British Gas has mistakenly paid a UK household £38,611.59 instead of the £300 feed-in tariff (Fit) payment the customer was owed for solar panel energy exports. The error was highlighted in a letter to the Guardian newspaper's consumer affairs section, where the bill payer sought advice after struggling to get the company to reclaim the funds.
The customer, who receives quarterly Fit payments, submitted a claim in May based on their meter reading. Despite expecting £300, they received an email stating they were due £38,611.59, and the sum was paid into their account the next day, where it remained for more than seven weeks.
Customer struggled to get British Gas to reclaim overpayment
Writing to the Guardian, the bill payer explained: "I receive quarterly feed-in tariff (Fit) payments for energy exported by my solar panels. In May, I submitted a claim for £300, based on my meter reading, and I received an email stating that I was due £38,611.59. This sum was paid the next day and remained there for more than seven weeks."
The customer said they repeatedly contacted British Gas by phone and in writing, but "there seemed to be no procedure for reclaiming the payment, and no one knew what to do." They added: "I knew it was illegal to spend money I am not entitled to, but it was embarrassing to have it in my current account, and I feared some kind of fraud may have been involved."
Funds finally removed after seven-week ordeal
The funds eventually left the customer's account a week ago, but they have been unable to confirm whether British Gas received the money. "The scripts given to customer service agents don't cover such an incident," the customer noted. "Moreover, I have still not received the £300 Fit payment that I'm entitled to."
The customer's experience has raised questions about British Gas's handling of erroneous payments, particularly when customer service systems lack procedures for such cases. The company, which serves households in Birmingham and across the UK, has not yet commented publicly on the specific incident.
British Gas refund policy explained
On its website, British Gas outlines its general refund rules for account balances. The company states: "Having a small surplus in your balance is normal, especially during the summer. It helps keep your Direct Debit payments the same each month, even when you're using much more energy in the winter."
"So, if your payments look about right for your level of energy use, we won't refund any credit in your account," the guidance continues. "If we think you have more credit in your account than you need for your annual energy use, we'll let you know how much of a refund you can get – and what your balance will be afterwards. Just click to confirm and we'll send your refund to the bank account used for your Direct Debit, usually within 5-8 working days."
The policy, however, does not appear to address the scenario of an accidental overpayment of this scale. The customer remains without their legitimate £300 Fit payment, and the case highlights potential gaps in British Gas's procedures for handling such errors.
