Centrica to Cut 1,300 Call Centre Jobs as British Gas Calls Drop 20%
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23
Centrica to Cut 1,300 Call Centre Jobs as British Gas Calls Drop 20%
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23
Summary
Centrica will cut 1,300 call centre jobs over two years, shrinking British Gas customer service teams by 14% across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leicester, Stockport and Leeds.
More than 90% of customers now use digital channels first and call volumes have fallen 20%, which Chief Executive Chris O'Shea said — not AI itself — is driving the reductions.
The plan includes 800 new cuts tied to a targeted rollout of AI tools on top of 500 announced last month, with some roles left vacant after resignations and the rest removed through redundancies.
Retail profit rose to £346 million in the first half from £338 million a year earlier even as British Gas domestic customers slipped to 7.45 million from 7.5 million at the end of 2025.
The job cuts come as Centrica also faces up to £112 million in compensation over force-fitted prepayment meters, a record settlement for a UK energy supplier.