Centrica-owned British Gas has to pay 9.5 million pounds ($11.9 million) in compensation to customers who faced billing problems after the household energy supplier upgraded its system in 2014, UK energy market regulator Ofgem said on Tuesday. Ofgem said British Gas, Britain's biggest energy supplier, had shown failings in its registrations, complaints handling and billing processes for business customers and over 6,000 new customers had experienced delays registering with the supplier. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-gas-pay-9-5-million-pound-customer-110752334--finance.html

I have an oral warning from an staff of BG revenue protection team to cut off my gas supply if I do not pay £9k by Wednesday. He changed to £10k after my so many calls to him in the past few days. I was accused to tamper their gas meter which is located in my shop unlocked in a cabinet, that I do not do. I was showed the proof of tampering by a company called scienco in Bristol. Ok, the story is that. a year or 2 ago, there was a BG guy came and asked to see the meter. So he was shown where the meter was and was left alone. After 5 minutes or more, I was wondering what he was doing and taking so much time there. I went out to ask him and he said the blue seal on top of the clock of the meter had sign of being tampered. so I checked it and told him there was no scratch as he told me. I asked a friend of mine and my wife to look at it. They all said there was nothing, no mark. then he said to me the meter seemed not working cos it did not move while he was there looking at it. so what he would do is to have the meter taken away for test and I would be informed. Since then, there was no letter from BG and everything was forgotten. Two months ago, there were 2 BG guys came to my shop to ask to see the meter. So they were showed to the meter. I was alone at the shop and staying with them at the very beginning after they arrived. I mentioned what happened the previous visit by their colleague. I told them about the blue seal on top of the clock of the meter. and i even put my finger on it to show them. And they told me it seemed fine to them but they need to inspect it thoroughly. I left them and went back to do my work. When I looked out from inside of my shop. I noticed 1 of the guy was pushing very hard on something with his whole body. I thought it was weird so went to ask them what they were doing. They said he was getting an imprint of the serial number on the top of the seal with something like a blue tac. Actually I saw him doing that when I was looking at them. Before they left, I was told it seemed the meter was in good condition. He found nothing suspicious but to be sure the meter would be taken away for test to find out if it was slow. Then I told them it was ok. I did not check the meter at all cos i was so busy then and also of the guys' assurance of the state of the meter. a week or 2 later, 1 of the BG guy came back and asked the meter to be taken away straight away. I told him no because my shop was about to open in an hour and I needed gas to do preparation. I told him off why he did not send me a letter to arrange it and he said he did. I had never received any letter from him whatsoever. So he called me sometimes later and we arrange the date. My wife was so suspicious about it so she called BG on the following to confirm about the meter removal. They came back on 26/11/13 and took away the meter and replaced it with a new 1. Even then the BG guy still kept on telling me the meter seemed ok. as far as he said there was no damage of the blue seal. Last week, the BG guy came to my shop and showed me the report. It clearly showed there were damage of the blue seal and a scratch on a metal which was said inside the meter. I was so shocked because I did not do it. My mind was blank and he went to give me an estimate how much gas I STOLE for the last 6 years. He said a figure which was more than £6k. of cos I stard to challenge him about the tampering and the estimate. Then he was so pixxed off and he changed the estimate to nearly £9k. Then he left with an oral warning, pay up or cut off on wednesday. and he did not even give me any statement or invoice of the estimate and the warning letter too. He demanded me to pay to him directly. I told him I had not have £9k in my saving and i needed to arrange with BG about the payment. But he said there was nothing to do with BG and i had to pay him with cash or visa card but no cheque allowed. we started to get panic and angry. what can we do? pay up the amount that I do not owe or let them to ruin my business with no gas.