British Gas

British Gas Trading Limited
legal form	Limited Company
founding	1997
Seat	Staines-upon-Thames , United Kingdom
management	Mark Hodges (Managing Director)
Number of employees	28,000
Branch	Energy services
Website	www.britishgas.co.uk

Company car

British Gas is an energy and services company based in the UK . It is the trading name of British Gas Services Limited and British Gas New Heating Limited, both subsidiaries of Centrica . British Gas is the UK's largest utility and is one of the Big Six that dominate the UK gas and electricity market.

The British Gas brand is a product of the split of the British Gas Corporation in 1997, which was broken up into what is now Centrica, BG Group and Transco . The British Gas Corporation was the result of the reorganization of the British gas industry under the Gas Act 1972. This act merged all of the divisions to form the British Gas Corporation.

The British Gas Corporation was privatized by the Thatcher II cabinet as British Gas plc and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange on December 8, 1986 .

history

1812-1948

The Gas Light and Coke Company was the world's first public utility company . It was founded by Frederick Albert Winsor and registered by Royal Charter on April 30, 1812 under the seal of King George III . For the next 136 years, the company expanded into public services while acquiring several smaller firms. On May 1, 1949, following the passage of the Gas Act 1948, the GLCC became the main body of the new North Thames Gas Board, one of the twelve regional public utilities in Great Britain.

1948-73

In the early 1900s, the UK gas market was mainly served by county councils and small private companies. The gas used in the 19th and early 20th centuries was town gas , which was replaced by natural gas between 1967 and 1977 .

In 1948 the Attlee cabinet reshaped the gas industry and published the "Gas Act 1948". The act (effective April 1, 1949) nationalized the UK gas industry and transformed 1,062 privately owned and municipal gas companies into twelve public utilities, each with a separate body and governance structure. The twelve gas suppliers were: East, East Midlands, North, North East, North Thames, North West, Scottish, South, South East, South West, Wales and West Midlands. Each company was divided into geographical groups or divisions, which were often further broken down into smaller districts. In addition, the law prescribed the establishment of the Gas Council . The Council constitution was drafted so that control was effectively with the public companies. The council consisted of a chairman and a vice-chairman, both appointed by the minister, with one seat for each utility company. The council served as a communication channel with the minister, negotiating collective bargaining, coordinating research and acting as spokesman for the gas industry in general.

The Gas Act 1965 shifted the balance of power to the middle: it put the Gas Council on the same level as utilities, with the power to borrow up to £ 900 million to produce or purchase gas and move it anywhere to deliver. In May 1968 the Gas Council moved to new and larger offices at 59 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch , London.

1973-86

In the early 1970s, the British gas industry was restructured again under the Gas Act 1972. The act merged all 12 public utilities and created the British Gas Corporation.

The company was responsible for the development and maintenance of the gas supply in Great Britain from the start. As with the utilities before, the management of the company was appointed and supervised by the Minister of Trade and Industry until 1974, when these powers were added to the newly created position of Minister of Energy.

1986-97

The Conservative government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , introduced the Gas Act 1986, which privatized the company. On December 8, 1986, the shares were first listed on the London Stock Exchange as "British Gas plc". In the hope of encouraging individuals to become shareholders, the offer was promoted with the “If you see Sid… Tell him!” Campaign. The initial price of £ 135 per share resulted in an estimated enterprise value of £ 9 billion, the highest equity offering at the time.

Since 1997

In 1997, 11 years after privatization, British Gas was broken up as a completely separate BG Group and Centrica. Centrica took over the gas sales and trading business. It also took over the North Morecambe and South Marcambe gas fields and all production facilities. Centrica also owns the right to use the British Gas brand within the UK.

British Gas is led by Managing Director Mark Hodges. The company provides energy and services to 11 million households and employs over 28,000 people in the UK. In April 2016, it was announced that 224,000 private customers had left the company, terminated their contracts at the end of their fixed term and switched to other suppliers, which was considered to be the main reason for this loss.

Advertising, sports promotion and marketing

British Gas is active in the promotion of sports, including a 6-year contract with the UK swimming team that began in March 2009 and was expected to receive £ 15million. From 2006 to 2009, British Gas sponsored the Southern Football League .

Distribution network operator

British Gas is a home utility company across the country. The pipe infrastructure that delivers the gas to the consumers is owned by other companies, which also maintain and repair it. However, they do not manage the network of towers and cables that distribute the electricity - these are maintained by distribution network operators that differ from region to region .

Web links

British Gas website

Individual evidence

↑ See all our locations in the UK and Republic of Ireland . Centrica. June 29, 2015 .: "3. British Gas Head office, The Causeway, Staines "
^ British Gas Legal Information . Retrieved March 2, 2012.
↑ Millions face rise in energy bills . October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
^ Gas, Light and Coke Company . In: Archives in the M25 area . AIM25.
^ Trevor I. Williams: A History of the British Gas Industry . Oxford University press, 1981, pp. 116-7.
^ Trevor I. Williams: A History of the British Gas Industry . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1981, p. 232.
↑ Gas Act 1972. legislation.gov.uk, accessed May 11, 2017 .
^ Gas Act 1972 . July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
↑ 30 SECOND GUIDE: Tell Sid . July 17, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
↑ British Gas | Biographies .
↑ British Gas loose 224,000 customers, owner Centrica says .
↑ Archived copy . Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved on April 1, 2012.
↑ Archived copy . Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
^ The GB electricity distribution network . Retrieved July 14, 2014.

[1] See all our locations in the UK and Republic of Ireland . Centrica. June 29, 2015 .: "3. British Gas Head office, The Causeway, Staines "

[2] British Gas Legal Information . Retrieved March 2, 2012.

[ukpower-3] Millions face rise in energy bills . October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.

[AIM25-4] Gas, Light and Coke Company . In: Archives in the M25 area . AIM25.

[5] Trevor I. Williams: A History of the British Gas Industry . Oxford University press, 1981, pp. 116-7.

[6] Trevor I. Williams: A History of the British Gas Industry . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1981, p. 232.

[7] Gas Act 1972. legislation.gov.uk, accessed May 11, 2017 .

[Gas_Act_1972-8] Gas Act 1972 . July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012.

[British_Gas_privatization-9] 30 SECOND GUIDE: Tell Sid . July 17, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.

[10] British Gas | Biographies .

[11] British Gas loose 224,000 customers, owner Centrica says .

[12] Archived copy . Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved on April 1, 2012.

[13] Archived copy . Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2012.

[14] The GB electricity distribution network . Retrieved July 14, 2014.