PEOPLE across Worcester have shared their frustration over changes to how they pay gas and electric bills.

Concerns were raised after British Gas ended their contract with PayPoint and signed a new contract with the Post Office and Payzone on January 1. This means those who top up their gas and electric on a key/card may have to change where they go to do this.

Susannah Johns, from Dines Green, said: “I know lots of people are moaning and trying to swap to other electric companies.

“I didn’t even get a letter to say they were stopping it. I used to get mine from the co-op over the road and now I have to walk into St. Johns or town just to get gas.”

A spokesperson from British Gas said: “We are continually reviewing our suppliers to ensure we get the best service and value for our customers and we decided to move this service to Payzone as part of this review.

“Ultimately, we intend that more of our customers will be closer to a top-up point as a result of this change as Payzone has committed to adding new locations where we find a customer need - especially in rural areas.”

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“If a customer finds they are now further away from a top-up point we would ask them to contact us so we can double check this is the case.

“If we do identify a gap in our coverage then we would work with Payzone to add new locations in the area.”

Lewis Alcraft, chief commercial officer at PayPoint, said: “After a successful partnership lasting more than a decade, British Gas took the decision to work with an alternative payment provider from 1 Jan 2020.

“This means that we can no longer offer top-up payment facilities to people who relied on their local PayPoint retailer for access to gas and electricity. Any British Gas customers who want to continue using their local store to make energy payments, can view the list of alternative energy partnerships on the PayPoint website.”