British Gas has faced criticism after threatening to take a disabled pensioner to court over an incorrect gas bill of £2,022.41 for his one-bedroom flat in London. José Bell, 69, from Lewisham, was locked in a dispute with the energy supplier after receiving the bill, which contrasted sharply with British Gas's own annual estimate of £179.14 for the property, occupied by a single person.
Dispute over meter readings
The bill that arrived at Mr Bell's home contained multiple entries described as “revised charges based on meter read,” replacing earlier estimates. It showed an apparent jump in usage that Mr Bell said was never fully explained. Mr Bell, who photographed the meter upon moving in, also submitted a further reading in February 2025, which British Gas failed to log.
Mr Bell said: “I put it in black and white – all I wanted was a proper invoice, a breakdown of the costs.” Despite providing this evidence, the dispute remained unresolved. Without a laptop, the 69-year-old had to walk 25 minutes each way to a library to handle emails and print documents, he told the Telegraph.
Ombudsman and resolution
Mr Bell approached the Energy Ombudsman, which declined to act because it could not confirm he had given the supplier the required eight weeks to respond. After being contacted by the Telegraph, the energy giant re-billed the account using the move-in figures supplied by Mr Bell months earlier.
Mr Bell said he felt a “huge relief” and had not realised “how much stress I’d been carrying within me” until the matter was resolved. British Gas said in a statement: “We’ve apologised to Mr Bell, applied a credit that brings his balance to zero, and we’ll also be providing a goodwill gesture.”
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