Use your online account to make a payment. With your online account, you can pay your bill in only a few clicks. It’s even possible to do it through the British Gas app.
How can I pay my gas payment in the United Kingdom?
Call the 24-hour automated payment service on 0333 202 9524 to pay your British Gas energy bill over the phone. All major MasterCards and Visa cards are accepted. The British Gas app, the British Gas website, or your internet banking app are all options for paying your British Gas energy bill online.
Monthly Direct Debit
Paying your gas and electricity bills through Direct Debit is the most efficient way to ensure that you pay them on time.
Payments for gas and electricity are deducted from your account on or around the same date each month, and you must ensure that your payments are sufficient to cover your monthly energy bill. However, because the quantity of gas and electricity you use varies from month to month, especially as the seasons change, it’s doubtful that your monthly payment will exactly cover your monthly energy bill depending on the time of year, you’re more likely to overpay or underpay.
If you overpay on a regular basis, you will accumulate credit on your account, which can lower your monthly Direct Debit energy payments, or you can keep the money in your account to cover months when you consume more energy and your bills rise. You can claim any money owing to you from your supplier if you move suppliers while your account is in credit.
However, if you consistently underpay, you will accumulate a debt on your account, requiring your energy provider to increase your monthly Direct Debit amount to bring you back into the black. If you accumulate a considerable amount of debt, your supplier may prevent you from transferring until you repay any money you owe.
The main advantage of paying by monthly Direct Debit is that it is usually the most cost-effective method of paying for your gas and electricity. As a compensation for the convenience of receiving frequent payments for your energy bills, several energy suppliers offer reductions to customers who pay this way.
Quarterly Direct Debit
This payment method is identical to a monthly Direct Debit, with the exception that payments are made quarterly to cover three months of energy consumption. More infrequent payments require you to set up your Direct Debits for a bigger amount, but the cost is often the same in the long run.
If you pay by quarterly Direct Debit, you might get a discount from your energy provider, but it won’t be as large as the monthly plan. As a result, most consumers will choose the monthly plan over the annual plan whenever possible.
Payment on receipt of bill
This is exactly what it sounds like, and payments are made when your energy bill arrives, which is normally every three months. This will include a precise reflection of how much energy you consumed in the preceding quarter, and payments can be made in the following ways:
If your needs aren’t suited to Direct Debit payments, this is a good choice. The bad news is that energy suppliers don’t offer any discounts to clients who want to pay on receipt of bill, so your rates will be higher than if you paid by Direct Debit.
Prepayment meter
You can also pay with a prepayment meter, which allows you to pay for your energy use in advance with a top-up key or token. Prepayment meters are often the most expensive way to pay for gas and electricity, thus most homeowners attempt to avoid them whenever feasible.
Prepayment meters, on the other hand, are great for landlords who rent out a house or apartment since they ensure that renters never accumulate debt on their accounts. Speak to your landlord if you are a tenant and want to switch from a prepayment meter to Direct Debit. You can learn more about prepayment meters here, including how to switch from a prepayment to a credit meter so you may pay by Direct Debit or when your bill arrives.
Why has my supplier changed?
Energy prices surged in Autumn 2021, as you may have noticed. As a result of being unable to cope with these record-high charges, a number of energy suppliers have ceased operations.
If your energy supplier went out of business, Ofgem may have automatically moved you to us (our energy regulator). As the Supplier of Last Resort, they have requested us to fill in for a number of enterprises that have gone out of business (SoLR).
We’re sorry you’re in this circumstance, but we’ll do everything we can to make the transition as painless as possible. Please visit our energy pricing news page for further information and news updates on the energy market. You may also read Ofgem’s recommendations here.
Will I lose my gas or electricity supply?
No, your energy supply will not be disrupted during the transfer procedure.
Your account reference numbers will change because your provider is no longer in business; they’ll close your old account and we’ll set you up with a new one with British Gas.
What should I do now?
You don’t need to take any action right now; Ofgem recommends that you wait until your new account is set up before doing anything else. We’ll collaborate with your former provider to make the transition as seamless as possible. There are, however, two things you may do to assist:
- Keep a record of your meter readings and send them to your prior provider. This will ensure that your final bill from them is correct, and that your new British Gas account is set up with the most current information. We’ll contact you to get a meter reading as part of the account setup process.
- Make a note of the most recent statement you received from your prior supplier. A screenshot of your account balance will suffice if you don’t have a statement.
What happens if I have a smart meter?
If you have a smart meter, it should continue to work in smart mode and be unaffected by the switch to British Gas in most situations. An outdated smart meter, on the other hand, may lose some of its functionality. Don’t worry, your energy supply will not be disturbed, and your meter will continue to function normally. It simply means that instead of it automatically sending us your meter readings, you’ll have to provide them to us the old-fashioned way. We’ll work with you to get it back into smart mode as soon as possible.
