British Gas Is Cutting 1,300 Jobs as It Invests in AI. Is It Time Your Business Did the Same?

27 July 2026

British Gas owner Centrica has just announced plans to reduce its workforce by around 1,300 roles as part of a wider technology-led transformation.

When a company the size of British Gas announces job reductions while increasing its investment in digital customer service and artificial intelligence, people understandably ask the same question:

Is AI replacing people?

The answer is more nuanced than some of the headlines suggest.

Centrica says that changing customer behaviour is a major part of the decision. More customers are choosing digital channels first, which has resulted in fewer people calling its customer service teams.

At the same time, the company is investing in artificial intelligence, automation and digital tools designed to handle more customer enquiries without relying entirely on traditional call centres.

Whether AI is the direct cause of the job reductions or simply part of a much wider transformation, one thing is becoming increasingly clear:

The way businesses communicate with customers is changing permanently.

The important question for small business owners is not whether they operate on the same scale as British Gas.

It is whether they can now benefit from similar AI technology.

The answer is yes.

What Does the British Gas Announcement Mean for Small Businesses?

For many years, sophisticated automated customer service systems were only available to large corporations.

Building an intelligent telephone system, connecting it to a CRM and automating the customer journey required specialist developers and substantial budgets.

That is no longer the case.

Platforms such as HighLevel have made AI-powered customer service available to businesses of almost any size.

Through MarketerM8, we can now provide small businesses with many of the same capabilities that major organisations are investing millions of pounds to develop.

An accountant, estate agent, renewable energy installer, dentist, solicitor, marketing agency or local trades business can now use AI to answer telephone calls, qualify enquiries, book appointments and trigger follow-up automation.

Meet Your New AI Employee

At MarketerM8, we build AI Employees using HighLevel.

Think of an AI Employee as a receptionist, customer service assistant and sales administrator working together inside one connected system.

Unlike a traditional voicemail service, an AI Employee can have a genuine two-way conversation with a caller.

It can:

• Answer your telephone 24 hours a day.
• Answer common customer questions.
• Qualify new enquiries.
• Collect names, email addresses and telephone numbers.
• Book appointments directly into your calendar.
• Create and update contact records automatically.
• Create opportunities inside your sales pipeline.
• Send confirmation emails and text messages.
• Continue conversations by SMS or WhatsApp.
• Transfer urgent calls to a member of your team.
• Trigger follow-up workflows automatically.

This is far more than a simple telephone answering service.

It becomes part of the way your business handles enquiries, follows up prospects and manages customer relationships.

AI Is Not Necessarily About Replacing Staff

The discussion around artificial intelligence often focuses on job losses.

For most small businesses, however, the more immediate opportunity is not replacing good members of staff.

It is removing repetitive work and preventing valuable enquiries from being missed.

Imagine how much time your team spends answering questions such as:

• What time do you open?
• Do you cover my area?
• Can I book an appointment?
• How much does the service cost?
• Can somebody call me back?
• Do you have any availability this week?

These are exactly the types of conversations an AI receptionist can handle.

Your team can then concentrate on the conversations that require experience, judgement and a human relationship.

These might include:

• Closing important sales.
• Advising customers.
• Resolving complicated problems.
• Delivering the actual service.
• Building long-term client relationships.

For many businesses, AI does not replace staff.

It helps existing staff become more productive.

Never Miss Another Valuable Enquiry

One missed telephone call could be worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

This is particularly important for businesses such as:

• Renewable energy installers.
• Emergency trades.
• Dentists and healthcare providers.
• Estate agents.
• Solicitors.
• Accountants.
• Marketing agencies.
• Home improvement companies.

Unfortunately, many small businesses still rely on voicemail, an answerphone or ‘hopefully’ somebody remembering to call the prospect back later.

By the time the call is returned, the prospect may already have spoken to a competitor.

An AI Employee answers immediately.

It can respond during lunchtime, in the evening, at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Every caller receives an immediate response, even when your office is closed or your team is busy.

For many businesses, capturing just one extra customer each month could more than cover the cost of the technology.

