British Gas took 15 months to refund me £1,500. It’s absurd

A woman says it is “absurd” it took British Gas 15 months to produce a final bill and refund more than £1,500 of credit, despite the energy ombudsman telling the firm to do so nearly one year ago.

Beth Kojder moved out of her one-bed flat in south-east London in October 2024 but complained to the ombudsman a few months later when the company did not send her a final bill or refund her credit.

In February 2025 the ombudsman decided in Beth’s favour and told British Gas to carry out her request. But it has no legal powers to force it.

Beth only received the offer of her money this week, just days before her case was due to be heard in a small claims court.

British Gas said it was “implementing the ombudsman’s remedy” for Beth, adding it was “very sorry” for how long it had taken.

Beth told the BBC the process had been “relentless and it’s tiring and it’s completely draining”.

When she moved out of her flat, she asked British Gas for a final bill using the meter readings she provided. She also asked it to refund her £1,700 less a few hundred pounds she expected to owe for her final bill.

“It’s a significant amount of money. Maybe not to British Gas but it is to me,” said Beth, who had her first baby in December. “That’s almost £2,000 I could have done with. Then there’s all the admin.”

When she didn’t receive her final bill or refund she complained to British Gas.

But Beth said she “got nowhere” so took her complaint to the energy ombudsman.

It is an independent, impartial dispute resolution scheme that energy customers can complain to eight weeks after first complaining to their supplier.

Energy suppliers are legally obliged as part of their licence conditions to be a member of an independent customer dispute scheme.

But the energy ombudsman is not a statutory body and it cannot legally force suppliers to act.

In 2024, there were 93,000 complaints accepted by the energy ombudsman with around 70% of those cases ruled in favour of consumers, with suppliers required to take action within 28 days.

In the vast majority of cases, suppliers met that deadline, but in many thousands of cases the deadline was either missed or no action was taken at all.

It has prompted the Department for Energy to look at ways to strengthen the energy ombudsman saying the number of decisions not being implemented quickly enough was too high.

In Beth’s case the ombudsman issued four resolutions in February 2025.

British Gas actioned three minor ones including a written apology and a goodwill credit of £100 for shortfalls in service.

But the decision also required British Gas to “complete the final billing of the account… based on the [meter] readings already provided by Beth.” But 11 months on and that still hadn’t happened.

Beth said the only option she had left was to go down a legal route via a small claims court.

“I just felt completely desperate and like it was the only option to try to get some traction,” she said.

BBC Radio 4’s Money Box first contacted British Gas about this case in early December and, up until late Thursday night, Beth was resigned to having to go to the small claims court to get what she strongly feels she’s owed.

Then, British Gas came back with an offer of everything Beth was asking for, which she has happily accepted.

Beth said she was pleased to get the matter resolved but said she was frustrated that it had taken so many months to do so and felt British Gas had “completely failed” to engage with the ombudsman process.

“I still think the fact it’s taken this long to reach [a resolution] is absurd. And the level of intervention that’s been required on my part as a consumer is unbelievable.”

British Gas said: “We’re implementing the Ombudsman’s remedy and, together with Ms Kojder, are finalising a resolution to her claim. We appreciate this has been difficult for her and we’re very sorry for the length of time it has taken to put things right.”

Ofgem’s deputy director of retail compliance, Jackie Gehrmann, told the BBC that in the last year suppliers have paid out £27m in fines and voluntary payment agreements in consumer related issues.

“The message to suppliers is really, really clear. When the ombudsman makes a ruling they should implement that ruling as quickly as possible,” she said.

The DESNZ told the BBC: “We are strengthening the Energy Ombudsman so consumers can be confident that when it has ruled in their favour, action will be taken.”