British Gas has been forced to apologise to hundreds of thousands of customers after it failed to fix and service broken boilers this winter, reports the Telegraph.
The energy giant promised to improve its customer service after it faced criticism for allowing staff to work from home several days a week.
A cold snap is forecast this weekend with heavy snowfall and temperatures could drop to as low as -6C (21.2F), but many customers will have not heating or hot water.
It comes after the announcement that energy bills are set to rise by an average of £700 in April - a record jump of more than 50 per cent - amid a growing cost of living crisis.
British Gas customers with broken boilers, meanwhile, say they have already faced weeks of delays and cancelled call-outs, despite paying charges of £14 per month as part of the company’s HomeCare scheme, which should provide breakdown cover and an annual service to around 3.4 million people.
Some customers have found their annual services to be delayed many times over, with the company admitting that it is facing a "shortage of standard appointments in some areas".
Requests for emergency call-outs are also taking weeks to be fulfilled, leaving customers without adequate hot water or heating - a problem that also occurred for many in autumn too.
The company has received tens of thousands of complaints as a result, and has apologised for its poor service with a promise to improve matters.
A British Gas spokesman said: “We've identified where the issues are and we are taking the right steps to fix them. Our customers are the most important thing. We are sorry and trust us that we'll improve.”
It has been warned over the issue, however, by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The FCA said it was aware of the problems and is working with the company to resolve them, with British Gas expected to provide a timetable for how it plans to improve its service.
The scandal has not yet triggered a full investigation by the watchdog, which could ultimately result in removing the company’s permission to sell insurance or the handing down of a significant fine.
A spokesman for the FCA, which is responsible for regulating and investigating how financial services operate, said: “We are aware of the issues and are working with the firm to ensure these are resolved as quickly as possible and that customers are treated fairly.”
Sir John Hayes, the former energy minister, said it was "time to get tough" on British Gas.
"Firms need to be made to live up to their responsibilities and give customers the deal they deserve," he said.
"It's time to get tough because people are being kept waiting for far too long. Families with children are living without heating or hot water, and that's simply not good enough."
Problems have been blamed on strike action and staff shortages due to Covid.
Chris O'Shea - chief executive of Centrica, which owns British Gas - has come under fire in recent weeks for continuing to work at home, despite the national energy crisis and growing customer complaints.
Anthony Vickers, 46, a data analyst from Basingstoke, has been unable to run a hot bath for his children, aged two and five, for over a month because of a problem with his boiler.
A request for an engineer to visit was first made in early January, and he has twice had call-outs cancelled within a day of when they were supposed to take place.
He has held the same British Gas insurance policy since the middle of 2019 paying £20 a month for the HomeCare service plan, which covers the maintenance of his boiler and central heating.
The contract says an extra £60 must be paid for each problem that needs to be fixed - meaning that in total, once the engineer attends, he will have paid out £300 over the past year and more than £600 since the policy started.
His efforts to get the £60 charge waived because of the two cancelled visits were initially rejected by the company.
He said: "We've got the choice of either having paid the money out, cancelling them and essentially having to start the process again, or we will just have to try and stick it out, try and get them out, and then I'll cancel."
A British Gas spokesman responded: “We are very sorry for the service Mr Vickers has received and this is not what our customers should expect from us. We will be waiving the £60 breakdown repair excess on this occasion and we have spoken to him to confirm an appointment for Monday.”
Hundreds of customers have taken to social media with similar complaints, with some having routine boiler services rearranged for a fourth time.
Alexander Stafford, the Conservative MP for Rother Valley and member of the business and energy select committee, said he would raise the issue in Parliament.
"This is an absolute disgrace,” he said. “If you pay for a service, you should get it.
“British Gas are playing fast and loose with the rules and acting in a completely irresponsible way."
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