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.

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 Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) 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.