ROCKETING complaints from gas users in the North West today brought a blast from East Lancashire MPs who are demanding a better service.

Complaints to the regional office of the Gas Consumers Council almost doubled over the last year, it was revealed today.

On the same day as British Gas chairman Cedric Brown was due to formally retire, the GCC revealed it handled 5,266 complaints during 1995 - a 97 per cent increase over 1994 - in addition to 10,691 general inquiries.

The main reason, says the council, was the reduced standard of customer service offered by the business units such as British Gas Supply, Service, retail and Transco.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw branded the gas company's record as "a very sorry tale."

"A once great publicly-owned and extremely profitable utility which efficiently served the consumers has collapsed through privatisation," he claimed.

He went on to hit out at the £120,000 which Mr Brown will receive next year for his retention as a consultant.

The gas chairman was at the centre of a "fat cat" pay scandal 18 months ago over his 75 per cent pay hike.

"The amount of money being paid to people while services have got worse is obscene," said Mr Straw.

"British Gas used to be a by-word for service, but now the service it offers is appalling.".

Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson agreed: "I think British Gas has provided a very poor service and that as a privatised utility it has not acted in the best interests of the consumer in the North west.

" I hope that with Mr Brown's departure we may see a different corporate attitude towards pleasing the customer."

The catalogue of complaints includes:

British Gas Supply. The GCC handled 2,316 complaints about the handling of accounts - an increase of 141 per cent on 1994.

General billing disputes increased "dramatically", and as more customers elected to settle by monthly payment, complaints relating to payment schemes increased proportionately.

British Gas Retail saw the closure of several showrooms during 1995 and the GCC claims there was "widespread failure to meet appliance delivery dates and resolve subsequent customer complaints.

The watchdog handled an increase of 47 per cent retail complaints in 1995.

British Gas Service underwent major reorganisation with complaints rising by 70 per cent in 1995 due, mainly, says the GCC, to the closure of a number of service centres and the withdrawal of labour from some traditional areas such as gas cooker repairs.

British Gas Transco took over the gas leak emergency service and gas meter repair and exchange work in 1995 and towards the end of the year, says the GCC, it noticed a sharp increase in meter work complaints and an overall 237 per cent rise in complaints. A major cause for concern was increasing complaints about the ineffectiveness of the 24-hour emergency service.

The report concludes: ""We remain impressed with the positive attitude of front line staff in the north west, and continue to liaise effectively with British Gas to aid the resolution of complaints and assist policy decisions."

There was more bad news, this time for Norweb, who were expected to be citicised for price rises of more than 4%.

Electricity regulator, Professor Stephen Littlechild published his annual report on the industry today, praising the benefits to consumers from promoting competition among electricity companies, but singling out Norweb.

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