British Gas has apologised to a disabled pensioner after he was mistakenly charged £2,000 for a gas bill and was threatened with court action.
José Bell, 69, had spent the best part of a year trying to seek answers over a £2,022.41 bill issued by British Gas for the period from October 2024 to June 2025. During this time, the Lewisham resident had been paying £20 a month by standing order. British Gas's own annual estimates for the property show that it should cost around £179.14.
Dispute and court threat
Despite trying to get British Gas and debt-recovery solicitors, Flint Bishop, to explain the figure, Mr Bell was left in limbo. He also raised a formal complaint with British Gas and later the Energy Ombudsman.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands Flint Bishop issued Mr Bell with a proposed repayment plan and warned county court proceedings would start if an agreement was not reached. Last month, Mr Bell received a county court claim, ordering him to pay £1,692.74, along with £115 in court fees and £80 in legal fees.
Apology and correction
A spokesperson for British Gas told the LDRS: “We apologised to Mr Bell, applied a credit that brought his balance to zero, and provided a goodwill gesture.”
The spokesperson said they didn't receive a meter reading from Mr Bell when he moved into the property, so his bills were initially estimated. Mr Bell has contested this, and says he provided photographs of the meter taken on the day he moved in, which he says supported a different starting reading.
The British Gas spokesperson went on to say: “While there were delays in applying the readings he later provided, the account was subsequently rebilled using the opening reading.”
Impact on Mr Bell
After the bill was amended, Mr Bell told the LDRS it felt like a “huge weight” had been lifted, though it only happened after press enquiries to British Gas. Mr Bell, who was previously homeless and spent another six years in temporary accommodation while awaiting a permanent council home, had been left extremely stressed by the situation.
He was also worried over having to potentially use up savings he had intended to spend on a little garden at his home and some disrepair issues he wanted to fix in his flat. Speaking to the LDRS last week when he still faced court action, Mr Bell said: “It is stressful. And what I worry about the most is the stress it causes for my daughter, who is my major support network.”
Mr Bell's daughter lives in Canada, and had been unable to properly help because of the distance. Mr Bell says he asked British Gas to provide all of the information in writing and not electronically, but his request was ignored.
With no access to a personal computer, Mr Bell had to walk to his local library, a 50-minute journey in total, to use the printer and respond to emails.
Resolution
The LDRS understands the correct readings left him with a total outstanding bill of £52, which has been written off by British Gas. The debt recovery process has also been cancelled.
Mr Bell is a well-known and popular local around Deptford Market, and was helped back on his feet after years of homelessness by locals. He now features as part of a large mural in the market.
