LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Britain’s Octopus Energy plans to double its workforce by the end of 2021 and launch a new technology hub in Manchester in the northwest of England, creating around 1,000 jobs, it said on Monday.
The move comes as economists warn of the stark impact of coronavirus-related restrictions on the economy, with the Bank of England expecting a jump in the jobless rate to 7.5% as measures to support jobs ease.
“These 1,000 jobs will provide exciting opportunities across the country for those who want to be at the cutting edge of the green revolution,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement from the company.
The new jobs will also be spread across existing sites in London, Brighton, Warwick and Leicester and will primarily go to graduates, the company said.
Octopus Energy is one of Britain’s fast growing energy suppliers with around 1.7 million customers in the country and operations in Australia and the United States.
Its propriety Kraken cloud-based energy platform is helping it use smart technology to offer customers cheaper electricity when renewable power supply is high and special tariffs for customers with their own generation such as solar panels.
“Our technology is making the UK the Silicon Valley of energy… and can help make Britain the best place to invest in creating new clean technology,” CEO Greg Jackson said. (Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Jason Neely)
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