Latest Covid-19
Updates and FAQs

What types of jobs can you help with at the moment?

We can help with all types of jobs in England, Scotland and Wales.

Please access your account online or via the British Gas app to book an appointment. If you need an emergency appointment, please call 0333 200 8899.

Our call centres are busier than usual helping customers transfer over from recently failed suppliers. Please help us keep our phone lines free for vulnerable customers and emergencies by doing what you can online.

IMPORTANT: Please let us know if anyone in your household has tested positive for Covid-19, has symptoms of Covid-19 or is self-isolating, so we can take proper safety precautions to protect you and our engineers during their visit.

What if I have an emergency?

Please call 0333 200 8899 if you need an emergency appointment.

IMPORTANT: Please let us know if anyone in your household has tested positive for Covid-19, has symptoms of Covid-19 or is self-isolating, so we can take proper safety precautions to protect you and our engineers during their visit.

What do I need to do to prepare for my appointment?

Keeping you and our engineers safe is our top priority. Please help us to do this by:

• Opening doors and windows open where possible to ensure good ventilation while our engineer is in your home
• Keeping pets out of the room where the engineer is working
• Asking everyone in your home to stay in another room while the engineer is working – they use dangerous tools so keeping your distance will prevent accidents
• Staying at least two metres away from our engineer at all times if it’s not possible to stay in a different room

During the week before your appointment, we’ll be in touch to ask if anyone in your home is:

• Showing Covid-19 symptoms
• Vulnerable
• Self-isolating

Your engineer will also call ahead on the day of your appointment to see if anything has changed.

How will engineers work safely in my home?

Our engineers aren’t wearing face coverings or respirator masks as standard, but they will:

• Wash or sanitise their hands before entering your home – and at regular intervals during the appointment
• Wear face masks if you’d like them to (unless they are medically exempt)
• Wear disposable or protective gloves as appropriate for the job
• Stay at least two metres away from you at all times

If a job requires two engineers, they’ll be together only when they’re both needed. They will wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they are not able to keep two metres apart.  

Are there any extra precautions for vulnerable people?

If anyone in your home is vulnerable, our engineers will wear goggles and a respirator mask. If anyone in the property has tested positive for Covid-19 OR has symptoms of Covid-19, they will also wear a cover-all suit.

What if I have an appointment booked but test positive for Covid-19 or have symptoms?

We want to keep you and our engineers safe. It’s really important that you tell us if you or anyone in your home:

• Tests positive for Covid-19
• Develops symptoms, including a high temperature, new continuous cough or a loss of taste or smell
• Is self-isolating

We can still help with emergencies, but our engineers will need to know beforehand so they can take extra precautions during their visit.

If it’s not an emergency, please cancel or reschedule your appointment for a later date. Just call 0333 200 8899 or simply change your appointment online.

What if I have an appointment booked but I could be at risk of Covid-19?

Keeping everyone safe is our top priority. So if anyone in your home develops symptoms of Covid-19 (high temperature, new continuous cough, loss of taste/smell) OR has been told to self-isolate, it’s really important to tell us before your appointment.

We can still help with emergencies, but please let us know in advance if anyone in your home has Covid-19 symptoms, or is self-isolating, by calling 0333 200 8899 before your appointment. That way, our engineer can take extra precautions during their visit.

Do you have any tips on how to fix heating and hot water issues without calling an engineer?

Yes! We’ve got a lot of articles and videos on how to troubleshoot common heating and hot water issues on our fix it yourself hub.

I’m worried about paying my bills - can you help?

We’re here for you. If you’re struggling, please let us know by calling 0333 200 8899 Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm or start a live chat and we’ll try to find a way to help that works for you.

There are lots of ways we can help keep your home covered - there’s no need to cancel your agreement. For example, customers in financial difficulty have the option of taking a payment holiday of up to three months.

You can also get information about other organisations who can help if you’re struggling to pay.

How do I spot a fake British Gas email?

According to recent research, phishing scams have increased by 600%* since the Covid-19 outbreak. And they often impersonate big businesses, like British Gas, to try and get sensitive information from customers.

We’re currently aware of fake emails being sent to people telling them they have an overdue bill. If you get one of these, please attach the fake email to a new email and send it to phishing@centrica.com or just delete it from your email account.

How to tell if an email is really from us

• Our emails will always address you by name, never ‘Dear customer’
• We’ll never ask you to update or confirm your personal details, or your account number over email
• Look out for odd email addresses. For example, our emails to you will always be sent from an ‘@britishgas.co.uk’ account
• If in doubt, don’t click any links and send the suspicious email to phishing@centrica.com to help us keep everyone safe

Get more helpful tips and advice to protect yourself against phishing scams.

*According to KnowBe4’s Q1 2020 Top-Clicked Phishing Report.

How are you using my data?

If you have an urgent concern about how we’ve used your personal data, please contact our Data Privacy Team.