If you have a Pay As You Go smart meter, you may be set up as a credit customer when you transfer to your British Gas account. If that’s the case, we’ll contact you.
Customers who have Smart Economy 7 meters may have experienced problems with their heating or hot water not working. We’re working to resolve this before your account is created; if this hasn’t been accomplished in a timely manner and you’re still having problems, please contact us. In the meanwhile, your meter will be without smart capabilities, and you may be required to provide us a meter reading.
Why is the credit on my British Gas bill different to the figure due from my previous supplier?
Don’t worry, we’ve applied the entire credit to your account; the discrepancy is that the amount provided by your old supplier included VAT, whilst your British Gas bill displays it without VAT.
Will I stay on the same tariff?
Because you’re leaving your prior provider, you won’t be able to keep the same tariff because it was only available from them.
We appreciate that this is upsetting news, but rest assured that we will do all possible to assist you in finding the greatest deal.
We’re establishing a specialized, competitively priced tariff for you if you pay for your energy by Direct Debit or quarterly bill you can see precise details on your particular provider page above. Rest confident that your tariff complies with the Ofgem energy price cap and is the greatest deal we can make at the moment.
If you pay with a Pay As You Go meter, you’ll be switched to our low-cost Safeguard PAYG plan.
We’ll send you an email with the specifics, and you can check out our Tariff Information Page for all the details on your new tariff, including the standing fee and unit rate. To get the complete facts, simply input your postcode, fuel type, and meter type, then choose from The People’s Tariff, Price Promise Apr 2022, or Safeguard PAYG.
We realize that you want to be in charge of your energy bills, therefore your new tariff has no exit fees, no lock-in period, and you can switch at any moment. However, please be advised that Ofgem recommends that you wait until your new account is set up before closing your old account and returning any outstanding credit to you.
When your account is ready, you can choose from a wide range of tariffs, including our award-winning Green Futures rate.
How do I set up a Direct Debit with British Gas?
You don’t need to do anything right now to set up your Direct Debit; we’re focusing on getting your new British Gas account up and running first. It will take a few weeks for your account to be ready, after which we will contact you to set up your Direct Debit via your online account or over the phone.
If you previously paid by Direct Debit, we’ll transfer your current Direct Debit from your old supplier to us to make the transition even easier. The process can take some time, and after we’ve completed it, we’ll let you know if the transfer was successful and provide you with information about your new monthly payments.
It’s fine if you’ve already cancelled yours or just wish to put one up yourself. It will take about four weeks for your account to be ready to set up – there may be exceptions, but we will do our best to get everything set up as quickly as possible and we will contact you to let you know. Logging into your online account is the simplest way to set up a Direct Debit with us.
Will my bills go up?
We can’t say whether your bills will rise or fall right now, but they will. We’re setting up a new account for you, and we’ll work with your prior supplier whenever feasible to understand your typical energy usage and obtain up-to-date meter readings so that your bills are based on real usage rather than predictions. In most circumstances, if you have a smart meter, this should happen automatically.
It’s worth noting that your former supplier’s bills may have been based on consumption during the summer, when we all use less electricity and gas, whereas your new British Gas account will begin in the autumn, when we all use more energy in our homes, so you should expect your bills to be higher at first. You may rest assured, though, that you’re on a competitive tariff that adheres to the Ofgem Price Cap.
Another reason you might observe a pricing adjustment is if your previous bills with your previous supplier were based on estimated readings and so weren’t as accurate as they could have been. Your invoices will be accurate for your actual energy usage if you submit meter readings.
Why is my new tariff more expensive than at my previous supplier?
The energy market is under pressure due to current global wholesale energy costs. Gas and power prices have reached new highs all around the world. Some smaller suppliers have gone out of business because they can no longer afford to buy electricity at the higher prices. As a result, they are unable to meet their obligations to provide electricity to their clients. You won’t have to worry about that with us because we’re a responsible energy provider who charges a reasonable fee. Learn more about our prices and how we work to offer you the best rates possible.
I’ve been sent my contract pack and my Personal Projection looks really high. What can I do?
We set up your account using information about your energy usage provided by your old supplier. Some of these are really wrong, and your account could be one of them. If this is the case, we apologize for sending you an incorrect Personal Projection. We’re working to identify clients who are affected and will contact you; alternatively, you can phone our staff at the following numbers:
We’ll need an accurate meter reading to fix the problem, as it’s most likely related to estimated meter readings on your prior supplier account 1
What is a standing charge?
A standing fee is a set sum that you must pay every day for your electricity or gas. The fee covers the costs we incur in delivering your electricity, as well as maintenance and other expenses such as maintaining your connection to the power grid. Consider it a phone line rental, but for your energy instead of your phone.
How is the Standing Charge applied from when British Gas was appointed to be my energy supplier?
We were appointed as your supplier by Ofgem on a specified day, however it took/will take a few weeks to set up your account, therefore your energy supply start date differs from your appointment date.
