A WAR of words has been sparked by electricity giant NORWEB's bid to sell gas to North West customers.

The company is thinking about its response to a joint statement from Ofgas and OFFER, the gas and electricity regulators, which has asked electricity firms to stop selling themselves as future gas suppliers before the market opens to competition.

The gas and electricity industries are currently undergoing a big shake-up with gas companies being allowed to sell electricity and vice versa.

The gas supply industry is already open to competition in many areas and competition is due to be introduced in the North West at the end of February.

British Gas has accused Norweb of trying to put a stranglehold on the market by signing up customers to buy both electricity and gas.

It claims this is unfair because companies like British Gas cannot yet sell themselves as electricity suppliers.

"This is not in the interests of either consumer choice or fair competition," said a British Gas spokesman.

But a Norweb spokesman said the company had not yet decided on its response to the regulators' statement.

"We are concerned about the confusing effect this will have on our customers, but we have not made a decision yet," said a spokesman.

David Sidebottom, regional manager of the Gas Consumer Council in the North West, recently warned East Lancashire customers not to be forced into changing their suppliers by high pressure door-to-door salesmen.

The Gas Consumers Council has leaflets available giving advice to customers thinking of changing their gas supplier.

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