British Gas Complaints
Use the diagnostic widget below to understand where your dispute sits in the £40–£1,000 tier range and what outcome to expect.
British Gas is Ofgem-licensed and subject to the Energy Ombudsman scheme. All suppliers must resolve complaints within 8 weeks or lose the right to dispute an Ombudsman referral.
Energy Ombudsman award cap
£10,000
For billing disputes
Back-billing limit
12 months
Can't bill for errors >12 months old
Complaint deadline before Ombudsman
8 weeks
From initial complaint to British Gas
Priority Services Register
Free
For vulnerable / medically dependent customers
Dispute tier diagnostic
Select the tier that matches your situation to see the recommended complaint route and expected outcome.
Ofgem Back-Billing Rule
If British Gas has estimated your bills and is now demanding backdated payment for energy used more than 12 months ago, you do not have to pay it. Ofgem's back-billing rule (in force since June 2018) prevents suppliers from recovering charges for usage that was not billed due to their own billing error for periods older than 12 months. Cite this explicitly in your complaint letter.
Priority Services Register (PSR)
If you or someone in your household is elderly (over 75), disabled, chronically ill, or medically dependent on powered equipment, British Gas must add you to their Priority Services Register. This is free and gives you additional protections during outages and complaints handling.
If British Gas failed to apply PSR protections you requested, that's an additional regulatory breach under SLC 22A that strengthens your complaint and increases any goodwill offer.