British Gas

What British Gas does

British Gas is a UK energy and home services provider, legally British Gas Trading Limited, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of London-listed Centrica. Founded in 1812, the company supplies gas and electricity to approximately 9 million UK households through standard variable and fixed tariffs, with pricing anchored to Ofgem's price cap. Beyond commodity supply, British Gas operates a nationwide field engineer network delivering boiler installation, repair, and maintenance (handling over 1.2 million boiler repairs in the last winter season), landlord compliance services (Gas Safety Certificates, EICRs), and a growing portfolio of decarbonisation products including heat pumps, solar panels and batteries, home insulation, and air conditioning.

The company's technology stack centres on smart meter infrastructure and the Hive connected home platform, which integrates smart thermostats, EV chargers, plugs, lights, and sensors. Hive Power+ links EV charging to off-peak time-of-use tariffs, and partnerships with Toyota Motor Europe, Zaptec, and Samsung extend demand-side response and appliance-level energy management. British Gas earns revenue through subscription-style recurring energy supply tariffs, one-time hardware and installation fees (e.g., boilers, heat pumps, EV chargers), and recurring service contracts for boiler cover and landlord compliance. Distribution operates through direct online and phone channels, comparison sites, a recently resumed door-to-door sales force, and field engineers covering the UK. Centrica has committed multi-billion-pound capital to regulated infrastructure (Sizewell C nuclear stake, Grain LNG acquisition), positioning British Gas within a vertically integrated energy platform.

Name

British Gas

Legal name

British Gas Trading Limited

Website

https://britishgas.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1812

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

British Gas supplies gas, electricity, and home services (boilers, Hive smart home, EV charging, heat pumps, solar) to approximately 9 million UK residential customers, operating as a subsidiary of Centrica.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Energy Supply

NAICS

Natural Gas Distribution (22121), Natural Gas Distribution (2212), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (22133)

SIC

Natural Gas Distribution (4924), Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Gas Mains (Distribution Pipelines) (EUAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gas Meter Set, Relocation & Regulator Service Coordination (HSAOAKAG), Parts Supply, Refurbishment & Lifecycle Management for Meters/Regulators (EUAJAKAL)

Keywords

• Residential energy supply
• Gas and electricity
• Boiler installation services
• Home energy efficiency
• Smart home solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential Energy Supply: Supply of gas and electricity to household customers, the core revenue stream generating approximately £163-309 million in operating profits annually
2. Boiler Installation and Services: Installation, repair, and maintenance of boilers and heating systems, with summer sale promotions offering up to £300 off new boilers
3. Home Energy Efficiency Products: Heat pumps, solar panels, batteries, smart heating systems, EV chargers, insulation, and air conditioning sales and installation
4. Smart Home Services: Hive smart home devices and subscription services including smart heating and connected device management
5. Landlord Property Services: Gas Safety Certificates, EICRs, boiler cover and compliance services for property landlords

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

British Gas supplies gas and electricity to approximately 9 million UK residential customers via standard variable and fixed tariffs (including the Fix & Fall tariff), and sells and installs home energy equipment such as boilers, smart meters, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries, insulation, air conditioning, and EV chargers. The company also operates the Hive smart home platform and provides landlord compliance services (Gas Safety Certificates, EICRs, boiler cover).

Product overview

British Gas operates as a vertically integrated energy company offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of energy supply (gas and electricity through standard variable and Fix & Fall fixed tariffs), supported by a portfolio of home services including boiler installation, smart meters, heat pumps, solar panels, insulation, and air conditioning. Smart home functionality is delivered through the Hive sub-brand, which provides connected thermostats, EV chargers, and home automation. The EV charging ecosystem combines British Gas tariffs with Hive Power+ and partnerships (Toyota, Zaptec) for smart charging. Landlord services add compliance tools including Gas Safety Certificates and EICRs. The company serves approximately 9 million customers with 7-day support and engineer networks nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hive: Smart home technology brand offering connected thermostats, lights, plugs, sensors, and EV chargers

