General Correspondence Address
British Gas
PO Box 3055
Eastbourne
BN21 9FE
Complaints Address
British Gas
PO Box 3054
Eastbourne
BN21 9FD
Contact Information
- Customer enquiries (gas or electricity accounts) 0800 048 0202
- Customer enquiries (prepayment meter problems or Pay As You Go) 0800 048 0303
- Minicom (textphone) 0800 072 8626
- Welsh speaking customers 0800 072 8630
- New gas supplies 0845 955 5510
- Email contact form
General Information
British Gas provides energy and services to home and business customers throughout Great Britain. As well as providing gas and electricity, they also install and maintain central heating and gas appliances in millions of homes throughout the country.
Selling points
- Large discounts for dual fuel customers.
- Discounts for those opting for paperless billing and online accounts.
- Discounts for those using direct debit to make payments.
- British Gas prides itself on offering a high standard of customer service.
Supplier services
- Dual Fuel
- Green Energy
- Pay As You Go Energy™
Packages on offer
Standard
Gas, Electricity, Dual
WebSaver 2
Gas, Electricity, Dual
Future Energy
Electricity, green tariff.
Zero Carbon
Dual fuel, zero emissions.
Prepay services
A pay as you go meter is an easy way to keep control over your energy costs.
Ways to pay your bill
- Cash
- Cheque
- Credit/debit card over the phone
- Direct debit (quarterly/monthly)
- Online
- Pre-pay using a card meter
Special services
British Gas Home Energy Care Register - extra help for elderly, sick and disabled customers who have specific energy needs. This benefits are as follows:
- Personal password that only yourself and British Gas representatives know enabling you to be sure it is a genuine representative calling at your house.
- Special appliance controls for those with sight/dexterity problems.
- Advice booklets available in Braille, large print and audio-cassette.
- Braille and large print bills.
- Yearly gas safety check for free.
- Priority notifications in case of a disruption to gas or electricity supplies.
- Bills sent to another address.
- Free meter relocation if your existing meter is difficult or inconvenient to access.
Comments
- Is this your electricity company?
- Do you have any comments on the service they provide?
- How do you rate their customer service?
Please leave your comments so that others can gain advice on the service provided by this company.
NB: We have no connection with the electricity companies, if you have a specific enquiry relating to your service, please contact the company direct.
I have been having trouble with British Gas for months now, and reading the above letters I am not to confident that my complaint will be sorted... the Elec bill they say I owe is for my late Mother's house... I gave them meter reading in May 2008 and another in Nov 2008 when it was sold. Both these readings are the same. But British Gas can't realise that if you take the same number from itself you are left with nothing..... NO ELEC WAS USED DURING THESE MONTHS..... I keep getting estimated bills for various amounts. I have the original bills where the starting figure is on... and the closing bill that shows the finishing figure on... yet I still keep getting bills. Now for the past few weeks I have been getting phone calls, from abroad, nearly every few days.... each time when I explain and prove my figures, the operator agrees with me and says that will be the end of the matter.... then sure enough another bill arrives. Now I have been threatened with bailiffs, blacklisting, etc. I, again, phoned and the very nice young man told me that the account will be cancelled and not to worry..... 24 hours later more phone calls demanding payment. As I have told all the operators that what little money was left after my 94year old mother died has been distributed as according to her will. I am a pensioner (with high blood pressure) and can do without all this hassle !!!! If it continues I may resort to taking legal advice........
Posted by Frances Wilcock, 03rd May 2009I am trying to make a decision based on comments and on the BG site people put 4 or 5 stars and then say they are bad????? What is it they/I don't understand? Or are people rating their own comment - yes I'll give it 5. So bad design. The question below should say Rate supplier. Here is another 5 starer for Bristish Gas!!
Posted by Christine Hankinson, 20th November 2008Have been with British Gas for about a year now as they said on the doorstep that they would change our electricity meter from the existing key payment method meter to a normal one and we would not need to pay for this service. This has not happened and now we have been informed that our monthly direct debit is going up from £33 to £80... well over 50%. We called today to ask if anything could be done regarding this and was informed that they could only reduce this amount by 20%... needless to say husband has gone to the bank to stop DD and we are in process of looking at new suppliers. Problem is all seem to have major bad comments and don't know where to start.
