Innogy culls call centres

900 jobs saved though...

Innogy is cutting 1,100 jobs by closing four call centres, but the power group says up to 900 new positions will be available at its remaining three.

The group, which trades under the name npower, plans to phase out its call centres in Worcester, Bradford, Swindon and Sheffield over the next 18 months.

Innogy had seven centres following acquisitions, including the £1bn purchase of Yorkshire Electricity last year.

Brian Count, the incoming chief executive, said these closures are part of a £35m cost cutting programme aimed at making it more competitive with Centrica in the retail gas and electricity market.

The 900 jobs to be created as part of its restructuring will be split equally between its centres in Stoke and Peterlee, while Oldbury will remain as it is. This means the company will suffer a net loss of 200 jobs.

When its purchase of Northern Electric is finalised, Innogy will have 7m customers, who Count claims will make it the top electricity supplier and number two gas supplier in the UK.