Fed-up British Gas customers are deserting the energy giant at the rate of almost 7,000 a day.

A total of 823,000 out of 13.1 million ditched the firm for rivals between June 30 and the end of October.

It means the country’s biggest supplier has suffered a 1.2 million exodus since February.

Owner Centrica claimed most lost customers were on less profitable fixed-price deals.

But it admitted others deserted after it hiked electricity prices by an inflation-busting 12.5% in September.

The country’s biggest supplier has suffered a 1.2 million exodus since February (
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However, it still expected British Gas to rake in around £810million profit in the 12 months to February – around the same as the year before.

Centrica boss Iain Conn, 55, whose pay and perks rocketed 37% to more than £4million last year, admitted performance had been “disappointing”.

But he insisted he was encouraged by plans to overhaul the firm, including slash­­ing more than 1,500 jobs this year.

Centrica boss Iain Conn's pay and perks rocketed 37% to more than £4million last year (
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Mark Todd, co-founder of the web­­site Energyhelpline, called the customer exodus “terrible news” for British Gas and added: “It shows that the shocking 12.5% electricity price hike has not gone unnoticed.”

John Musk, at investment bank RBC Capital, called the customer losses “eye watering”. Cen­­­­­­trica shares crashed more than 15% today – wiping £1.4billion off its stock market value – after it warned profits in North American businesses would be down sharply.

Gas rings on a cooker at a home (
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It also revealed a £46million hit from an accounting error.

The firm’s gloomy news comes as Brit­ish Gas faces being hammered by Gov­­ernment pro­­posals to cap “rip-off” standard variable tariffs which last year accounted for 70% of residential profits.

This week it announced measures to try to avert the move, including phasing out the tariffs for new customers by next April.