British gas serves around 12 million UK households with gas and electricity, making it the nation's biggest energy supplier. And it uses this big brand appeal to tempt customers, along with its Homecare insurance scheme, boiler cover, and smart home tech like Hive.
Its British Gas rewards also offer added extras, such as free movies on Sky, days out at UK attractions, O2 show tickets, and discounts on restaurant meals and days out. It's not often that energy suppliers reward loyalty in any way, so this is a decent perk.
Its rates are rarely among the most competitive, but it seems many customers are happy with the trade-off of being with a trusted brand, rather than a new supplier they've never heard of. A Which? survey found that almost half (44%) of its customers have not switched to a new supplier in at least five years, while 18% said they had been with it for more than 20 years.
Below are the contact details for British Gas should you need to contact them for general billing enquiries or complaints.
Phone: 0333 202 9816
Post: Complaints Management Team, PO Box 226, Rotherham, S98 1PB
Website: Contact Page
British Gas is proud of its community work, as well as its efforts to help customers most in need of support. The British Gas Energy Trust was set up in 2004 as an independent charity to provide households with grants and debt advice if they're struggling to pay their energy bills. This scheme is also open to non-British Gas customers.
It's also involved in a number of community-based schemes to help people understand how to be more energy-efficient and use less energy.
British Gas is not only the UK's biggest energy supplier, but it's also the oldest - it was founded as The Gas Light and Coke Company back in 1812, which was the world's first public utility company.
Despite that rich history, British Gas didn't become a private company until the energy market was deregulated in the 1990s. It is now owned by Centrica, a British multinational energy and services company that provides energy to homes and businesses across the UK and Ireland, as well as energy solutions to businesses worldwide.
British Gas has been a trusted energy supplier to UK households and businesses for decades. With around 12 million domestic customers on its books, you can be sure that it will be able to handle both your gas and electricity supply.
But, as with many of the more established energy suppliers, British Gas often falls short when it comes to customer service, and its rates are rarely as competitive as some of the smaller suppliers.
If you want a big name brand, with all the assurances that brings (it's unlikely that such an established energy supplier will go bust, as many smaller suppliers have over the last few years) then British Gas is definitely worth considering.
British Gas also offers a range of energy tariffs that come with boiler protection and servicing included, so you're covered if your boiler ever breaks down. An add-on worth considering, especially if your boiler isn't brand new.
As ever though, it pays to shop around, so make sure you run a comprehensive energy price comparison to see what's on offer from a range of suppliers before you switch.
Any electricity we use is generated from a combination of different fuels such as nuclear, coal and renewable sources (wind, water and the sun). The different amounts of each fuel contributed makes up a supplier's fuel mix.
Here is the British Gas energy fuel mix as of April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020:
| Electricity supplied by British Gas % of total | Average for GB (for comparison) % of total | |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 4.0% | 3.9% |
| Natural Gas | 39.0% | 39.4% |
| Nuclear | 17.0% | 16.6% |
| Renewable | 38.0% | 37.9% |
| Other | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
Switching energy suppliers couldn't be simpler than it is with The Energy Shop. To start a price comparison, simply put your postcode in the box at the top of the page. We'll then ask you a few more questions about your current energy deal and usage, before presenting you with a breakdown of the best energy deals available in your area.
Remember, we compare a range of suppliers so you can be sure you're getting the very best rates available.
To help us run the most accurate quotes possible, it helps if you can have a copy of your latest bill to hand and give us the exact amount of energy you use each month or year, or the amount you spend on gas and electricity.
When you have the list of options available to you, just pick the one you like best, and we'll take care of the rest of the switch - you'll be with your new supplier within 21 days, and there'll be no disruption to your supply.
The Energy Shop is a free, independent and impartial energy price comparison service. We can help you compare and switch energy suppliers to help you save money. Our service is accredited by the Ofgem Confidence Code.
