One of our team recently switched energy suppliers. Nothing unusual about that – except they were in the final 49 days of their British Gas fixed-term contract. According to the rules, that’s a safe window to switch without penalty. But British Gas still charged them a whopping £150 exit fee.
They got the money taken off their final bill in the end. But not before spending over an hour on hold, only to get cut off midway through the complaint process.
It’s frustrating. But sadly, it’s not new. British Gas has form.
“We expected to owe something on our final bill, but we didn’t expect £150 in exit fees. We knew the charges were wrong, but challenging them was a nightmare. It felt deliberately difficult, like they wanted us to give up. Given British Gas’s track record, I’m shocked this is still happening - and that they’re still getting away with it.”
British Gas has already paid out £2.65 million due to unfair fees
In 2018, British Gas was forced to pay out £2.65 million in refunds and compensation after Ofgem found it had wrongly charged exit fees and overcharged customers protected by the price cap.
According to the regulator:
- British Gas wrongly charged 94,211 customers its more expensive standard variable tariff rate after they decided to switch to a new supplier, due to a system error.
- British Gas also wrongly informed 2.5 million customers that exit fees were chargeable and incorrectly charged exit fees to 1,698 fixed deal customers.
Ofgem warned British Gas to “respect their customers” and treat them “fairly.” But the issues haven’t stopped.
A pattern of poor billing and broken systems?
One Reddit user shared how they were rebilled by British Gas after switching, despite believing their account was settled. Their post reflects how confusing and drawn-out these issues can be. The post sparked a flurry of replies from others with billing problems, highlighting just how common these frustrations are.
On the MoneySavingExpert forums, another customer was charged exit fees even though they cancelled their switch within the cooling-off period. An action that should have voided these charges. That story also prompted several responses from others who’d faced challenges with British Gas – some involving multiple calls, long delays, or having to escalate complaints to get results.
A recent Guardian article laid bare the growing wave of consumer anger over billing and service failures. It included stories of customers sent bills for thousands of pounds they didn’t owe, and being forced to fight tooth and nail to get them corrected. One customer described his experience as “both astonishing and appalling in equal measure”.
And it’s not just billing…
British Gas was recently ranked the worst energy supplier for customer service in a Which? survey. More than half of customers who contacted them said they had problems with the response they’d received, and a third were frustrated by how long it took to speak to someone who could actually help.
Poor service and billing mistakes are a toxic combo – especially when the burden falls on the customer to put things right.
What to do if you're switching or disputing a bill
It’s not just British Gas that’s under fire. Tens of thousands of UK energy customers are set to receive refunds and compensation after ten major suppliers – including Octopus, EDF and E.ON – illegally overcharged them in breach of Ofgem’s price cap rules.
Here’s how to protect yourself from being overcharged:
If you’re switching energy providers:
- Check the dates – You can switch without penalty in the final 49 days of a fixed contract.
- Watch your final bill – If exit fees pop up, challenge them.
- Log everything – Save your bills and any contact with your supplier.
- Know your rights – You can escalate your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman if needed.
If you get a bill you want to challenge:
- Contact your supplier – Start by calling or emailing their customer service team. Be clear about the issue and what you want them to do.
- Give them time, but not forever – Energy companies usually have 8 weeks to resolve a complaint.
- Escalate if needed – If you’re not happy with their response (or you don’t get one), take it to the Energy Ombudsman.
- Stay calm and stick to the facts – It’s frustrating, but being clear and persistent goes a long way.
These steps might not fix everything overnight, but they give you a much better chance of getting your money back and holding providers to account.
Join the conversation
British Gas has already been forced to refund customers over unfair charges, but the complaints keep coming. So we’re asking:
- Why is this still happening?
- How many people are being wrongly charged but not speaking up?
If this has happened to you, we want to hear about it. Share your story with us on social.
Been wrongly charged by British Gas? You’re not alone
— Join the Claim (@JointheClaim) May 27, 2025
British Gas has already been forced to refund customers over unfair charges, but the complaints keep coming. So we’re asking:
– Why is this still happening?
– How many people are being wrongly charged but not speaking up?
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This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. Please consult a qualified professional before taking action based on the information provided. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or consequences resulting from actions taken based on the information in this blog.
