Billing failures prompt consumer alarm

Three cases show how billing errors and slow responses hit vulnerable customers and test trust in big suppliers.

Energy firms exposed by billing failures

Three real cases across England illustrate a common thread: billing mistakes, misread meters, and slow investigations by big energy suppliers leave customers in the lurch.
In Oxford, 90-year-old AB confronts a billing loop with Ovo. Conflicting records about payments, late fees, and unreceived receipts pile up. The supplier says payments were invalid or unsettled even when the money was clearly paid, then offers a vague goodwill gesture and promises to write off the supposed balance. The back-and-forth drags on, with legal action feared and then withdrawn, only to restart weeks later as fresh demands arrive.
In Shepperton, 81-year-old DG learns a meter mix-up has him paying for a stranger’s gas after switching to E.ON Next. The company blames the error on a transfer of meters and cautions it could take many months to investigate. Regular reading requests feel odd when the meter isn’t DG’s, and missed technician visits leave DG without heating for days. The problem lingers for months before a clearer resolution appears.
In Worcester, WL seeks a £1,896 credit for her deceased father. British Gas initially issues a cheque to the estate, not to the executor. Four assurances to reissue the cheque in the correct name never materialize, and only after media attention does the company finally send the proper payment plus a small apology. The thread through all three acts is a pattern of friction, not resolution.

The cases expose a troubling pattern in how large energy firms handle billing and data. Even when systems exist to track payments, accounts, and meters, human error, inconsistent records, and poor communication can turn a routine bill into a quagmire for ordinary people. The drama isn’t just about money; it is about trust. When customers chase receipts, when promises are delayed, and when a technician never shows up, the relation between supplier and customer frays.
There is a broader risk if this continues. Regulators may pressure for faster dispute resolution, clearer receipts, and stronger protections for vulnerable customers. A healthy energy market depends on reliable data, transparent processes, and a quick, fair path to redress. These stories should push suppliers to automate accuracy checks, standardize how payments are logged, and ensure executors can access final balances without needless hurdles.

Highlights

Trust in energy suppliers hinges on clear, timely fixes rather than excuses.