Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against British Gas Insurance Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6441917 of 2026-07-07T00:00:00+00:00. Home insurance claim disputes complaint against British Gas Insurance Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6441917 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-07-07T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | British Gas Insurance Limited |
| Product | Home insurance |
| Claim type | Home insurance claim disputes |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | British Gas's without liability offer of £100 towards reinstatement of the access area and £80 in recognition of service concerns was found to be broadly fair, reasonable and proportionate. No additional remedy was ordered. |
Summary
Ms L claimed on her home emergency insurance policy following a blocked sink and leak at her property in September 2025. British Gas engineers cut a cupboard to access pipework with Ms L's permission, but she had requested before and after photographs. Damage to the cupboard was subsequently reported by her lettings agent. British Gas offered £100 and £80 compensation without liability, which the ombudsman found fair and proportionate. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding that British Gas's before image did not support they caused the damage, though noting their failure to provide the requested photographs was disappointing.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that the before image provided by British Gas did not support that they caused the alleged damage, and the engineer confirmed this in writing. While the ombudsman was disappointed that British Gas failed to provide the requested before and after photographs as promised, which created an avoidable scenario, the ombudsman considered the impact on Ms L and the four-week delay in providing images when assessing whether the £180 offer was fair and proportionate. The possibility that the identified leak had weakened the cupboard's structural integrity was also noted.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| British Gas Insurance Limited, all decisions | 1,885 | 40% |
| Home insurance claim disputes, all decisions | 24,376 | 38% |
| Home insurance, all decisions | 21,507 | 38% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website