Not upheld: claim handling and service quality; disputed responsibility for repair outcomes complaint against British Gas Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr E complained about British Gas's repair of his leaking water cylinder and subsequent claim handling. After the cylinder replacement in December 2024, Mr E's hot-water pump failed in April 2025, and he believed British Gas's installation was responsible. Mr E also claimed British Gas should have identified issues with his header tank system and that an engineer may have damaged a stopcock. The ombudsman found that the cylinder replacement was an appropriate repair under the policy terms, that there was no persuasive evidence linking the replacement to the pump failure, and that the stopcock damage could not be attributed to British Gas. While acknowledging claim handling delays and a cancelled appointment, the ombudsman upheld the £300 compensation as reasonable and did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that British Gas's replacement of the water cylinder was an appropriate repair for the reported leak under the policy terms. The policy allowed for replacement with a British Gas approved standard alternative with similar functionality, not necessarily identical specifications. Although the replacement cylinder had smaller capacity than quoted, the ombudsman found no persuasive evidence that this caused the subsequent pump failure. The warranty provider's report did not identify the cylinder as the cause, and no engineer recommended replacing the cylinder as a solution to the pump failure. The ombudsman also found insufficient evidence to conclude British Gas's engineer damaged the stopcock. However, the ombudsman acknowledged service failings in claim handling and found the £300 compensation reasonable.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website