Mum received a £9,000 bill from British Gas, but it was discovered that they actually owed her thousands of pounds.

Roxanne Pitteway had been a loyal customer of British Gas for almost ten years until a recent incident caused her to switch to a different energy provider. It all started when British Gas mistakenly billed her £9,000, which led to a series of unfortunate events.

Since moving into her Cambridge home with her four children in 2015, not much had changed in terms of their energy usage. Roxanne paid her bills through direct debit and didn't think much of it until she received a recommendation from British Gas to increase her monthly payment from £250 to £460 due to a rise in energy prices.

Naturally, this sudden price hike came as a shock to Roxanne, who decided to reach out to British Gas through their live chat service for clarification. She was informed that she was £9,000 in debt and was asked to send a meter reading for verification. This was the first time she had heard about such a huge debt and she couldn't believe it.

Feeling worried and confused, Roxanne asked British Gas why she wasn't informed about this debt earlier. She was also concerned about the impact it would have on her budget, especially with Christmas just around the corner. While she would have been able to afford the increased direct debit, she knew that it could be a major financial burden for others.

British Gas confirmed that the debt was indeed correct and that they had to increase her direct debit. As a single parent, this news came as a huge blow to Roxanne, who was already struggling to make ends meet. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right.

She insisted that British Gas double-check their calculations, and to her relief, they discovered that they had made a mistake. Instead of being £9,000 in debt, Roxanne actually had £5,400 in credit. But when she requested for a refund, she claims that British Gas tried to discourage her from doing so.

According to British Gas, customers build up an excess over the summer to pay for fuel during the winter, and they were concerned that Roxanne might not be able to afford the increase in her direct debit if she received the refund. However, Roxanne was determined to get her money back.

Finally, on November 26, the refund of £5,462.16 was credited back into her account, and Roxanne wasted no time in switching to a different energy provider. Despite British Gas offering her a better rate to stay, she had lost her trust in them.

A spokesperson for Centrica, on behalf of British Gas, explained that Roxanne's bills had been estimated for some time, and it was only when she contacted them on November 19 that they took a meter reading and discovered the large credit balance. They promptly processed the refund, which Roxanne received in her bank account within 3-5 working days.

In conclusion, Roxanne's experience with British Gas was a rollercoaster of emotions and a lesson for both the company and its customers. It serves as a reminder to always double-check our bills, and for companies to communicate effectively with their customers to avoid such errors and misunderstandings.

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