The British Gas Company is a recognisable symbol of British life.  With a long and extended history, it has gone through a number of different identities before becoming what we recognised today.  Below is information regarding the emergence of the first utility company history and facts.

The Emergence of the British Gas Company

In 1972, the Gas Act merged area boards in the industry to create a single body called the British Gas Company.  This would exist for 14 years until Margaret Thatcher privatised the industry in 1986.  This led to a system with competing energy suppliers, as well as the 1997 demerger into separated parts called Centrica, BG Group, and National Grid.  Now British Gas is used with its brand, but is technically a subsidiary of Centrica.

Some Facts Regarding the British Gas Company

*Of all the providers of energy to homes in Great Britain, British Gas is by far the largest UK supplier.  In addition, it is the largest home service company in the country.

*Despite its size, the British Gas Company has maintained an excellent reputation as being a great place to work in.  This was more recently recognised by the Sunday Times, which rated British Gas Company as one of the best 25 Big Companies to work for.  This award was for the past 4 years.

*The brand of British Gas Company is well known through the Britain, and has stood as a sign of British Life for decades.  It is also considered one of Britain’s most admired companies due to its success as the leading provider of energy and home services for the country.

*Where as most people are familiar with the British Gas Company, fewer people are familiar with Centricia.  Centricia owns British Gas.  In addition, Centricia also owns Scottish Gas as well.

Acclaim and Judgment

British Gas is as acclaimed as it is judged.  While it is widely considered an excellent place to work now, British Gas has had a long history of being a terrible place for those working to create the gas for their country.  Terrible conditions, especially before the move to natural gas, saw many workers dying young due to respiratory and general health disorders that developed out of the terrible conditions.

While the company is doing well today, there is no short supply of critiques and horror stories that emerge from British residents regarding their service with the company.  While these judgments are few and far between, they work to remind us that no company is perfect.  Rather, by understanding their history, as well as the history of British gas, we can better frame the current performance and understand their operations