British Gas is getting rave reviews for restarting its five-star customer service

British Gas is no stranger to criticism. This time last year, Money Mail took the energy giant to task after putting customers on hold for hours, canceling appointments at short notice and sending inaccurate bills.

But now it seems British Gas has finally turned a corner. Call waiting times have decreased and customer satisfaction has increased. Review website Trustpilot is being flooded with five-star reviews of the energy giant, with customers congratulating British Gas on its excellent service and one saying they are ‘100 per cent satisfied’.

Just last year the company was warned by energy regulator Ofgem after it found the supplier had ‘moderate weaknesses’ in its customer service, which it is required to improve.

Further censure followed in November when the company was fined £3.37 million by the industry watchdog for failing to meet smart meter installation targets.

In response, British Gas says it has invested £25 million in its customer service operations after experiencing an increase in call volume due to the energy crisis.

The supplier has also hired an additional 700 call center staff in Edinburgh, Leeds, Cardiff, Stockport and Leicester and 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 went wrong.

But it seems to be on the right track. Call wait times have improved by 10 percent since 2022, with the average wait time now just four minutes and 42 seconds.

Consumer champion Martyn James says: ‘Any energy company willing to invest in customer service in these difficult times should be celebrated.’

The bad help has improved

Hayley Brackley, 35, was close to leaving British Gas but has reconsidered as the energy giant has improved its customer service.

The mother-of-two, from Thrapston, Northamptonshire, joined British Gas when she moved at the start of the energy crisis.

But when she tried to question why her direct debit was so high, Hayley said she couldn’t speak to a representative on the phone or via the supplier’s online chat.

“Initially I didn’t want to work at British Gas because of the poor customer service,” says Hayley, a neurodiversity coach and trainer.

‘We found British Gas so clumsy to use. I had over £1,000 in credit and couldn’t change my direct debit without calling the company. I called five times, but the phone line always had a two-hour wait time.’

But the recent investment in British Gas has completely transformed customer service, says Hayley. “The website is so much easier to use and there is a dashboard that tells me how much I owe so I no longer have to call customer service,” she says.

‘When I use the live chat, I am immediately connected to someone, which saves waiting.’

Hayley was paying £240 a month for her dual fuel tariff for gas and electricity, but now that her direct debit has been reduced because she has such a large credit balance, she is paying £119 a month.

‘I don’t think I’ll bother leaving British Gas now. It’s clear they put in the effort,” she said.

Home care transformed

More than three million policyholders pay for HomeCare insurance with British Gas to cover the costs of boiler repairs and annual maintenance.

Two years ago, Money Mail awarded the service our Wooden Spoon Award after dozens of readers told us they were left without heating and hot water for weeks.

But recent investments from British Gas have transformed the service, says mother-of-three Caroline Job, from Henley-on-Thames.

The 56-year-old contacted British Gas customer services when she received a letter saying her annual HomeCare bill will increase this year.

“I called a few weeks ago and spoke to a very friendly lady who answered the phone within a few minutes,” says Caroline, who runs an online food blog.

‘She told me I was paying for unlimited calls, but she suggested I pay an extra £60 if I had to call an engineer, which would save me money on my annual bill.’

Caroline was initially quoted £405 per year for unlimited calls, 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. ‘A few days later I called again to confirm the changes and within two minutes an employee answered the phone.

They knew all my details and had a record of our previous conversation,” she says. ‘Within a few minutes it was all done and dusted. It made my day.’

Caroline says when she called 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, customer service left a bad taste in my mouth, but that’s gone now,” she says.

British Gas says it has extended customer service hours from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. It offers £1,500 to households who cannot pay their energy bills, even if they are not British Gas customers.

A spokesperson said: ‘Customer service is a priority for us and we are always looking at ways to improve all our channels for our customers and the way they communicate with us.’

What is your experience with British Gas? Let us know at a.cooke@dailymail.co.uk