Portsmouth woman forced to abandon flat after having no electricity for six weeks when British Gas moved tariff without permission

Alys Mooney said she had to take three days off work in a desperate attempt to resolve the issue after ‘going round in circles’ with the power firm.

The 27-year-old moved into her one-bed Stamshaw flat in April while on a credit tariff on her smart meter.

But on July 23 she came home to find her electricity was off - with food in the fridge ‘gone off’.

A visit from an engineer failed to resolve the problem after he said it was an office-related issue.

It led to beleaguered Alys making endless phone calls to British Gas and submitting a complaint.

She said: ‘I got home and the fridge was off. I had been away for a couple of days and it looked like the electricity had been off for most of the time as the food was off, which I had to throw away.

‘I ended up taking three days off work to make calls and hold for them. When I got through they told me they couldn’t do anything until I closed the complaint but I told them I would not do that until it was resolved.

‘They put me on a pay as you go tariff without asking me. I had signed up to be on a credit tariff as it was a better tariff.’

Alys moved in with her partner while the problem dragged on before an apparent breakthrough last week when she was told the tariff could be swapped back. ‘I was told there was no reason it couldn’t be swapped back despite being told before I had to close the complaint,’ she said.

‘I was put back on the credit tariff but when I went to the flat the electricity was still off.’

Another engineer was called out before the electricity was finally turned back on.

Alys, who is now chasing the firm for losses, added: ‘I never once said I wanted a pay as you go tariff. I had to chase them the whole time even though they said they would be in touch.

‘Imagine if I was old, ill or had a child with no electricity.’

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British Gas was approached for comment.