A man has warned everyone to check their direct debits after seeing his energy bill rocket from £200 to £429.41 this month - even though the cost of his energy and the amount he uses have not gone up. British Gas has hiked Richard White's bill in preparation for increases due to come into force later this year and then next year.
Mr White, 43, complained to British Gas and asked the company to justify the increase. He told British Gas if it did not fully resolve his complaint within eight weeks, he would escalate it to energy regulator Ofgem. The gas company said it had not "factored into this projection" the £400 subsidy from the Government for energy bills.
Mr White told Kent Live: "My partner and I live in a modest three-bedroomed detached home with a cat." He added: "It is not the base camp for an Arctic expedition so for British Gas to predict we are going to burn more than £5,000 worth of energy a year is preposterous., a figure they jovially describe to me in the email ... as 'quite the jump'."
He said the company must have believed he was "running a gas-fired power station in Narnia," and said British Gas was taking "obscene and disproportionate" amounts from customers.
"In my own little way, I am now punishing British Gas by more than halving the direct debit sum until my credit (or interest-free loan they have taken without my permission, depending how you look at it) is reduced to a level that suits me. Everyone who had direct debits set by British Gas before the government subsidy was announced may wish to check to see if this is still accurate," he said.
He said "British Gas accepts it has not taken into account the government £400 subsidy when calculating direct debits. Therefore, it seems all these direct debits have been set too high. It may only be a few pounds a month for some customers, but it is their money and British Gas has done this on a mass scale.
"Simply put, money a family might need to feed the kids, British Gas wants that cash in its back pocket. It's an interest-free personal loan from those least able to afford to give one," he said.
Mr White was with People's Energy for gas and electricity until it folded in September last year and British Gas took over the account from December.
Mr White said: "All customers affected this way should be offered proportionate compensation for their time and the anxiety caused by this kind of grotesque cash grabbing when families are struggling to feed their kids."
He said British Gas was a "disgrace" for charging customers such levels and that once there was "some kind of semblance of stability with energy costs and supply" he would be looking to swap firms.
"Others should do the same," he said.
A spokesperson for British Gas said: "Mr White's annual bill has not been set at over £5,000. We periodically review direct debit payment plans and after reassessing his current plan which ends in October, we advised in his June statement that his payments would rise up until October to ensure his projected usage was covered."
They said Mr White's monthly payment of £429.41 "would not continue for the next 12 months". They also said they were "sorry about the delay in responding" and had explained the adjustment was based on his previous energy use "among other factors".
They said they would also take Mr White's gas and electric meter readings to "bill his account to date".
