BRITISH Gas owner Centrica lost almost 250,000 customers in the first three months of the year and is set to cut 3,000 jobs from its business this year.
The country's largest gas and electricity supplier said in a first-quarter trading update that it lost 224,000 residential customers, or 1.5 per cent of home supply accounts in the period. It said its overall residential accounts fell to 14.4 million customers.
The group put down the loss to significant number of customers coming off long-term fixed-price contracts, and consumers switching suppliers as smaller rivals put Big Six players under price pressure.
The UK energy industry has a total of 39 suppliers, which includes the Big Six providers - British Gas, SSE, npower, ScottishPower, EDF and E.ON.
However, the major six suppliers still account for 85% of all energy accounts.
Centrica added that in the period it axed 800 jobs, less than a third of the 3,000 roles it intends to cut this year as part of its plans to save of £750 million over five years.
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