British Gas launches low-income customer payment plan

Utility company, British Gas, is launching a new scheme to help low-income customers pay their bills.

The household bill payment bank will enable 1 million British Gas customers without bank accounts to pay their bills through local pay-points, rather than in cash.

The account, available from April, will be run in partnership with the Bank of Scotland. The company plans to install more than 7,000 pay-points across the UK, at newsagents and post offices.

The account will mainly target gas customers, but electricity and dual-fuel consumers will be allowed to join the scheme.

The bank is not part of Centrica’s Internet and telephone service, a joint venture between Goldfish – the utility giant’s financial off-shoot – and Lloyds TSB.

British Gas Trading managing director Mike Alexander, says: “This account will appeal because it offers the ability to pay all household bills from a single account. Payments can be made locally, without having to go into a bank and it helps people cut their household costs.”

Customers paying their bills through the bank will also receive monthly statements in the post.

British Gas has also launched a Warm-a-Life scheme, which includes free, energy efficiency home improvement work and addresses poor housing, low income and high fuel costs in one package.