Npower plan ‘threatens thousands of UK jobs’

Energy firm Npower says it plans to reform its business to make it more profitable, putting jobs at risk.

Up to 4,500 jobs could go, the PA newswire reports, citing union sources.

“The UK market is currently particularly challenging,” said Johannes Teyssen, chief executive of Npower’s owner E.ON.

“We’ve emphasised repeatedly that we’ll take all necessary action to return our business there to consistent profitability.”

The plan will see small businesses and consumers served by the same computer systems and customer service teams, said the company.

Large industrial customers would still be served separately, it said.

The restructuring would cost it £500m, it said.

Npower, one of the big six energy providers in the UK, announced plans in January to cut 900 jobs in another attempt to save costs.

The firm blamed “an incredibly tough” retail energy market for the decision and the government’s new price cap, which began at the start of January.