British Gas, the country’s largest energy supplier, is now offering live, online British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation to its customers.
Teaming up with SignVideo (who are a supporter of this site), British Gas launched the free service this month which will allow sign language users to access the company’s full range of customer services.
The service is accessed via a video web link that connects to a BSL interpreter who connects the call to a British Gas agent, and interprets for the customer throughout the call. The service is accessible on PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Steve Crabb, Director of Consumer Vulnerability at British Gas, said: “This service will make a real difference to our deaf and hearing impaired customers who use sign language. We want our full range of customer services to be as accessible as possible for everyone, and this new service really helps us to achieve this.”
There are currently 150,000 BSL users in the UK, and around 11 million people living with deafness and hearing loss.
Jeff McWhinney, Founder and Chairman at SignVideo says “It’s fantastic to see a leading utility company like British Gas striving to provide equal access to their customer services for deaf BSL users. As a deaf BSL user myself, I know that the BSL community will be thrilled that they can now talk to British Gas in our own language, BSL, and I truly hope other energy providers will follow their great example and open up their services to their deaf BSL customers.”
Customers can access the service at https://www.britishgas.co.uk/accessibility.html
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Pauline
March 31, 2017
It is great that British Gas are leading the way forward in providing this service for its’ existing customers. What concerns me is that many Deaf will want to switch because of this. This is not necessarily good. BG are not the cheapest or most reliable by far. Also by swapping there will probably be an ‘exit fee’ and you will also be tied in to the new contract for a while. Much as the BSL service is needed and should be a right; please be careful and do your research regarding tariffs: customer service/satisfaction and exit fees. I would hate to see people have a bad experience or money difficulties in their eagerness to have BSL advice. Martin Lewis’s MoneySavingExpert forums would be a good place to start. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13 You may need to go back through the pages.
Let us hope that other companies will follow suit.
Cathy
March 31, 2017
I agree entirely with Pauline. She has hit the nail on the head! British Gad are not a good company and many Deaf people may not realise this in an eager “rush for access!”
Martin Lewis is brilliant! But I don’t know how many Deaf people bother to watch him when most are busy on Facebook!!
I for one, will not be swopping to British Gas nor any of the other BIG SIX! They are a law unto themselves and that is not good for the Deaf Community!