WINDSOR (dpa-AFX) - British Gas has made payments totalling £1.73 million for handling of changes to prepayment meter or PPM top-up arrangements, according a statement released by Ofgem, Britain's independent energy regulator.
Centrica-owned British Gass failed to notify around 270,000 prepayment customers about a change of top-up provider, from Paypoint to Payzone, which went live on 1 January 2020. As a result, some customers might have gone off supply, or suffered detriment through wasted journeys to shops where they could no longer top-up.
When British Gas decided to switch to Payzone, it failed to make sure that communication with its customers was adequate both in terms of coverage and content, the regulatory said.
Further, Ofgem engaged with British Gas in early January 2020 when it became aware of problems with the switchover of top-up provider. Ofgem also noted that British Gas has proposed to make compensation payments of £1.48 million to impacted customers.
British Gas has also agreed to pay £250,000 to Ofgem's voluntary redress fund administered by the Energy Savings Trust.
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