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

Decision detail

Summary

Mr R claimed on his home emergency insurance policy with British Gas for intermittent toilet blockages in July 2025. After multiple visits, British Gas concluded the offset pan connector needed replacement and that wipes being flushed were the causes, but classified the connector replacement as upgrade work not covered by the policy. Mr R disputed this, later discovering a collapsed drain further along the pipe run in March 2026 and arguing British Gas had misdiagnosed the problem. The ombudsman found British Gas's decision to classify the works as upgrades was fair and reasonable, as the replacement would require modifications to the property's pipework and bathroom layout. While finding British Gas provided unsatisfactory customer service, the ombudsman upheld the £450 compensation and waived excess payments as fair and did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found British Gas's decision to classify the offset pan connector replacement as upgrade work was fair and reasonable because the connector itself was not faulty; replacing it would require modifications to the original pipework and bathroom layout (relocating the toilet or altering waste pipes), which falls outside the policy's scope of standard repairs. The ombudsman was not persuaded the third-party invoice from March 2026 demonstrated British Gas should have known about the collapsed drain during its July-August 2025 visits, as the engineers' conclusions were consistent and reviewed by British Gas. However, the ombudsman found British Gas provided unsatisfactory customer service due to delays, poor communication, lack of clarity on claim steps, and a missed appointment, warranting compensation.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website