In addition to the fine, premium rate services regulator ICSTIS have insisted that British Gas refund all customers kept on hold, finding that there was no message at the start of the call to inform customers of the cost. Staff at the call centres also gave incorrect information to customers that enquired.
Furthermore, ICSTIS has criticised Cable and Wireless, the provider of the 75 pence per minute phone line, for failing to make British Gas aware of its responsibilities with regard to the code of practice.
Product strategy manager at uSwitch, Tim Wolfenden, comments on the matter: It is activities such as these which further undermine consumer confidence in British Gas and contribute to its poor customer service rating.
British Gas receives almost three times more complaints per million customer accounts than the other suppliers yet it remains 12 per cent more expensive than the other Big 6 for gas.
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