A reader in Northampton says British Gas has opened an account in their name for a flat they have never lived in or owned, then sent them a bill for £571.
The reader, identified only as IW, says the account relates to an address they have never occupied. They say British Gas refused to open a formal complaint because they allegedly “refused” to provide a tenancy agreement or mortgage statement.
IW says that request makes no sense in their case because they no longer have a mortgage statement. They say they have long since paid off their mortgage and therefore do not have the document British Gas asked for.
The situation has now escalated further, with the company threatening to pass the matter to a debt collection agency.
Cases like this can be especially frustrating for consumers because they involve an account opened in error, paperwork that does not match the individual’s circumstances and the risk of collection action over a bill they say is not theirs.
In this instance, the core dispute is straightforward: IW says British Gas linked them to a property they have never occupied. But the company’s response has left the reader facing a bill, a stalled complaints process and the prospect of debt collectors.
The reader’s experience highlights the difficulties customers can face when proving they are not responsible for an account, particularly if the company insists on evidence they cannot reasonably provide. For IW, the matter remains unresolved.
British Gas has not been quoted in the source item, and the reader’s complaint continues to centre on how the account was created in the first place, why a bill was issued and why the case was not handled as a formal complaint.
