A BRITISH Gas customer has revealed how a billing error hit her credit score costing her £7,000.
Alison Greenough was preparing to remortgage the family property in January when she discovered her previously excellent credit score had been massively downgraded.
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The hit to her credit file came after she requested an energy meter test as part of a dispute about her usage in early 2022.
During the assessment process, a block was applied to her account to prevent any billing activity.
But British Gas failed to remove the block which, when it was eventually removed, triggered a large bill and dented her credit file.
It meant when it came to remortgaging earlier this year, she claims she was forced to agree a higher rate, costing her £7,000, ITV reported.
This is because a lower credit score can see lenders offer you less competitive mortgage rates as you are seen as less financially trustworthy and a higher risk to them.
“It’s cost me a lot of money, we should’ve been going on holiday in the summer,” she said. “We’ve not been on holiday.
“And I’m sure the execs at British Gas have had their holidays.”
Mrs Greenough’s complaint was also investigated by the Energy Ombudsman, an independent body that provides free and impartial advice to consumers experiencing grievances.
British Gas subsequently apologised for the “human error” and credited her account £300.
The ombudsman said it was satisfied Mrs Greenough’s credit file had been rectified so did not impose any further punishments on the energy firm.
A British Gas spokesperson said: “When we make mistakes, we hold our hands up, we make it right and we learn from them because we care about our service and we care about our customers.
“In Ms Greenough’s case we made mistakes and we’re sorry for that.
“This was isolated, but we’ll learn from it to continue to improve our customer service.”
How to complain to British Gas
You can complain to British Gas via its website on www.britishgas.co.uk/complaints.html.
You can try calling the firm’s main customer service number too on 0330 100 0056.
Contact details for British Gas should also be on any paperwork it has sent you.
If you are having to fill in an online form, you can use template letters from Citizens Advice.
Energy suppliers have up to eight weeks to come to tell you their decision on the complaint.
If you can’t reach an agreement with your supplier after eight weeks,you can ask for a “deadlock letter” which you can take to the Energy Ombudsman.
It will then decide which party it agrees with and how to resolve the issue.
What can I do if I think my energy bills are wrong?
If you don’t agree with your energy bill,you should first check you’re paying for the right property by checking the serial number on your energy meter matches the one on your account.
Also make sure to take photos of your meter readings, and note down each time you call your supplier.
It’s best to follow up any complaints in writing, putting the word “complaint” in the subject line of your email or letter.
Check your supplier’s website for the correct email or address before sending anything.
Energy firms have eight weeks to respond to a complaint with a decision.
If your firm doesn’t respond in this time frame or you’re not happy with the response, you can take your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
Based on the evidence submitted by you and the company, the ombudsman will make a judgement. If you accept this, your supplier has 28 days to comply.
How to raise an issue with your credit file
If you have been wrongly billed for your energy and your credit file has taken a hit, you should first speak to your energy firm and get any arrears or missed payments removed as early as possible.
You can also contact credit agencies to ask them to make a “notice of correction”.
This is a note on your credit file which lenders can see and explains the context around any missed or incorrect payments.
Or you can go direct to the credit reference agency to add any notes to your report. The main three are Experian, Transunion and Equifax.
You can check your credit reports for free by signing up free to Experian, ClearScore for Equifax and Credit Karma for Transunion.
How to complain to different energy firms
If you’re not a British Gas customer, your complaints process may be slightly different. Here is what to do for each of the big firms…
Octopus Energy – you can email issueresolution@octopus.energy or call 0808 164 1088.
E.ON Next – E.ON Next customers can issue a complaint via unhappy@eonnext.com or 0808 501 5200.
EDF – you can call 0333 006 9950 or email hello@edfenergy.com.
ScottishPower – customers can either email contactus@scottishpower.com or call 0345 270 0700.
OVO Energy – if you’re with OVO, you can email complaints@ovoenergy.com or call 0330 303 5063 (if you are a Pay Monthly customer) and 0330 175 9669 if you are on a prepayment meter.
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