British Gas is no stranger to criticism. This time last year Money Mail took the energy giant to task after it left customers on hold for hours, cancelled appointments at short notice and sent out inaccurate bills.
But now it seems British Gas has finally turned a corner. Call wait times are down and customer satisfaction is on the up. Review website Trustpilot is awash with five-star ratings of the energy giant, with customers congratulating British Gas on its excellent service and one saying it left them ‘100 per cent satisfied’.
Just last year the firm was cautioned by the energy regulator Ofgem after it found that the supplier had ‘moderate weaknesses’ in its customer service, which it is obligated to improve.
Further reproval followed in November, when the firm was slapped with a punitive £3.37 million fine by the industry watchdog for failing to meet its smart meter installation targets.
In response, British Gas says it has invested £25 million into its customer service operations after it experienced an increase in call volumes due to the energy crisis.
The supplier has also hired an extra 700 call centre staff based in Edinburgh, Leeds, Cardiff, Stockport and Leicester and has provided additional training to its customer service teams.
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Customer service is still not perfect — Trustpilot shows a number of one-star reviews from customers where something has gone wrong.
But it seems to be on the right path. Call wait times have improved by 10 per cent since 2022, with the average time on hold now just four minutes and 42 seconds.
Consumer champion Martyn James says: ‘Any energy company that is willing to invest in customer service in these trying times should be celebrated.’
Shoddy help has improved
Hayley Brackley, 35, was about to leave British Gas but has reconsidered now the energy giant has improved its customer service.
The mother of two, from Thrapston, Northamptonshire, joined British Gas when she moved house at the beginning of the energy crisis.
But when she wanted to question why her direct debit was so high, Hayley says she was unable to speak to a member of staff on the phone or via the supplier’s online chat.
‘Initially I didn’t want to be with British Gas because of its poor customer service,’ says Hayley, a neurodiversity coach and trainer.
‘We found British Gas so awkward to use. I was over £1,000 in credit and couldn’t change my direct debit without ringing the company. I rang five times, but the phone line always had a two-hour wait.’
But the recent investment in British Gas has completely transformed its customer service, Hayley says. ‘The website is so much easier to use and there’s a dashboard that tells me how much I owe, so I no longer need to call customer services,’ she says.
‘When I use the live chat I’m connected to someone immediately, which saves waiting around.’
Hayley was paying £240 a month for her gas and electricity dual fuel tariff but now that her direct debit has been reduced as she has such a large credit balance, she pays £119 a month.
‘I don’t think I’ll bother leaving British Gas now. It’s clear they’ve put the effort in,’ she says.
HomeCare transformed
More than three million policyholders pay for HomeCare insurance with British Gas to cover the cost of boiler repairs and annual services.
Two years ago Money Mail awarded the service our Wooden Spoon Award after scores of readers told us they were left without heating and hot water for weeks.
But recent investment from British Gas has transformed the service, says mother-of-three Caroline Job, from Henley-on-Thames.
The 56-year-old contacted British Gas customer service when she received a letter to say that her annual HomeCare bill will rise this year.
‘I rang a few weeks ago and spoke to a very friendly lady who picked up the phone within a couple of minutes,’ says Caroline, who runs an online food blog.
‘She told me I was paying for unlimited callouts but she suggested I pay an excess of £60 when I need to call out an engineer, which would save me money on my annual bill.’
Initially, Caroline was quoted £405 a year for unlimited callouts but after discussing how many engineer visits she is likely to need each year, she was able to reduce her bill to £248.
The advice saved Caroline £157 a year. ‘I rang again a few days later to confirm the changes and a member of staff picked up the phone within two minutes.
They knew all my details and had a record of our previous conversation,’ she says. ‘It was all done and dusted within a few minutes. It made my day.’
Caroline says when she rang British Gas during the Covid pandemic to arrange for an engineer to fix her leaking radiator she had to wait much longer to speak to a member of staff. ‘In the past its customer service has left a bad taste in my mouth but that is now going,’ she says.
British Gas says that it has extended its customer service opening times to 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturday. It is offering £1,500 to households who are unable to pay their energy bills, even if they are not British Gas customers.
A spokesman says: ‘Customer service is a priority for us and we’re always looking at ways to improve all our channels for our customers and the way they communicate with us.’
What has been your experience of British Gas? Let us know at [email protected]
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