British Gas has pulled the plug on its offshoot digital-only challenger brand Evolve just a year after launch, making it the latest energy supplier to disappear.
It was created by the Big Six supplier in October 2020 as a low cost, digital and ‘hassle free’ alternative.
British Gas Evolve was run from a separate business unit within parent firm Centrica and supplied 250,000 customers.
This includes around 50,000 people who were transferred to the brand from Simplicity Energy after it went bust in January, who are now face their third change in a year.
British Gas Evolve is the latest supplier to cease trading with its customers going to British Gas
Evolve initially provided customers with 100 per cent renewable electricity, unlike British Gas, which offers both renewable and energy from other sources.
When it launched, it said its ambition was to be the largest energy supplier in Britain for residential and small businesses but added it would not be competing with its core British Gas brand.
A sign on British Gas Evolve’s website says the firm has changed its name to British Gas as of 26 November.
It said: ‘We’ve listened to our customers feedback and know that British Gas is a name they know and trust – and we know how important that is at a time when there’s so much uncertainty in the energy market.’
It added that existing customers don’t need to do anything as their energy supply won’t be affected and the tariff, payment and log in details will stay exactly the same.
A British Gas spokesperson adds: ‘Our customers have told us they connect more with the British Gas brand.
‘Now more than ever they want to know that their energy company is responsible and sustainable.
‘This reflects that they value the strength and stability of our business and our 200-year history of putting customers at heart what we do.’
However, it is likely recent movements in the energy crisis have led to the scrapping of Evolve with British Gas now not having to fight against a wave of challengers who offered cheaper alternatives to the biggest name in the energy market – including Bulb, which was put into special administration last week.
Rising wholesale prices have led to a large number of suppliers exiting the market with bills rising for new fixed deal customers.
British Gas has taken on nearly half a million customers after becoming Supplier of Last Resort
Orbit Energy and Entice Energy are the latest to fold last week.
Despite this, British Gas has taken on many new customers in recent times, one of the only brands to do so, after being assigned as a Supplier of Last Resort for multiple collapsed firms by Ofgem.
It has taken on 350,000 from People’s Energy Company, 9,000 from MoneyPlus, 85,000 from PFP Energy, 14,800 from Zebra Energy and 5,900 from BlueGreen Energy – nearly half a million new households.
