Bombshell electric bills strike again

British Gas says it has resolved more disputes over bombshell electricity bills after the Morning Advertiser intervened.

Dave Foskett received a bill for £28,400 in July. "They sent me around 50 bills and credits, back to 2003. Eventually they accepted I was more than £2,000 in credit."

British Gas credited him £2,000 — but sent another bill for £3,966.64 six days later.

The supplier has blamed a faulty time switch and said "the issue has been resolved". "We'll arrange for a replacement time device and cover the cost of the meter work."

It's the third time the Punch lessee of the Churchill Arms, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, has received a bombshell bill. Last spring he was sent a demand for £14,000 and had to pay £1,700 per month.

The licensee told British Gas in an email this week: "The worry and stress your company has caused is unacceptable, and as soon as I can get out of the contract, I will."

He told the MA: "The only time they came back to me was when I went to the Morning Advertiser."

British Gas chased Tricia Johnson for £9,443 since January, claiming she had being undercharged for five years. As the meter was set to read an extra digit, the account was credited by mistake. The supplier initially demanded payment in full but she agreed to pay it over 12 months.

Johnson, of the Golden Lion Hotel, Settle, North Yorkshire, said: "If it took them five years to get it wrong it should take five years to get it back."

The British Gas spokesman said: "Due to an error in the industry database, the wrong meter type was attached to Ms Johnson's account, which resulted in incorrect bills. The error has been rectified."

The licensees are now awaiting new statements from British Gas.