Because your standing charge begins when you are appointed as our customer, we shall apply it retroactively from the date Ofgem assigned you to us. If you send after November 10th, this charge will show on your first bill. The charge will appear on your next bill if you have already received a bill. This charge will only appear once in the future.
What happens to the credit I had with my previous supplier?
Domestic consumer credit balances are safeguarded by Ofgem laws, which is good news. Your old supplier’s administrators will close your account with them and inform us of any remaining credit balance, which we’ll be able to apply to your new British Gas customer account. However, it may take a while for your credit to be transferred roughly two to three months in our experience, and possibly longer.
It’s also worth noting that if your prior supplier’s bills were based on projected rather than actual meter readings, your ultimate credit may differ dramatically from your previous bill. Submitting a meter reading to your prior supplier is the best thing you can do to expedite the process.
We can’t do anything about this since we have to wait for your prior supplier’s administrators to finish the procedure. We understand that this isn’t an ideal scenario, and we’ll keep you updated as things progress. Any genuine credit you owe us will be honored, and we’ll contact you once it’s been transferred to your new British Gas account.
If you have money in your account, it will be repaid to you if you have a credit balance. Energy costs for which you have not received a bill will be taken from your account balance.
Visit our customer update page for your supplier for the most up-to-date information it’s all at the top of the page.
What happens if I had outstanding payments or debits with my previous supplier?
We’re working with all parties to figure out how any overdue payments or debits will be handled. Because each company that has gone out of business is handled by a different administrator, the outcome will differ. It may take several weeks to agree on a strategy for your previous supplier’s customers in this case, following which British Gas or the designated administrator will contact you. The best method to stay informed is to visit our supplier update page, which is located at the top of the page.
I left my previous supplier before they went bust, what happens to my outstanding balance with them?
If your former supplier had begun to close your account but you had not to receive your last bill, they will be closing your account as part of their closing activities. Any credit you are owed will be transferred to British Gas, however please be aware that this can take up to 8 weeks. We’ll create a closed account for you and issue the refund after we get your credit. We apologize for the lengthy procedure; however, we have no control over it. You can visit your supplier update page, which we’ll update on a regular basis and will tell you when the credits are expected to arrive.
Can I move to another supplier before the transfer to British Gas?
According to Ofgem, you should complete your transfer to British Gas before considering moving to another provider. It will be considerably easier to refund any outstanding credit you had with your prior supplier as a result of this. The guide from Ofgem can be found here.
You can switch away or choose from any of our market-leading pricing once your new British Gas account is set up. We’re convinced we’ve found the appropriate one for you, and we’ll notify you when your transfer is complete and it’s time to look over our options.
In the interim, we’ll get you up on a fantastic rate – more information may be found on the various provider pages above. Our new tariffs are competitively priced and adhere to the Ofgem energy price cap, so you can be confident. We’ll send you a letter with your unit rate and recurring charge.
We’ll send you an email with the specifics, and you can check out our Tariff Information Page for all the details on your new tariff, including the standing fee and unit rate. To get the complete facts, simply input your postcode, fuel type, and meter type, then choose from The People’s Tariff, Price Promise Apr 2022, or Safeguard PAYG.
Can I leave without paying any exit fees?
We sincerely hope you will choose to continue with British Gas, however if you do decide to leave, you will not be charged any exit fees. Please note that Ofgem recommends waiting until your account is set up before switching, in order to ensure that the process of closing your account with your prior supplier and returning any outstanding balance to you goes as easily as possible.
I started switching to another supplier, then found out my previous supplier had stopped trading. Will my transfer still go ahead?
Yes, your transfer should go smoothly, and you should hear from your new supplier shortly. If not, you can restart your switch after your account is fully set up, and you will not be charged any exit fees.
I’m a dual fuel customer but only received one contract pack, what should I do?
You’ll have dual contracts with British Gas if you have two distinct account numbers with your former supplier. You’ll get two contract packets; if you’ve only gotten one so far, the second is on the way and should arrive soon.
I’m a Direct Debit customer but my contract pack shows that I’ve been set up on “cash/cheque what should I do?
To get you up and going quickly, we’re starting all new British Gas accounts on a cash/cheque basis. We’re working hard to get you back on Direct Debit, but it could take up to six weeks. When it’s finished, we’ll notify you and give you information on your new monthly payments.
Why is there a gap between my previous supplier going out of business and my Supply Start Date on my new British Gas account?
Since the moment we were nominated by Ofgem under their Supplier of Last Resort (SOLR) safety net, we’ve been responsible for your energy supply and transportation charges. However, due to existing capacity restrictions in the UK energy market, processing all information related to a supply transfer can take several weeks. As a result, the Supply Start Day you see is the date on which we were able to finish the data transfers necessary to set up your account. However, you can rest assured that we’ve been your provider since the day we were hired.