Posted by Mrs M Partlett, 07th November 2008I am thoroughly frustrated and disappointed with British Gas. Today I had my bag stolen along with my electricity key, which I was hoping to top up on my way home from work. On top of the hassle of losing my bag I have been on hold for 1 hour 45 minutes on my mobile rather than just say "our offices are now closed". It is costing me a fortune in the hope that someone might answer. I have no option than to go to bed and spend the weekend without electricity.
Posted by Kim Winder, 31st October 2008Someone lost a BG payment card in the street the other day - they won't be able to top up their meter and it's very cold! They must also think they have lost money. I have tried to contact BG to return the card or get the person to collect it from me but can't get through to BG on the phone. Poor customer!
Posted by Ros Bentley, 29th October 2008I had a key meter installed by United Utilities on behalf of British Gas and I bought £5.00 of credit on Friday 24 October, the day of installation. This was in the evening after the original credit from the card meter was added also and it was used by 12 today, now this would usually last us a week maximum so in about three and a half days we've used a weeks worth of electricity.
Posted by Tracy, 29th October 2008I used the emergency credit for about four hours today and topped up with £10, the meter credited me with £8.30 meaning that we appeared to use £1.70's worth of electricity in four hours. This is ridiculous and I'm very annoyed. British Gas wrote to me a few days ago, announcing with bells and whistles I was on the essentials tariff but this is ridiculous. I wish I'd never changed my meter and will be ringing BG first thing tomorrow.
It's Sunday pre bank hol, I placed my card into meter, on screen message was fail 38, I tried contacting British Gas but it was closed. Emergency staff were supposed to be available, after holding for 35 mins I then got a dead tone. After 6 attempts I contacted the gas leak emergency number, they were rude and couldn't give me any other contact number. I am a disabled person with children and now left with no gas supply until Tuesday when I fully intend on changing my supplier for both gas and electricity.
Posted by Zoe Lee, 24th August 2008I have just had nightmare trying to get dd set up after swapping banks... and low and behold I have now had a price increase... 100%!! I was paying £35... the dude on the phone now wants £66 a month... I'm currently searching the net for a new supplier.
Posted by Sam Leggett, 20th August 2008Have had major problems with British Gas for over two years as well. They are rubbish, useless and very expensive. They tried to force you to stay wen you wanna leave them.
Posted by Olayide, 26th February 2008Why British Gas AND Scottish Gas? Scotland is PART of Britain. Shouldn't England and Wales have dedicated gas services, too? A very biased organisation, British Gas, isn't it?
Posted by Elsie Hird, 04th February 2008When I moved house I found myself with British Gas, I moved in on the 31st Dec and by the 24th had moved to a different supplier. Within a couple off weeks I had a finial bill through my door for £116. My first point was how do you use £116 pounds worth of gas in 24 days and my second point was why are you sending me a final bill when I am using a pre payment meter. The staff were very unhelpful and 5 months later I found myself with a letter from debt collectors saying that if I did'nt pay the bill in full in 7 days or get contact with them they would take me to court. So I then spoke to the debt collectors and they were really helpful, they got in contact with British Gas and got them to put a hold on the account until the issue had been resolved. And in the end I had a formal apology for any inconvenience this may have caused me.
Posted by L Webb, 19th January 2008Have had major problems with British Gas for over two years. There customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. I am still fighting them and in the process of complaining to my MP and energy watch.
Posted by Jon Burgess, 05th January 2008Nearly all comments come from people with complaints. People without problems over billing or supply generally don't feel the need to write in and so a very unbalanced picture emerges regarding suppliers. British Gas being the largest supplier will inevitably have most comments. So, I will add my view: I have been with British Gas for many years - paying by direct debit - and, as I imagine many others, have no problems to speak of. No - I don't work for British Gas or have shares in the company.
Posted by Norman Mcilwain, 04th December 2007Having read the above comments I'm not surprised British Gas are dreadful, I haven't found anyone who has a good word to say about them. I've been trying to leave them for a year and I'm now pursuing small claims action against them for the difference in price from when I told them I wanted to leave until the point they were able to support this (it doesn't cost much). I've already had one brief court appearance and return this Thursday 6th Dec for mediation. Can I recommend that others who have been felt hard done by British/Scottish Gas consider doing the same.
Posted by Stephen Mcallister, 03rd December 2007I have HomeCare 400 insurance. The first visit was prompt but they were unable to fix the problem. Since then I have been unable to find out what is happening about my rewiring. Half the sockets on my ground floor are not working and I have waited for four weeks and not been contacted about it. Customer services have been useless.
