Telford man's £40 standing charge . . . for £5 worth of gas
He only uses £5 of gas for three months – but Ian Barrall is unhappy because he has been charged £45 for his latest bill.
Mr Barrall says that though his house is able to use gas, he chooses not to.
The 52-year-old carpenter from Ketley Bank, Telford, does all his cooking on a wood-burning stove – keeping his bills as low as £5 per quarter.
But this time, Mr Barrall's bill featured a standing charge of £40 and he says he feels he is being penalised for not using a large amount of gas.
He said: "I can afford to use gas, I just choose not to. I had it fitted two years ago and my bills are around £11.75 for three months but it does vary.
"My latest bill was £24, the bill for my usage was £5, the rest was a standing charge. When I contacted British Gas, they told me it had gone up to £40.
"I'm not crying all over the place but what about the rest of the people who can't afford to use their gas? I think I'm being penalised for not using gas."
However, British Gas saids the standing charge covers the cost of transporting gas to the home and other fixed costs such as reading the meters and government charges. The standing charge affects all gas customers, not just British Gas.
Gas customers pay the charge which was introduced in 2013 as part of Ofgem's Retail Market Review which was designed to make tariffs and bills simpler. If a customer does not use their supply, and does not need a meter, it will be removed free of charge.
Many people who meet a range of eligibility criteria – if they receive certain pension credit and other benefits, have a low annual household income and have a low gas usage per year – are entitled to a rebate.
The company now says it is going to contact Mr Barrall to see if he is eligible for a rebate and if there is any other way it can help.
Leigh Franks, of British Gas, said: "The standing charge covers the fixed cost of getting gas to people's homes. Many customers on low incomes are eligible for a rebate and we will also remove a meter free of charge for anyone not using their gas supply. We are contacting Mr Barrall to see how we can help"
