Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against British Gas Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr and Mrs M complained that British Gas unfairly handled their home emergency insurance claim after the firm's agent damaged their en-suite toilet during a repair visit in October 2025. British Gas accepted liability and offered £450 compensation plus £619 for repair costs, but the complainants sought £1,575 including daily rates for loss of use, inconvenience, health risks, and interest. The ombudsman rejected the complaint, finding that British Gas's compensation package was sufficient given the availability of an alternative toilet in the home, the lack of evidence supporting claimed health risks or additional costs, and the fact that the proposed daily rate calculations were not recognised compensation methodologies.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman accepted that British Gas and its agent made mistakes in damaging the toilet and failing to resolve the matter promptly. However, the ombudsman determined that the compensation package offered (£450 plus £619 for repair costs) was sufficient because: (1) the daily rate figures proposed by Mr and Mrs M were not recognised or widely accepted sums; (2) the impact was mitigated by the availability of another toilet in the house; (3) no actual evidence supported claims of health risks or increased heating costs; (4) the payment arrangement through Company D did not materially disadvantage the complainants; and (5) interest could not be awarded as the delay in payment was attributable to the complainants' rejection of the settlement offer.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website