Kwik-Fit Fleet took over exclusive responsibility for tyre authorisation and management on the British Gas liveried fleet six years ago. A new contract has been signed until 31 December 2011, with the opportunity to extend for a further 12 months.

The UK's largest energy supplier will also fit winter tyres to more than 200 vans for the first time this year following Kwik-Fit Fleet's launch of its special winter tyre programme.

Jon York, fleet operations manager at British Gas, said: 'We are equipping our vans with winter tyres to make driving in cold weather as safe as possible and to ensure we can fulfil our customer promise and provide the best possible service.'

British Gas will equip over 120 vans located in the Scottish Highlands with winter tyres all year round, while vehicles in the Peak District will be fitted with winter tyres during the colder months. 

British Gas will take advantage of Kwik-Fit Fleet's "hotel" facility for the storage of summer tyres currently fitted to its Peak District vehicles. Kwik-Fit Fleet's mobile technicians will pack and label each van's summer tyres for storage at the company's Northamptonshire National Distribution Centre. In the spring, the summer tyres will be refitted to the British Gas vans with the winter tyres removed and stored until required again.

Additionally, British Gas has ordered a supply of "snow socks", which are commonly used in Scandinavia and fit over tyres to provide additional traction in harsh weather conditions. Engineers are being encouraged to monitor weather forecasts in their location and order the "snow socks" for their vehicles in good time to ensure work schedules are not impacted by snow and ice on the roads.