sold and the final readings submitted.

Woodstok2000

You could try the ombudsman,

https://www.energyombudsman.org/raise-dispute/british-gas

Also maybe try newspapers consumer rights pages, twitter/Facebook and trustpilot, also get the CEO details and email them.

debitcardmayhem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934171#Comment_81934171

Property was sold May 2025 …. in OP

rincelex

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934171#Comment_81934171

I was not aware of this (I do not currently pay any utility bills, my husband deals with these) whenever I rang them to explain that the property was empty as the person was deceased and the reading was the same as before they just said OK so there is nothing to pay and we will note that on the account. Anyway I did end up paying over £3,000 in May 2025 for the final bill just not sure why I got another final bill in October and then another one today.

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934185#Comment_81934185

With the new bills is the closing meter read/s the same as the one whe you exchanged contract's on the dwelling?

Only asking as maybe the new owners never to change energy firms.

WiserMiser

BG customer service is dire. They have the worst rating for billing and metering of all the big suppliers.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-a-better-energy-deal/compare-domestic-energy-suppliers-customer-service/

BG customers should always keep hard copies of BG bills because BG have a nasty habit of deleting all existing bills whenever one is revised.

luci

This sounds like one for the ombudsman. I think you should phone or email BG and use the word "complaint". They have 8 weeks to respond, after which you should ask for a deadlock letter which will allow you to take it to the ombudsman.

I would never return to BG, no matter how much cheaper than the others they were.

tfhnota

BG may have moved the account from their old system to their new accounting system which may generate spurious bills and readings, see if there is a paper trail but the owner may have been paying estimated bills for years so that may not help.

Heedtheadvice

As above raise a formal complaint rather than just complaining to BG.

Collated together all available documentary evidence ( bills, emails,letters,noted telephone calls, photographs, will, probate documents, sale evidence) to support your eventual claim to the ombudsman. Set out the facts in chronological order and present to BG as part of your complaint with the corresponding evidence.

I they do not respond to that after 8 weeks from raising the complaint or you reach deadlock raise that complaint with the ombudsman also telling them what you want as a resolution. You can get the forms and advice to send to the ombudsman online. See https://www.energyombudsman.org/