My daughter faces having nowhere to live because of billing mistakes by British Gas. Her landlord served notice, in order to sell the property she was renting, and she was unable to find any other property to rent locally. She decided to buy a house, but her mortgage application was declined as her credit record showed defaults on her British Gas account. She had installed a prepayment gas meter during lockdown due to financial concerns but, unbeknownst to her, there was a duplicate gas account in her name. It’s this that British Gas had declared in default. British Gas has admitted this was an error, but has not removed the defaults. She is likely to lose the house and no one seems to care.
SB, Newcastle
Your daughter is among countless people barred from the property ladder because of billing errors by a third party. It’s inexcusable that, having identified a mistake, British Gas did not immediately correct it. The mistake, it turns out, is that the switch from a credit account to a prepayment gas meter last year was not completed on the company’s system. That meant that the old credit account remained open and appeared to be in default. British Gas managed to amend the credit report instantly when I queried it, just in time for your daughter to secure the mortgage.
Incorrect information on a credit file should be raised directly with the credit reference agency in question. It can add a notice of correction while it investigates. Lenders have a legal obligation to read such a notice, although it may not alter their stance.
Email your.problems@observer.co.uk. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions
