An 80-year-old woman fighting British Gas on her doorstep. She’s been hard hit in recent months, following the death of her husband earlier this year. The man and woman lived on a park home estate. Now, we know she struggles to pay her energy bills in this difficult era.
The pair had been with British Gas for over a decade. After informing the company of her husband’s death in March, the widow hoped to find assistance with her transition. British Gas continues to issue bills on her deceased husband’s account. This makes it difficult for her to reach the funds and knowledge she would require to offset her household expenses.
Our community officer (CO) for the area who supervises the park home estates has intervened to help the widow. However, despite her best attempts, the CO feels that British Gas’s customer service has let her down. The CO is concerned. They are unable to promise that the widow of an eligible customer would receive the £400 energy bill discount that the UK government has made available this winter.
The recent breakdown in communication has angered both the community liaison officer and the deceased officer’s widow. “We’ve taken her meter readings and arranged to have paper statements sent to her, as requested,” stated a representative from Centrica, which operates British Gas. This help hasn’t addressed the bigger problem of disruptive billing and inaccessible accounts.
Now that winter is here, the widow is worried about her heating expenses. She fears that she won’t get the kind of financial relief that’s intended for most vulnerable customers, one — if not the — primary goals. As her Commanding Officer, he vigorously defended her. She encounters major obstacles because of British Gas’s systems and practices.