British Gas

British Gas is one of the largest domestic energy suppliers in Great Britain, selling gas and electricity to households and also selling boiler cover, home services and some insurance. It is a familiar name on the high street and in advertising, and it is also one of the suppliers taking part in Ofgem's lower standing charge tariff trial¹.

Its energy business is regulated by Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, which covers gas and electricity in England, Wales and Scotland². Where it sells regulated financial products, different rules and a different regulator apply, and that distinction matters when something goes wrong.

The name British Gas also appears on the Financial Services Register as a former trading name of Bank of Scotland plc, which is a separate matter from the energy supply business and is explained in the key facts box below⁴.

What British Gas sells

British Gas sells gas and electricity on a range of tariffs, including standard variable deals and fixed deals, and it supplies both direct debit customers and those who pay on receipt of a bill. It is one of the suppliers taking part in the lower standing charge tariff trial, which tests a different balance between the daily standing charge and the unit rate¹.

Beyond supply, it sells boiler cover and home services, and it is one of the suppliers with obligations under the Energy Company Obligation scheme, alongside EDF, E.ON, First Utility and Scottish Power. Under that scheme the larger suppliers are obliged to provide funding so that households who need it can improve the efficiency of their homes, including grants for new boilers and insulation⁷. If you are weighing up whether to take a grant, a boiler cover policy or a repair plan, the insurance guide explains how cover products are structured and what they typically exclude.

It also sells some insurance products that it does not underwrite itself, so the cover is provided by an insurer behind the brand. The policy documents name that insurer, and that is the firm whose complaints process and compensation arrangements apply to the cover.

How its charges work

Energy bills have two parts. The standing charge is a fixed daily amount you pay whatever you use, and the unit rate is what you pay for each kilowatt hour of gas or electricity consumed. Ofgem sets a price cap on the unit rate and standing charge for default tariffs, and a separate cap is set for each of the 14 regions and applies throughout the region⁸.

The cap is not a cap on your bill. It limits what a supplier can charge per unit and per day on a default tariff, so what you actually pay depends on how much you use. Under the July to September 2026 direct debit cap the average annual bill for typical gas and electricity consumption was £1,663, and average standing charges were 29.0p per day for gas⁸. The gas unit price under that cap was 7.3p per kWh, rising to 8.0p per kWh in October 2026, a 9% increase, with the gas standing charge rising by 0.7p per day⁸.

For a fixed tariff, the unit rate and standing charge are set for the length of the deal, so the price does not move with the cap while the fix runs. For a standard variable tariff, the price moves when the cap changes. Which one costs less over a year depends on how prices move and how much energy you use, and neither is automatically cheaper.

Switching to or from British Gas

Switching supplier is free and the rules are set by Ofgem⁹. British Gas is a signatory to the Energy Switch Guarantee, alongside Ecotricity, EDF Energy, E.on Next, Fuse Energy, Octopus Energy, Outfox Energy, Ovo Energy, Scottish Power and So Energy, correct as of May 2026⁵. The guarantee sets out commitments about how a switch is handled, including the timescale.

The process is the same whichever direction you are going:

1. Apply to the new supplier.
2. The new supplier contacts the old one.
3. The switch completes on an agreed date.

Your supply is not interrupted and your meter does not change. If you are on a fixed tariff and leave before it ends, an exit fee can apply, though there are points at which a supplier cannot charge one, for example when a fixed term is ending or when a price rises mid-contract¹⁰.

If you are moving because of cost rather than service, the debt guide sets out the options when bills have built up, and the benefits guide covers the help that is available with energy costs.

If your supplier changes hands

When an energy supplier fails, Ofgem runs a process that moves its customers to a new supplier so that supply continues¹¹. British Gas has taken on customers this way: it acquired Tomato Energy's customers in November 2025¹¹.

If your supplier is taken over, your supply continues and your meter stays where it is. What changes is the account: the tariff you are on, the terms and conditions, and who you contact. If you are moved to a new supplier under this process, you are not usually held to the old supplier's exit fees, and you can switch again once the transfer is complete.

It is worth checking who your supplier actually is if you are unsure, because the name on the bill is not always the name you signed up with¹¹.

Help with bills

The British Gas Energy Trust is an independent charity that supports people to manage their energy bills, and it helps families and individuals across England, Wales and Scotland whichever energy company they are with⁶. You can apply for help even if you are not a British Gas customer⁶.

Its Individual and Families Debt Write Off Fund is available even if you are not a British Gas customer, and its debt relief grants are available to both British Gas customers and customers of other energy suppliers whose own supplier does not offer grants¹³. That last point matters: if your supplier has no trust fund of its own, the British Gas Energy Trust is still open to you.

Back billing rules limit how far back a supplier can charge for energy it failed to bill, though they do not cover every situation¹⁵. A case reported in September 2025 involved a British Gas bill of £8,249.17 covering a nearly two-year period in which the household had not been billed, and the customer received £200 in credit as a goodwill gesture¹⁵.

How to contact British Gas and complain

Contact British Gas first through your account, by phone or in writing, and give it the chance to put things right. Keep a record of dates, what was said and any reference numbers, because a complaint that goes further will be judged on that record.

If you are not satisfied with the response, energy complaints in Great Britain can go to the energy ombudsman service, which is free to use. Complaints about regulated financial products sold under the British Gas name go to the Financial Ombudsman Service instead, and that is also free¹⁶. The consumer protection guide explains how ombudsman schemes work and what they can and cannot order.

If your complaint is about the market rather than your own account, the Competition and Markets Authority takes reports about competition and market problems¹⁷.

How money with British Gas is protected

Energy supply is not a savings product, so there is no deposit protection scheme behind your credit balance in the way there is behind a bank account. What protects you instead is the regulatory framework: Ofgem's rules on supply, the price cap on default tariffs, the back billing rules, and access to the ombudsman².

Where British Gas sells regulated financial products, the protection is different. Insurance sold through a regulated broker is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and the broker must be authorised¹⁶. If you are unsure whether a firm is authorised, the Financial Services Register is the place to check, and the regulation and policy guide explains how the register works.

The name British Gas appears on that register as a former trading name of Bank of Scotland plc, firm reference number 169628, which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority⁴. That entry relates to the banking and credit business, not to energy supply, and it is worth knowing about only so that you can tell the two apart if you are checking a firm.

How it differs across the UK nations

Ofgem regulates gas and electricity in England, Wales and Scotland, so the supply rules, the price cap and the switching process are the same across those three nations². Northern Ireland has a different energy market and a different regulator, so the arrangements there are not the same.

The price cap itself varies within Great Britain: a separate cap is set for each of the 14 regions and applies throughout the region, so the same supplier can charge different unit rates and standing charges depending on where you live⁸. Consumption patterns differ too. Median domestic gas consumption in Scotland is around 6% higher than the median for all domestic consumers in Great Britain, and in 2021 the median for dwellings in Scotland was 7.8% higher than in England and Wales¹⁸. Higher consumption against the same unit rate produces a higher bill.

The British Gas Energy Trust covers England, Wales and Scotland¹². Guidance on gas meters, high bills and meter readings applies to England, Scotland and Wales²⁰. The nations guide sets out where money rules differ across the UK.