British Gas has apologised after mistakenly billing a 79-year-old man, John Spink, £2,500 following the installation of a smart meter in his south-east London home.
Despite Mr Spink’s efforts to dispute the bill, British Gas notified him that his details had been sent to a debt collection agency.
However, following intervention by BBC Money Box, British Gas confirmed Mr Spink’s account was in fact balanced and he would receive a £500 goodwill payment.
Initially, Mr Spink received a bill exceeding £4,000, which escalated to £6,700 by Christmas.
Mr Spink, who lacks internet access or a telephone, relied on his neighbour Angela to assist in addressing the issue with British Gas.
This incident comes after similar controversies involving British Gas and their handling of billing errors in recent months.
Energy Live News has contacted British Gas and Ofgem for comment.
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