A series of alarming customer service failures by major UK energy suppliers has left vulnerable households out in the cold and out of pocket, with cases ranging from an elderly woman without heating to a teenager threatened over a false debt.
Act I: An Elderly Woman Left in the Cold in Stafford
In Stafford, the elderly mother of a reader known as KM has been suffering in a cold council house after a switch to British Gas went catastrophically wrong. The pensioner, who lives alone, was persuaded to switch with a promise of "preferential rates" but her newly installed smart prepayment meter immediately stopped working.
This left her unable to monitor her credit or consumption, causing her electricity supply to cut out repeatedly. With no gas supply to the property, she was left with no heating at all. Attempts to use the British Gas app were blocked by a message stating her account was locked.
KM reported that her mother received conflicting advice each time she called. One agent instructed the recently hospitalised pensioner to climb a ladder to photograph her meter number, while another told her to use an old top-up card from her previous supplier. She followed this advice, adding money to the old card, but it had no effect, leaving her to try and reclaim cash from a company she no longer used.
After 18 days of being unable to check her payments or keep warm, British Gas finally acted. The company admitted an unexplained "delay" in transferring her account, which left her without heating three times in one week, and conceded to a shortfall in customer service. They are now switching her to a credit meter, fixing the app issue, and providing goodwill compensation.
Act II: A Seven-Year Billing Nightmare in Glasgow
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, a customer named RW endured seven years of inexplicably enormous energy bills. The problem began when a new meter was fitted in 2018, resulting in such high charges that he accrued a four-figure debt year after year, despite ever-increasing direct debits.
RW sent photos of his meter first to Bulb and then, after its collapse, to Octopus Energy. Both agreed something was wrong but continued taking his money while he sank further into debt. The critical error was only spotted this year when a new supplier tried to switch him: his meter readings had been recorded in cubic feet instead of cubic metres, meaning he was likely billed over three times the correct amount.
After intervention, Octopus Energy explained the 2018 switch from an imperial to a metric meter was not recorded in the national database. A review discovered RW had overpaid by more than £8,000. He has since been refunded this sum plus 8% interest and 10% compensation, receiving a total of just under £12,000.
Act III: A Teenager Threatened Over a £20 Debt in Dorset
In a third disturbing case, a teenage schoolgirl in Dorset was threatened with a ruined credit rating by Ovo Energy over a £20 debt that was not hers. The charges were for a rental property her family had left a year prior and covered a period after they had moved out.
Despite this, Ovo's debt collectors informed her she faced legal action if she did not pay. The girl's mother, GS, who was the account holder during the tenancy, could not intervene due to GDPR rules, even though she has a paid-up Ovo account at their current home.
Ovo later blamed tracing agents for incorrectly matching the student's details to a debt accrued between tenancies. The company has now cancelled the debt, deleted her details, and sent a box of White Company lotions as an apology.
A Systemic Failure of Customer Care
These three acts paint a damning picture of customer service within the UK's energy sector. From vulnerable elderly customers being left without essential heating, to multi-year billing errors costing thousands, and the aggressive pursuit of minors for false debts, the stories reveal a pattern of profound failure.
They underscore the urgent need for stronger regulatory oversight and more robust consumer protections to ensure energy companies are held accountable for the basic provision of accurate billing and compassionate customer service, especially for those most at risk.