Posted by Val Peggrem, 27th November 2007I don't know what you did, but you did it. My gas was connected to the new pipe at 1.30pm yesterday, 22.11.07, without any explanation of course. Except that "it was cut off by mistake." It was disconnected in my meter box. I'm sure their e-mail pages on their web page are deliberately made to fail. Perhaps there is a need for e-mail, text, phone call centres, for they surely don't want to bother with e-mails themselves. Even when they get through. It's better than a phone call for keeping records of communications, and I think this may be why they refuse to allow them. I give this page 10 stars now. Thank you. I hope that's it for ever.
Posted by Gordon Mcwilliam, 23rd November 2007Scottish gas fitted a new gas main across the road from my house. Never reconnected me yet, and that was over a month ago? October I think? They are also my supplier.
Posted by Gordon Mcwilliam, 21st November 2007I have been a long and loyal customer of both gas and electricity. They are now giving new customers long life light bulbs. So I am now being penalised for my loyality. Come on please.
Posted by David Chambers, 20th November 2007Oh dear reading those letters do not instill any confidence in changing to British Gas I'm afraid...
Posted by Jackie Cullen, 29th October 2007I recently changed to British Gas (big mistake). My electricity key arrived and I followed the instructions given before I purchased my first credit (£10), then I put the key into the meter and nothing happened. I rang British Gas and they suggested I go to another shop and purchase more credit (£1), the key still did not work. I rang again and was told to ring back when my credit got to 50p. On Sunday I rang to say my credit was 57p but the lines were shut. Eventually after speaking to three very unhelpful people I was given a number of a company that would come out on their behalf to sort the problem. I rang this number to be told they do not do work for British Gas. Thankfully they were very helpful and gave me another number and an engineer came out within 10 minutes and he had to replace the meter as it was broken. I am disgusted at the way I was treated, the amount of false information I was given and the length of time (over 2 hours) it took me to get this sorted.
Posted by Maureen Young, 22nd October 2007I have been living in a student house with 4 others for the past year. Our Contract ended in July 2007. We are still trying to get our deposits back due to British Gas not sending a receipt of payment for our last dual fuel bill. The company tells us this has been sent and that they will keep sending a copy to our old landlord but this has not been received. It has been months since our contract ended. We also encountered problems when we were sent final reminders for bills that had already been paid, or also final reminders for bills that had not been received in the first place. NOT very clever.
Posted by C Glaister, 30th August 2007Changed to dual fuel with british gas in Jan 07...what a mistake!!! Still trying to get a direct debit form sent to me for the electric, and they have just sent me a massive bill for my gas saying 'pay this now' when I have been paying £45 a month!! Usless HELP!!
Posted by Mrs A Macevoy, 23rd July 2007I am absolutely disgusted with the treatment of british gas I have had over the last few months. What seems is such an easy solution seems to be such a problem. I have been trying to get copies of my Jan & May bills for electricity and am tearing my hair out. Every time I phone I get somebody who says "no problem they will be with you within 7 days." Then after all this I get a red letter regarding a bill which they say has not been paid since October. I am totally confused.
Posted by Alma Fields, 10th June 2007I have tried on several occasions to get a replacement payment card sent out to me following theft from my vehicle but despite exhaustive efforts as yet nothing! How can I pay my account on a weekly basis if they seem to point blank refuse to accept I exist but are still willing to cash the cheques I send. I consider British gas customer relations to be very very poor
Posted by Robert J. Hanley, 13th May 2007We are with British Gas since about a year and only had trouble. It took them about 6 month to get the name right on the bill and the paying for the bills are even more "fun". Don't trust them at all as i get all the time different information from the customer service team, and will change ASAP.
Posted by N. Tobler, 09th May 2007Scottish Power have not reduced their charges despite massive reductions in energy costs - as Sainsbury's have teamed up with SP it makes you look bad, too. I will be switching if nothing changes right now. And I won't trust any future Sainsbury's promotions either. And I shall tell everyone I know.
Posted by Terry Cow, 23rd April 2007I have never had an electricity bill since august 05, when i switched to british gas, have made numerous calls and sent 10 emails since dec06 and still havent had a bill, british gas customer service is appalling
Posted by Heidi Milburn, 20th April 2007Waiting over a year for copy of electricity bill. Made six phone calls in the last year, each time your people say they are sorting things out. Nothing has happened, we are worried that the large bill will get. We pay by direct debit.
Posted by Mr Mrs T. Hicks, 20th April 2007