British Gas takes direct debit payments TWICE leaving customers out of pocket
Thousands of British Gas customers may have had direct debit payments being taken twice, after the energy firm suffered a glitch in its IT system
THOUSANDS of British Gas customers may have had direct debit payments taken twice following an IT glitch.
Angry customers have been complaining about the UK's biggest energy on Twitter, with some saying they've been left out of pocket because of the error.
British Gas told The Sun online that less than 1 per cent of customers were affected by the problem.
It supplies gas and electricity to over 14million homes, meaning some 140,000 customers could be affected by the fault.
A British Gas spokesperson confirmed that a "small proportion" of customers have had direct debit payments twice and that any money taken in error would be refunded.
A spokesperson said: "We are sorry that a technical problem resulted in us billing a small number of direct debit customers' accounts twice.
"We have resolved the issue, and have already refunded most customers. Any remaining customers affected will receive their refund by Monday at the latest.
Some customers have been complaining that computer glitch has left them short of cash.
One user said: "@BritishGasHelp you've taken my British Gas energy DD twice?!?! I kinda need the cash for Xmas gifts!"
Another said: "@BritishGas you have taken 2 lots of direct debit from me and left me short for Black Friday! When do we get money returned."
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British Gas been telling some customers on Twitter that money will be returned by Monday, while it has been advising others to process "indemnity claims" to get cash back quickly.
What should you do if you're affected?
If you're a British Gas customer then you should check your bank statement to see if you've been overcharged.
You can call the British Gas customer service team on 0800 038 0202, staff are also responding to queries on Twitter via
Are you a British Gas customer? Have your payments been taken twice leaving you out of pocket? Tell us your story! Email: [email protected]