British Gas today signed up its first customers to buy electricity at discounts averaging 15 per cent off current prices as it confirmed its readiness to enter the market from 1st April.
Customers living in the Canterbury, Chester, Hull and Norwich postcode areas will be the first people in Britain to choose their electricity supplier.
British Gas will be the only national supplier to offer both gas and electricityas competition extends across Britain. It has made a significant extra investment in technology to meet the regulator’s timetable, ensuring customers have a choice from 1st April. It is also the only company to announce plans tocompete against existing suppliers.
Roy Gardner, Chief Executive of Centrica, which trades as British Gas, said:
"Customers can sign up with confidence that we will be ready to supply them from Day One of competition in their area."
"When you combine our electricity offer with the gas price reductions we are making in January, customers have the chance to benefit from an unbeatable value for money package," he said.
Customers living in the trial areas who have registered their interest in buying electricity from British Gas will be receiving information shortly.
To find out more about buying electricity from British Gas customers can call 0345 400 200 (in England and Wales) or 0345 400 900 (in Scotland).