The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK has told British Gas to stop using the claim that 'every 60 seconds someone switches back to British Gas' because the company cannot substantiate the suggestion.

<p>Ironically, British Gas&#0039; attempts at good publicity have backfired, leaving it reeling from another bad PR episode. Just weeks after an Energywatch study found that British Gas was the worst provider of customer service in the UK energy sector, the company has been told that it cannot use its &#0039;60 seconds&#0039; claim because the figures do not support it.<br /><br />The tag line has been used heavily by the company recently as it attempts to arrest an alarming rate of customer defections. However, according to reports, ScottishPower has issued an official complaint regarding the adverts and a private individual also questioned the accuracy of the statement.<br /><br />British Gas, which is the retail gas arm of Centrica, has accepted the criticism, admitting that its 60 second claim included new customers who were actually not returning customers. The company said that it would amend its advertising.</p>