Products and services

• Fix & Fall Tariff Fixed-rate residential energy tariff that locks gas and electricity prices for two years and automatically lowers the rate if the Ofgem price cap drops, providing price protection for UK households.
• Standard Energy Supply (Gas and Electricity) Traditional residential gas and electricity supply with variable pricing subject to Ofgem price caps, available to UK households as the core supply offering.
• Boiler Installation and Services New boiler installation, repair, and maintenance service for UK households, including a Summer Sale discount of up to £300 and Which? Trusted Trader certified installations.
• Smart Meters Smart meter installation and management for UK households, enabling real-time energy monitoring, automatic meter readings, and access to smarter tariffs.
• Heat Pumps Air source heat pump installation service for home heating, supporting the transition to lower-carbon heating solutions and potentially reducing energy bills.
• Solar Panels and Batteries Solar panel and home battery storage systems for residential customers, enabling on-site renewable generation and energy storage for greater energy independence.
• Hive Smart Heating Hive smart thermostat and heating control system, including sensors, plugs, and lights, enabling remote temperature management, scheduling, and energy efficiency optimisation via the Hive app.
• EV Charging (EV Tariff and Hive Power+ Charger) Electric vehicle home charging tariff and Hive-branded home EV charger installation, offering off-peak charging rates as low as 6.75p/kWh and integration with Hive Power+ smart charging automation.
• Home Health Check Comprehensive home energy assessment service evaluating heating efficiency, insulation, and energy usage to identify savings opportunities for UK households.
• Home Insulation Home insulation installation service covering loft, cavity, and other insulation types to improve home energy efficiency and reduce heating costs.
• Landlord Services Compliance and protection service for UK landlords covering Gas Safety Certificates, Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), and boiler cover to support rental property compliance.
• Air Conditioning Residential air conditioning installation service launched by British Gas to help UK households maintain cool indoor temperatures during heatwaves.
• PeakSave Half-Price Electricity Half-price electricity offer during selected off-peak hours extended through summer, enabling customers to shift usage to renewable-energy-aligned periods and save on electricity costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% savings on EV home charging electricity through Power+
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SamsungminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 December 2025Samsung partnered with British Gas to offer special energy tariffs for owners of eligible Samsung appliances, providing 50% weekend discounts on electricity. Requires smart meter, Samsung Account, and eligible products.
• Toyota Motor EuropecoreTechnology or Integration · 28 November 2025Partnership to launch Demand Side Response (DSR) solutions from 2026, offering customers smart EV charging that prioritises cheaper off-peak periods and aligns with renewable energy availability. Plans to extend to Vehicle-to-Grid technology.
• Hive InstallersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 October 2025Hive Installer Club rewards programme for professional installers of smart energy technology. Members earn points for installing Hive thermostats or referring customers to British Gas energy tariffs.
• National GascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Completed first 'real life' hydrogen blending trial in UK at Centrica's Brigg Power Station, marking significant step in integrating hydrogen into UK energy infrastructure.
• Barratt RedrowminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Partnership providing homes with integrated energy solutions as part of new housing developments.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Octopus Energy: UK-based energy supplier and renewable energy retailer serving millions of UK households with innovative time-of-use tariffs, smart home integration, and EV charging. Octopus is British Gas's most aggressive direct challenger in UK residential energy supply, competing on digital UX, tariff innovation, and the Kraken platform.
• EDF Energy: One of the Big Six UK energy suppliers, supplying gas and electricity to UK residential and business customers. EDF is a direct UK energy retail peer to British Gas, with overlapping customer base and similar tariff structures, owned by the French state utility EDF Group.
• Scottish Power: UK subsidiary of Iberdrola, one of the Big Six energy suppliers offering gas, electricity, and increasingly EV charging and renewable energy products to UK households. Direct competitor to British Gas across the UK residential energy market.
• E.ON UK: UK arm of German utility E.ON, supplying gas and electricity to UK residential customers after absorbing npower. E.ON is a direct Big Six peer offering comparable tariffs, smart metering, and home energy services to British Gas.
• SSE Energy Services: One of the Big Six UK energy suppliers with significant residential customer base, dual-fuel tariffs, and growing home services and EV charging offerings. SSE competes directly with British Gas in UK household energy supply, with overlap in green energy and smart home products.
• OVO Energy: UK-based challenger energy supplier serving millions of households with competitive tariffs, EV charging integration, and a focus on renewable energy. OVO is a key direct competitor challenging British Gas's market share with digital-native operations.

Broad incumbents

• Shell Energy UK: UK retail energy arm of global energy major Shell, supplying gas, electricity, and broadband to UK households. Backed by a large diversified energy group, Shell Energy is a broader incumbent peer to British Gas in UK residential supply.
• National Grid: UK-based electricity and gas transmission system operator, owning the high-pressure gas transmission network that supplies the UK distribution networks. While not a direct retail competitor, National Grid is a critical infrastructure peer and partner for British Gas's gas supply operations.

Emerging players

• Utilita: UK challenger energy supplier specializing in prepayment meters and serving budget-conscious households. Utilita competes with British Gas in the value segment, particularly among prepayment meter customers, a customer base that has been central to British Gas's reputational challenges.
• Google Nest: Smart home brand offering connected thermostats and energy management products that compete directly with British Gas's Hive ecosystem. Google Nest is a smart home platform peer, particularly relevant for British Gas's energy efficiency and home automation value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/britishgas
• Facebookfacebook.com/britishgas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/british-gas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about British Gas