Business energy credits and refunds

Why is my business energy account in credit?

Your business energy account will be in credit if you've paid us for more than the energy you've used.

You may have a credit balance on your business energy account if:

• Your bill has been overestimated, because we don’t have an up-to-date meter reading
• You’ve switched to another energy supplier
• You’ve moved business premise

It's important to regularly update your energy account with current meter readings to ensure your bills are accurate.

Before requesting a refund, check if the credit balance on your bill is based on an actual meter reading or estimated. If your bill is based on an estimated reading, the credit balance may not be right.

How can I check if the credit balance on my bill is correct?

Take a look at the energy usage on your bill. If it's estimated, you'll see the word 'Estimated' in green. Give us an up to date meter reading online, and we'll update your account and bill.

If your supply is half-hourly metered you don't need to give us a reading as we receive these automatically through your meter.

You can submit your meter reading online through your online energy account, where you can also set up helpful email reminders when your meter reading is due. You can also view current and previous bills and more. If you’re a British Gas business customer and don't already have an online account, it's quick and easy to register - just have a bill to hand.

If your credit balance is based on an up to date meter reading (not estimated), you can request a refund. However, if there's an outstanding balance on any linked energy accounts you hold with us, we'll use this credit to help pay what you owe.

How do I get a credit refund and how long does it take?

Before requesting a refund, please complete the following checks on your account and any linked accounts.

We can only provide a refund in these circumstances:

• Your account(s) have all been billed to an up-to-date meter reading in the last 28 days. If you've moved out of the business premise and the final account is based on an estimation, please provide us with an accurate meter reading, otherwise we will be unable to refund the value for six months
• You've sent us your new forwarding address
• You have no outstanding balances on any linked accounts with us
• The refund amount you're requesting is from payments you've made to the account
• It's been more than 3 working days since your most recent Direct Debit payment to us
• The account is in your name. If we’re unable to refund you via the same method of payment, we’ll issue a cheque in the name of the company
• Your account has passed all of our internal checks

If all the outlined criteria are met and you're eligible for a refund on your finalised account, it will be processed automatically within 10 working days.

Please refer to the table below for details on the refund method.

Please note:

• If you have an outstanding balance on any linked energy accounts with us, we’ll transfer the credit to help pay what you owe.
• If you pay by Fixed Direct Debit, we'll check if your payments are too high for the amount of energy you're currently using and change them if we need to. This won't affect any Direct Debit discount. See more about paying by Direct Debit and how we calculate fixed amounts.

Remember, if you pay by fixed Direct Debit it’s normal for your account to be in credit at certain points of the year as the amount of energy you use may vary. This lets you spread the cost by paying a fixed amount each month and building up a credit to help with the months where you use more energy.

What happens to my credit balance if I move premises or switch energy supplier?

If you're moving business premises

Contact us before you move with details of the new tenant, your new address and a final meter reading. Then we can send you an accurate final bill. If you're half-hourly metered, we'll obtain the consumption data from your meter and use this to send you an accurate final bill.

If you pay by Direct Debit, we'll take the final payment before closing your account. If you've already cancelled your Direct Debit, you'll need to make a final payment. The easiest way to do this is online by credit or debit card.

If your final bill is based on an accurate meter reading and shows a credit balance, we'll send any eligible refund to you automatically.

If you're not supplied by us any more

If you've switched to another energy supplier, they'll ask you for a meter reading on the date your supply starts with them. Your new supplier will then provide us with this meter reading and we'll use it to send you a final bill. If you're half-hourly metered, we'll obtain the consumption data from your meter and use this to send you an accurate final bill.

If your account is in debit when you receive your final bill, you'll need to make a final payment. The easiest way to do this is online by credit or debit card.

I've received a credit note. What should I do?

We issue credit notes to correct the value of a previous bill if:

• You've moved business premises / change of tenancy
• Your bill was underestimated or overestimated
• You've had a meter exchange or removal
• Your VAT rate has changed
• Your account details have changed
• We've changed your prices
• Your meter reading has changed

When we issue a credit note, we also credit the VAT originally charged (either in full or in part) and adjust the amount of VAT declared to HMRC.

If you've already paid the original bill:

• We'll credit your account (if you've paid too much)
• Your balance will be brought forward to your next bill (if you haven't paid enough)

What happens with unclaimed credit balances

If we don't receive an accurate final meter reading to close an account, or a forwarding address following a business move, we may not be able to trace the company to return any money owed.

If you're moving premises soon, don't forget to let us know.

What if I'm owed money by a previous energy supplier?

If you've switched energy supplier without providing a final meter reading, you may have left credit behind. You should get in touch with your old supplier as soon as possible to see if you can claim back any money you're owed. To help speed up the claim process, you may need to provide proof of your identity, the business address that you're claiming for including the postcode and if possible a previous bill and a final meter reading.

Keep your bills accurate with a smart meter

Smart meters are the clever way to measure your business energy use and get accurate bills.

No more estimated bills and no need to take manual meter readings either.

To find out why you should get a Smart meter, see smart meters for business.