The AI Receptionist Is Only the Beginning

Many standalone AI telephone systems stop once the call has finished.

HighLevel goes much further because the AI receptionist is connected to your CRM, calendars, sales pipelines, email marketing, SMS, WhatsApp and automated workflows.

A typical customer journey could look like this:

A prospect calls your business.

↓

The AI receptionist answers immediately.

↓

It asks questions and qualifies the enquiry.

↓

It books an appointment into your calendar.

↓

HighLevel creates or updates the contact record.

↓

An opportunity is created in your sales pipeline.

↓

The prospect receives an email and text confirmation.

↓

Your team is notified.

↓

Appointment reminders are sent automatically.

↓

If the prospect does not proceed, an automated follow-up campaign continues the conversation.

 

This is why I often describe HighLevel as an AI Operating System for small businesses, rather than simply another CRM.

The telephone call, contact record, calendar, pipeline and follow-up marketing all work together.

AI Phone Answering at a Sensible Price

Many small business owners assume that this type of technology will cost thousands of pounds every month.

It does not.

HighLevel has made AI-powered telephone answering and customer service available at a price that is realistic for smaller companies.

Through MarketerM8, we help businesses plan, configure and train their AI Employee so it understands:

• The services the business provides.
• The areas it covers.
• The questions customers frequently ask.
• The information that should be collected.
• The appointments that can be booked.
• When a call should be transferred to a human.
• What should happen after the conversation.

Your AI Employee can work 24 hours a day, handle multiple calls and continue supporting the business as it grows.

There are usage costs associated with AI voice calls, but these are typically measured by the minute and can be substantially less than the cost of employing an additional full-time receptionist.

AI Works Best Alongside People

The best use of AI is not to remove every human interaction.

It is to decide which interactions should be automated and which should remain human.

An AI receptionist can deal with the first stage of an enquiry, collect information and route the caller to the right person.

A member of your team can then take over when specialist knowledge, empathy or commercial judgement is required.

This combination gives customers a faster initial response without removing the human support they need later in the journey.

AI should not make your business feel less personal.

Used properly, it gives your team more time to be personal where it matters most.

Julian Mills’ View

The British Gas announcement is an important reminder that AI-powered customer service is quickly becoming mainstream.

Large businesses are investing in AI because customers increasingly expect immediate answers, faster service and support outside normal working hours.

Small businesses face exactly the same customer expectations.

The difference is that platforms such as HighLevel have made this technology affordable and accessible without requiring a large internal IT department.

I do not believe every business should immediately replace its reception team with AI.

I do believe every business should examine where calls are being missed, where staff are repeating the same answers and where slow follow-up is costing sales.

AI is not replacing small businesses. It is allowing small businesses to compete with big businesses.

Should Your Business Invest in an AI Receptionist?

An AI receptionist may be worth considering if your business:

• Misses telephone calls while staff are busy.
• Receives enquiries outside normal office hours.
• Frequently answers the same questions.
• Needs to qualify prospects before booking appointments.
• Has slow or inconsistent lead follow-up.
• Wants to reduce repetitive administration.
• Wants every enquiry recorded in its CRM.
• Needs to scale without immediately recruiting more administrative staff.

The first step is not simply buying an AI telephone system.

It is mapping out what should happen when somebody contacts your business.

At MarketerM8, we help businesses design that process and then build it inside HighLevel.

See a HighLevel AI Employee in Action

If you would like to hear an AI receptionist in action, you can call Bob, my AI receptionist, on 07897 031 750.

Bob can answer questions and help you book a discovery call with me.

You can also book a discovery call online to explore how HighLevel and MarketerM8 could help your business answer more enquiries, automate follow-up and capture more sales.

Book a free HighLevel discovery call

Source

The British Gas and Centrica announcement discussed in this article was reported by Reuters:

British Gas owner Centrica to cut 1,300 jobs

The announcement relates to Centrica’s wider digital and technology-led transformation. AI is part of that transformation, although Centrica has not stated that all 1,300 roles are being directly replaced by AI telephone agents.