According to a gas giant, people actually favor communicating with AI over speaking to a support representative as the company reduces its workforce.

      British Gas to Reduce 1,300 Support Roles as CEO Cites Shifting Customer Preferences

      Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, is eliminating 1,300 call center positions, with the CEO attributing this primarily to evolving customer habits. The organization intends to cut 800 jobs as part of a “focused implementation of AI tools,” in addition to the 500 layoffs announced last month. Customer support teams in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leicester, Stockport, and Leeds will be impacted over the next two years.

      Some roles will end as workers depart without being replaced, while additional job losses will occur through redundancies. Trade unions have cautioned that Centrica’s investment in AI could lead to hundreds of jobs being taken over by chatbots.

      Centrica’s CEO Chris O’Shea states that AI is not the direct cause of the job losses. He points out that more than 90% of British Gas customers now prefer digital channels initially, whereas phone calls to the company have decreased by 20% (according to The Guardian). However, the preference for using an app or website first doesn’t necessarily mean customers favor interacting with a chatbot.

      Do customers really prefer AI assistance?

      Recent surveys indicate that many people still prefer speaking with a live support agent. A SurveyMonkey report from February 2026 revealed that 79% of Americans strongly favored dealing with a person, while just 8% preferred AI. Additionally, approximately 81% believed that companies were implementing AI primarily to cut costs rather than enhance customer service.

      A Pegasystems survey conducted by YouGov of over 4,700 consumers in North America and the UK showed that 66% preferred human-led support. About 46% stated that AI seldom or never resolved their issues, and only 2% wished to communicate exclusively with chatbots.

      Neither of these surveys specifically targets British Gas customers, but they imply that Centrica might be mistaking a preference for digital tools as a preference for AI.

      When does AI customer service perform better?

      AI tends to excel with straightforward queries when customers seek quick answers. A study published last year referenced an Intercom survey indicating that 61% of consumers preferred AI for rapid responses to routine inquiries.

      Companies also have strong financial incentives to adopt this technology. An industry report from 2026 estimated that AI can reduce the average cost of a customer interaction from $4.60 to $1.45. AI agents can resolve between 76% and 92% of basic e-commerce requests.

      British Gas customers may be satisfied with online bill checks or appointment changes, but complex billing disputes represent a different scenario, with evidence suggesting that most individuals still prefer human assistance when confronted with intricate issues.